Leading professionals and business men and women from across the Stansted region will be celebrating their networking success in style this month, with the first anniversary of the Stansted Professionals Lunch on Friday to be followed by an evening champagne reception at the Radisson SAS Hotel at the end of March.

It was in March 2008 that Pellys LLP and Bird Luckin business advisers launched their monthly informal networking lunches, which are held at Host Restaurant and Bar in Bishop's Stortford on the first Friday of every month.

And over the past year the event has gone from strength to strength, with local firms and companies keen to sponsor the lunches which attract guests from a wide range of business and professional sectors.

So while the birthday lunch will be held in traditional Stansted Professionals style - with the opportunity to meet and talk to friends and colleagues at Host, from 12.30 p.m. on March 06 - the success of the lunches will also be celebrated with a special evening reception at the Radisson SAS Hotel, Stansted Airport on March 26 from 6 p.m.

Stephen Roche, Managing Partner of Pellys said "I believe that the success fo the lunches lies in the fact that the format is very straightforward and informal. There is no subscription fee, the food is paid for by the sponsor and all the attendee has to do is buy their own drinks. What could be simpler or more cost effective than being able to mingle with like-minded professionals for the price of a lemonade?"

Bird Luckin Director, Alistair Barnwell added: "so popular are the lunches that sponsorship for 2009 has now been taken up, and anyone wishing to sponsor will have to join a reserve list or wait until 2010."

"We would like to thank the Radisson SAS Hotel for their kind hospitality and continued support to the Stansted Professionals, " said Alistair.

for more information about the Stansted Professionals Lunch, or the champagne reception at the Radisson SAS Hotel, contact Gill Harper at Pellys. GillHarper@pellys.co.uk. The photograph was provided by photographer Paul Riddell of riddell@photographybyriddell.co.uk