Record number of events underway by Chamber International
21 August 2014
A record number of events to help novice exporters trade overseas are being held by Chamber International during the autumn and winter.
A total of 20 events, many of which will have special themes such as how to sell to Saudi Arabia, are being held in one of the busiest ever periods for the specialist international trade body.
For the first time the events, which will take place every week between now and February, are also going to be held in a wide range of different locations throughout Leeds City Region including Leeds, York, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Halifax, Selby and Craven to take advice to business on their own doorstep.
The huge number of events follows Chamber International, which has been supporting Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership’s We are International campaign since early 2013, winning an additional, related contract from Leeds City College.
In the new contract Chamber international will run fortnightly events and use them to work closely with novice exporters to help identify what special help they need to become more successful exporters. The events and associated research is being funded through the Local Response Fund (LRF), a Skills Support for the Workforce Contract which is managed by Leeds City College.
In a separate move, Chamber International is also staging two specialist events in Leeds as part of the Overseas Business Network initiative (OBNi) launched by David Cameron with an £8m investment last year with the aim of doubling the UK’s annual exports to £1tr by 2020 and increasing the number of UK exporters by 100,000.
The first OBNi event to help experienced exporters target Saudi Arabia – the biggest market in the Arab world - is being held at Addleshaw Goddard, Leeds, on November 4,and supported by global testing organisation Intertek. A second event is planned for India on December 4 in partnership with the UK India Business Council.
Most of the events will be attended by members of the We are International export network – experienced exporters who give their practical help and advice free to novice exporters
The We are International initiative – delivered by Leeds LEP with international trade specialists Chamber International, UKTI Yorkshire and Humber, Enterprise Europe Yorkshire and Yorkshire Universities – aims to add £1.6bn to the City Region economy and create thousands of jobs during the next five years.
Chamber International director, Tim Bailey says: “Whatever national figures may say, exporting is booming in Yorkshire. We have never been busier across every aspect of our operation.
“There has never been a better time for businesses to get involved with overseas trade and take advantage of all the help which is available from these events and from some of the region’s top exporters in the We are International network who are giving their time and expertise free to help businesses get involved.”
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