IFB2016 set to welcome more than 100 nations

MORE than 100 trade delegations from across the globe are expected to visit Liverpool to take part in the second International Festival for Business 2016.

Upwards of 30,000 delegates will gather for IFB2016 in June at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool for three weeks, with around 40% expected to come from overseas with a view to doing deals with UK SMEs.

Companies which took part in IFB2014 secured £80m in export sales and organisers are expecting an even better festival in 2016.

The delegations will provide UK SMEs which take part in the festival with a gateway to connect with key markets including Europe, South East Asia, USA, India, China, Latin America, and the Middle East.
 
Businesses can connect with the international delegations by joining the IFB Business Club which wills will enable them to benefit from the festival’s Business Matching service, which connects companies according to their requirements and which will launch in early 2016.
 
UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has partnered with IFB2016 as part of the GREAT campaign and is working to drive engagement with international partners.

China, the USA and Europe are of specific interest to the IFB2016 organisers, with more than 60% of the delegations being drawn from these three regions.

China, in particular, is a key area of focus for the international delegations, and three trade visits to China have already taken place to encourage engagement from Chinese SMEs looking to forge global connections.

The delegations will consist of SMEs with international growth aspirations which are interested in forging links and developing partnerships with UK-based companies.

Chris Heyes, head of International at IFB2016, said: “There is going to be a huge international presence at IFB2016 and we’re very excited about the potential this presents for UK SMEs looking to forge international links and do business on a global scale.

“The festival really opens up new markets that may not be easily accessible to smaller businesses and gives UK SMEs the opportunity to put themselves on a global platform and connect with SMEs in other countries who are looking to do deals, find new suppliers, and develop new partnerships.

“We’ve had a lot of interest from organisations across the seven key regions that we’re targeting and we’re utilising UKTI’s great global network, as well as tapping into our sponsor’s network of contacts across the globe, to ensure the delegations we’re bringing over will really add value and be a great fit for UK businesses looking to make the most of the opportunity.”
 
Activity during IFB2016 will be clustered round three themes: manufacturing, creative and digital, and energy and environment.
 
The festival is supported by the UK government, main partner HSBC, media partners The Times, Sunday Times and Bloomberg as well as festival supporters DLA Piper, Dong Energy, Heathrow, PwC, Siemens and Virgin Trains.

Businesses and individuals can register now for IFB’s Business Club, which provides entry to the festival as well as access to exclusive benefits during the run-up to the festival, including a range of free business support services.