Global sporting events offer export growth for West Midland firms

GLOBAL sporting events offer exciting opportunities for West Midland firms looking to expand their export business, UK Trade and Investment has said.

Firms in the region have made more than £500m from Olympic contracts, with business being won by the likes of: Zaun Fencing, of Wolverhampton, Slick Seating, of Redditch, Golden Bear Toys, of Telford, Premier Group, of Coventry, Acme Whistles, of Birmingham and Merrythought, of Ironbridge.

UKTI said one of its key aims was to help firms emulate the success of Australian companies, which, following  the Sydney Olympics, were successful in winning business across the world supplying other major international sports events.

Events flagged up by UKTI include: the FIFA World Cup in Brazil during 2014, the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, the Brazil Olympic Games in 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and the subsequent 2022 tournament in Qatar. The latter alone, is expected to be worth around £6.4bn in contracts.

UKTI said that like other regions around the UK, the West Midlands was playing host to several international teams during the Olympic Games, including the Jamaican track and field team, the Ukraine Basketball team and the Pakistan hockey team plus the USA track and field teams, which will be based in Birmingham.

To maximise opportunities for trade with the USA and Brazil leading up to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics in Brazil, UKTI’s Birmingham team is holding a USA and Brazil event on July 12.

This builds on the success of a similar American event held last year. The programme will include keynote speakers and a chance to meet and discuss business opportunities with UKTI colleagues based in America.

Further details are available by calling 0121 450 4205 or visiting:
www.legacyconference.ukti.gov.uk