Hundreds of South West businesses congregate at ExploreExport 2012

Organised by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) South West, ExploreExport was held at the Mercure Holland House Hotel today (16 November). The highly successful event provided businesses with the opportunity to meet experts from over 70 countries and receive bespoke advice.

Now in its fifth year, ExploreExport has been designed to help guide local companies through a period of rapid world economic change as well as provide them with an opportunity to meet and network with a broad selection of organisations that can help develop overseas ambitions.

ExploreExport was the culmination of Export Week - a campaign led by Trade & Investment Minister Lord Green to increase the number of British exporters by roughly a quarter and add around £36 billion to the UK economy.

Crispin Simon, managing director of trade development at UKTI, welcomed the delegates and delivered the opening address. He said:

“It’s been a year since Lord Green launch the National Export Challenge and I’m delighted to see so many businesses here at ExploreExport interested and ready to do business overseas.

“In the first six months of this year, we have supported 7,000 more businesses than during the same period in the previous year. At UKTI we believe that there are exporting opportunities for every business, no matter what size, and we can help to get you there with our range of established services.

“There are opportunities both in traditional, established markets such as Europe and the US and the high growth economies such as China, India, Brazil and Russia. A great place to start is by talking to your local UKTI International Trade Adviser, who has years of business experience and can give you one-to-one advice and mentoring.”

Companies new to exporting gained valuable advice from experts well versed in the art of doing business abroad, learned best practice and heard about specific, relevant opportunities in various international markets. Experienced exporters were also able to explore new markets, network with specialists from unchartered territories, develop new contacts and source new opportunities in their existing markets.

Designed to inspire international business, ExploreExport provided the opportunity to meet with representatives and staff from over 70 countries, including China, South Africa, Japan, Hong Kong, Dubai, Australia and New Zealand, SE Asia, North America, Africa, the Caribbean, South America and many European countries including Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Bulgaria, the Nordics, Slovakia, Serbia, Cyprus, Ireland, Russia, Greece and The Baltic States.

In addition to the morning one-to-one sessions and exhibition, afternoon seminars and workshops included:

• How to Boost Your Digital Marketing Overseas, Viper Marketing

• 7 Habits of Highly Effective Exporters, Learning Impact

• European Research & Development Funding Opportunities, Enterprise Europe Network

• Internationally Trading Businesses – What are the opportunities and why should you bother?, Lloyds TSB

• How to Win an Export Deal – Stop Being so British!, Export Communications Review Consultants

• Make Sense of Export Documentation, Business West

• Making Trade Shows Work for your Business, British Expertise

• Intellectual Property, A Valuable Asset of Business, Ignite IP

• Customs Requirements for Export – How to Meet Your Legal Obligations, HMRC

Contacts

To find out more about the wide range of support services available through UK Trade & Investment to help your company succeed overseas contact the South West International Trade Hotline:

UKTI South West International trade Team

Tel: +(0)845 60 60 969

Email: enquiries@uktisouthwest.org