Manufacturer sees global interest as Brexit uncertainty continues

A Staffordshire manufacturer has seen a change in its customer model as the UK continues to muddle its way through Brexit negotiations.

Cannock exhibition company, Icon Exhibitions & Display, designs, manufactures and installs exhibitions at UK venues.

It said it had seen a change in its client base shortly after the referendum result, receiving many more inquiries from businesses outside the EU.

Until recently, the majority of the firm’s clients have been UK-based companies looking to exhibit at venues at home and abroad.

Of late, it said it had seen a substantial increase in the amount of foreign companies looking to use its services for exhibitions at UK venues.

Wayne Ball, managing director, Icon Exhibitions & Display, said: “Since Brexit and the resulting shifts in exchange rates, our business just seems to have become more visible to international companies, with more enquiries from businesses abroad about exhibitions at UK venues.”

One of Icon’s new international clients is Chainzone Technology (Foshan), a Chinese company which exhibited at the Traffex show at the NEC in April.

Icon manufactured the purpose-built stand to order and then delivered it to the NEC.

Pleased with the success of the event, Chainzone has said it will look to use Icon again.

Mr Ball said Icon was now actively marketing itself internationally to attract more overseas business.

“Who knows what’s going to happen in the next few years, so maybe selling the benefits of working with us locally to those companies that operate globally might help stabilise our business during these changing times,” he said.