by business editor Trevor Sturgess

The event organiser who signed up the stars and created the south east's biggest business show will not be putting it together in 2012.

After six years, Carole Black of Best Business Events, Teston, decided not to tender for the Kent 2020 Vision contract offered by Business Support Kent (BSK).

It was the first time BSK had put the event management out to tender, which was won by Revolution Events, Pembury.

The show now attracts hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of business people, including international visitors, to the Kent showground.

Ms Black came up with the concept and worked tirelessly to create an event envied across the country.

She secured A-list celebrities such as Labour's spin doctor Alastair Campbell, journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil, Dragons Den's James Caan, PR guru Max Clifford, Edward de Bono, the lateral thinking expert, Apprentice sidekicks Karren Brady and Nick Hewer, and former BBC director-general Greg Dyke.

Her first signing was Lord Digby Jones, who was the guest speaker at the first Kent 2020 Vision in the Ramada Hotel, Hollingbourne, in 2006.

Ms Black said: "We have had six wonderful years, but sadly as a small business we were unable to meet the requirements of the tender."

Bob Jones, former BSK chief executive, praised Ms Black's achievement but added: "We felt it was right to go out to tender because this event is only getting bigger."

He welcomed Revolution Events, saying its experience and capabilities would "help accelerate the event's huge potential and consolidate its position as the place to do business in Kent."

Nick Litton, Revolution's joint managing director, said the firm was proud to be entrusted with the future development of such a vibrant and exciting brand.

"The SME sector will be powering a major portion of the UK's economic recovery over the next few years and Kent 2020 Vision has a valuable role to play in helping them to succeed."

Since 1999, Revolution has organised more than 200 business events.