Entrepreneurs aim to inspire next generation of West Midlands exporters
TWO businesses that have taken their brands from the kitchen table to a worldwide audience will be revealing the secrets of their success at a major international trade event in the West Midlands.
Fraser Doherty, who founded SuperJam at the age of 14 using his grandmother’s recipes, and Will Butler-Adams, CEO of Brompton Bikes, are just two of the high-profile guest speakers at the Global Opportunities Summit on April 21.
The summit marks the pinnacle of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) West Midlands’ Exporting is GREAT Week, which takes place April 18-22. It aims to inspire the next generation of exporters from the West Midlands region.
Christine Hamilton, interim director of UKTI West Midlands, said there was a wealth of talented businesses across the region, many of which would benefit hugely from moving into export markets.
However, she said UKTI’s own experience was that some firms were unaware of the help that was available to them.
“Fraser is the perfect example of how you can go from very humble beginnings to being a global trader by having the confidence to take up the export challenge,” she said.
“We’ll also hear how Brompton Bikes went from being designed in a London flat to now being the UK’s largest bicycle manufacturer that exports to 45 countries. These are real stories that will really inspire any company looking to take the exporting plunge.”
The summit, which takes place at the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, will also feature Emma Jones, founder of Shrewsbury-based Enterprise Nation, which supports small businesses and also runs trade missions that complement UKTI’s events.
Ms Jones (pictured), who is now one of the government’s Business Ambassadors on international trade, said: “Through trade missions we’ve run over the past three years to the US, Europe and Asia, I’ve seen at close hand the rising appetite for British made and designed products, from customers across the globe.
“With support on hand and enabling technology within reach, there’s never been a better time to go global and I’m looking forward to meeting businesses from the West Midlands who plan to do just that.”
Visitors to the Global Opportunities Summit will also be able to explore the thousands of live export opportunities available in the UKTI Export Hub. They can also talk to Virgin Business Enterprise Support about start-up financing, Microsoft Gold Partner, Warwick-based Zen Zero will also be at the event, demonstrating its app building software and new devices.
The Global Opportunities Summit on April 21 is free to attend. To register, visit: http://globalopportunitiessummit.eventbrite.co.uk/
