UKTI holds first summit for medium sized businesses in Midlands
Midland's Medium-Sized Businesses (MSBs) attended a special international trade conference organised by UKTI.
The summit was the first of its kind and was attended by over 100 of the region’s most influential companies. The event took place on 18 March 2015.
Ongoing support for MSBs
UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) MSB Programme assesses companies export capability, either to:
- get started in international trade
- develop existing export operations further
This month it was revealed that over 500 MSBs in the Midlands are now receiving government support to break into new markets overseas.
Nationally UKTI has increased the number of MSBs receiving export help from 1,000 to 3,000 in the last year.
Helping MSBs export will also benefit small UK companies. 70% of MSB suppliers come from our domestic economy.
The day’s activities
The event took place at the Hilton at St George’s Park in Burton-upon-Trent. It was chaired by global news correspondent Tanya Beckett. UKTI East and West Midlands pulled together a huge range of contributors from their networks to show local MSBs how much information and support is available.
The morning saw keynote speeches by former Mercedes Petronas CEO Nick Fry, Gü Founder James Averdieck and Times columnist Louise Cooper. This was followed by introductions on High Value opportunities and the Export Control Organisation.
One-on-one workshops were held in the afternoon with 17 commercial experts. These included a number of UKTI specialists and heads of trade.
Find out how UKTI can help you export, contact an International Trade Advisor.
East and West
UKTI regional directors Ian Harrison and Paul Noon from the East and West Midlands, respectively, commented on the success of the event. They were keen to show local companies the support that is available to them – allowing them not just to trade abroad, but to thrive there.