Export event will explore the challenges of exporting to China

The highs and lows of exporting to China will be brought to life at the next quarterly ExportExchange ‘Live’ event by a panel of seasoned exporters.

Featuring real life accounts of the challenges and opportunities involved in selling to China, the peer to peer breakfast event will take place at Huddersfield Town Football Club on 29 November.

Huddersfield Town’s commercial director Sean Jarvis will be among the panellists and will talk candidly about the club’s dealings with Chinese firms, including its £3m shirt sponsorship deal with Chinese gaming company Ope Sports. The line-up will also include panellists from global Leeds-based translation provider The Big Word, which has offices in China, and the event will be compered by business journalist David Parkin.

The ExportExchange.co.uk initiative, which launched in July to bring together experts in overseas trade within firms from the Leeds City Region, has already helped share exporting knowledge with many growing exporters who have registered to receive advice from experienced Yorkshire mentors or ‘patrons’.

The ExportExchange ‘Live’ quarterly events have been designed to provide real life examples of export opportunities and the resources available to new or growing exporters, from grants and matched funding to export documentation, research services and loan funding.

Sean Jarvis said: “We have seen first-hand, during our recent visit, that the market in China is now huge and there is enormous potential to export goods and services from Yorkshire.

“China is leading the way in the production and export of textiles, particularly in the football industry, where we have recently seen more Chinese companies becoming official sponsors of UK clubs as well as producing replica kit.

He added: “But, there is no denying that the market is daunting – especially for new traders or smaller companies that haven’t had much experience.”

Victoria Boldison, network manager of ExportExchange, said: “This event is a fantastic opportunity for small businesses in the Leeds City Region to take part in a warts and all discussion about the trials and tribulations, as well as the prosperity and success stories, of doing business with China. It’s vitally important that up and coming export businesses understand the challenges associated with overseas trade and seek the best advice from the many sources that are out there.”

The ExportExchange programme is backed by the European Regional Development Fund and supported by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the Department for International Trade (DIT), and a number of private sector export specialists.

Businesses interested in attending the free event, which runs from 8am to 10am on Wednesday 29 November at the John Smith’s Stadium, Huddersfield, should register interest via the ExportExchange website www.exportexchange.co.uk/overcoming-the-challenges-of-trading-in-china