The Department of Trade and Industry seminar next month will include the launch of a CD ROM designed to help businesses cope with global competition.

Competitiveness minister Helen Liddell will be the keynote speaker and will joined at the seminar by the government's e-Envoy Alex Allan and Bob Bischof of the North West Euro Forum.

Delegates at the event on September 21 will be able to visit a cybercafe to see practical demonstrations of e-business in action and how it can work for them.

Bob Bischof said: "As a business sets up a website it sets up a shop window to the world. It enters a global marketplace. And even if a particular business does not have a website, its rival may have, thus bringing global competition to their doorstep."

He added: "The introduction of the euro magnifies the challenges, creating a market of 290 million consumers, changing the business landscape throughout Europe."