ALAN Sugar's sales supremo, Ruth Badger, gave a few pointers to business leaders in Ladram Bay Holiday Park, in Otterton this week. Following her stint as one of the most memorable contestants on The Apprentice, Ruth ran a one-day course on power-selling aimed at improving the performance of the business community.

ALAN Sugar's sales supremo, Ruth Badger, gave a few pointers to business leaders in Ladram Bay Holiday Park, in Otterton this week.Following her stint as one of the most memorable contestants on The Apprentice, Ruth ran a one-day course on power-selling - aimed at improving the performance of the business community.The event also kick-started a completely new venture for the park's owners, holding conferences; with a difference.Ladram's general manager, Claire Williams, says the park will be pitching itself at business function organisers who want to escape the 'stuffiness' and the expense of traditional hotels: "We can offer exactly the same sort of facilities as a hotel but hopefully be able introduce a bit more fresh air and even fun into the proceedings." said Claire."And with many firms now working on reduced budgets during the recession, we can also offer outstanding value compared with conventional alternatives," she added.The park has meeting facilities for up to 50 delegates, and a range of presentation technology - Ladram Bay recently spent hundreds of thousands of pounds upgrading its facilities, following a record season for holidaymakers last year.She said that businessmen and women are also likely to bring fresh inspiration to the table as a result of the invigorating sea air, and, perhaps, an early-morning dip in the park's pool.And this summer could raise the bar even higher, said Claire, as advanced reservations are presently well up on this month's 2008 figures: "We offered Ruth Badger the opportunity to be our first business booking when we met her earlier this year at the park industry's national conference - and she jumped at the chance," said Zoe House, company director."We'll even be pleased to welcome Alan Sugar himself, if he wants to inject more blue-sky thinking into his meetings!