Summit will provide advice and tips on exporting

"We want to remove some of the hurdles and psychological barriers that businesses who have never exported face,"

Firms in Coventry and Warwickshire will be shown how they can boost their bottom line by trading globally at a major event this autumn. 

Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is holding an International Trade Summit on Friday, October 11, at the Holiday Inn in Walsgrave to offer practical advice and tips on doing business overseas to help boost exports, which research from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) shows are static. 

The Chamber wants to encourage more companies from across the region to trade internationally from France to Finland and from Asia to Africa because of the benefits it brings to both the individual businesses and the wider economy. 

Delegates will hear from a range of speakers and will also be able to take part in live link-up sessions that can help to develop trade links with the Middle East & Asia, Europe and Africa. 

The event will also explore some real-life stories of local exporters who have achieved success as well as updating on the latest information on what Government support is available for overseas trade. 

Lloyds Bank is the headline partner for the event and will deliver a session on how to identify export markets and ensure a business has the working capital to be able to grow international sales. Independent Freight and GWCI Consulting are also partners for the event and it should all add up to a practical, easy-to-understand guide to exporting from experts in the field and those who are already doing it. 

Corin Crane, chief executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Trading overseas is of huge importance. The evidence tells us that businesses that export have a much better chance of growing, a better chance of survival and are much more productive in everything that they do. 

“It is fair to say that the past few years haven’t been easy – with Brexit and Covid – when it comes to international trade but it’s time to really grasp every opportunity that doing business overseas can bring. 

“Our summit last year proved to be extremely popular and we had businesses wanting to book on for this year straight away because of the very practical and informative nature of the event. We want to remove some of the hurdles and psychological barriers that businesses who have never exported face and once they realise they can do it and that there’s support out there for them, they will never look back. 

“Equally, we want to show those businesses that already export into one or two markets that there is whole world of opportunities available to them and our live link-up sessions will be a really exciting way of doing that. 

“It should be a great event but, more importantly, we want it to have a genuine impact on the number of businesses from our region who are selling the amazing goods and services we have to offer to the rest of the world.” 

Liam Smyth, Director of Trade Facilitation at the BCC, will be a guest speaker at the event. He said: “International trade is the lifeblood of our economy and Chambers are integral to making that happen. Accredited Chambers facilitate around £16bn of trade annually and are recognised experts in helping firms export. 

 “We firmly believe that international trade can make every business a better one. The world of trade is in constant flux; fresh markets are emerging, digitalisation is accelerating, and more sustainable goods and services are being developed. There has never been a better time to get involved. This trade summit is a great chance for businesses to find out more and explore the opportunities ahead.” 

For more information or to book, please go to https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/events/international-trade-summit/