Member Article

Yorkshire and Humber firms attend IFB 2016

Atom Beer and Battle Oats are among more than 40 businesses from Yorkshire and the Humber attending International Festival for Business 2016 (IFB 2016), being billed as the world’s biggest festival of business.

Being staged at Exhibition Centre Liverpool between 13 June and 1st July and expected to attract more than 30,000 delegates from the UK and overseas, IFB 2016 is based on three themed weeks dedicated to advanced manufacturing, energy and environment and creative and digital respectively.

Delivered by Liverpool Vision in partnership with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the GREAT Britain campaign with the support of the UK Government, IFB will host more than 80 high-quality events for a wide range of business sectors and is free to attend.

Each event will offer one-to-one appointments with suppliers, buyers and investors, live export and investment opportunities, free business services including legal, financial and marketing advice, expert-led sector specific seminars, networking and talks by leaders in the fields of business, technology and innovation.

IFB 2016 aims to build on the success of IFB 2014, also staged in Liverpool and which attracted businesses from 92 countries, facilitating export and investment deals worth in excess of £280m.

Among those businesses wanting to develop its international trade from attendance at IFB is Battle Oats, the Hull-based manufacturer of a range of five gluten free, protein-packed snack bars of different flavours but all made with 100 per cent natural ingredients.

Battle Oats was launched in September 2014 and now has eight staff supplying its five-strong range to CrossFit gyms, independent health stores, rock climbing gyms and high street retailers throughout the United Kingdom and to a rising number of customers overseas by selling directly to Germany, Spain, Italy and France and to the Netherlands via a distributor.

Owner Kevin Smith said: “As a small but growing UK-based food company looking to grow international sales the IFB presents itself as a great networking opportunity to establish and develop new relationships with trade customers abroad.”

Meanwhile, Atom Beers, founded in January 2014 by Allan Rice and Sarah Thackray and based at Sutton Fields Industrial Estate, Hull, considers the science of brewing as a fundamental inspiration that drives them to produce more than 40 beers and collaborate with some of the best breweries worldwide to supply the on-trade with full flavoured unique tasting beers.

Attending IFB 2016 on behalf of Atom Beers is Simon Shepherd, a marketing specialist on secondment from UKTI to help the business to expand international sales from existing overseas markets, establish contact with potential clients overseas and enhance its international marketing and sales strategy.

Explain the reasons for his attendance on behalf of Atom, Simon said: “IFB 2016 presents both a rare and ideal opportunity for an ambitious and growing business such as Atom to make contact with the people and services that matter in its continued drive to build its operations overseas.”

Both are among about 20 Yorkshire and the Humber businesses attending a UKTI Food and Drink e-commerce summit at Exhibition Centre on Tuesday, 14th June which will offer attendees the chance to discover e-commerce opportunities and how to sell online overseas, get hands-on advice on how to plan an export growth strategy, network with sector peers and organise 1-2-1 meetings with potential partners and e-commerce operators.

The remaining 20-plus businesses from the region are signed up to attend Games For All, an event being staged by UKTI and the United Kingdom Interactive Entertainment Association on Monday, 27th June to designed to help games developers go global, and Oil and Gas, Connecting the UK’s Capabilities to the World on Tuesday, 21st June at which leading business figures will explain oil and gas export and investment opportunities.

UKTI is hosting a comprehensive programme of sectoral events that businesses can register for online and sees IFB 2016 as an ideal opportunity for firms looking to trade abroad to get involved with Exporting is GREAT, the Government’s initiative to inspire another 100,000 businesses to sell their goods and services overseas by 2020.

As well as export opportunities, UKTI is also providing its Investment Showcase to promote high value investment opportunities in the UK to visiting investors.

Attending the festival is free, but to guarantee entry delegates must register for the online Business Club – a bespoke business-matching service (also free). The Business Club will also provide exclusive benefits during the run-up to the festival, including a range of free business-support services.

Among incentives for companies to attend IFB is Travel To Trade, a bursary for UK businesses of £150 per company available for delegations of a minimum of five companies. Eligible businesses must be SMEs seeking to export for the first time or looking to grow internationally. All firms must attend at least one event and have a minimum of one appointment made via IFB 2016’s digital matching service. More details are available at traveltotrade@ifb2016.com

Mark Robson, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber said: “There are already more than 400 Yorkshire and Humber companies registered for IFB2016 and in excess of 40 are confirmed attendees.

“We will be taking several delegations to attend UKTI’s exciting programme of sectoral events and the wider Festival programme with help from the Travel to Trade fund.

“Attending IFB2016 is the natural next step for businesses inspired to trade overseas by Exporting is GREAT, the Government initiative to get another 100,000 businesses trading overseas by 2020 and UKTI’s international network is helping to attract the best international buyers and investors to the Festival. Businesses can register for UKTI events online and should contact us directly to join our delegations.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by UK Trade & Investment Yorkshire & the Humber .