West Midlands showcased to Europe to support EU growth
A CROSS-party group of MPs and MEPs is collaborating with Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group to promote the West Midlands to potential business partners across the European market.
The showcase will take place at a meeting dubbed ‘Europe: The West Midlands Biggest Market’ at Jury’s Inn, Birmingham, on Thursday between 9am and 2pm.
The event is being organised by Our Biggest Market.org, a cross-party campaign launched by Business Secretary Vince Cable to push the business case for staying in the EU.
The event is designed to provide an overview of the commercial opportunities offered by the EU’s single market on 37 free trade agreements.
Jonathan Webber, director of international trade services at the BCCG, said: “If you are looking to expand your business through exporting to the rest of the EU or beyond, or are looking to network with other exporters, this event is for you.”
In the first session West Midlands MEPs Phillip Bennion (LibDem) and Malcolm Harbour (Conservative) and Wolverhampton North East Labour MP Emma Reynolds will discuss how the single market can help businesses grow and create jobs in the West Midlands.
In the second session, Mark Anderson (European Commission), Ian Ascough (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills), Jeffries Briginshaw (managing director, BritishAmerican Business) and Uday K Dholakia (Chairman of the National Asian Business Association) will assess how businesses can use British EU membership to gain access to non-EU markets. It will also include a discussion on the negotiation of the EU-US free trade deal.
To register for the free event firms should visit http://ourbiggestmarket.org/event/west-midlands-biggest-market/
