A business club that is intended to help UK companies access thousands of potential deals during the International Festival for Business 2016 in Liverpool has been launched.
The International Festival for Business Club, which is free to join, provides access to the festival's Meet Your Future Deal programme, a digital matching service that offers introductions to potential buyers, partners, investors and suppliers. Companies are being urged to register for the club early so that qualified appointments with prospective buyers can be organised on their behalf during the festival.
Approximately 6,000 face-to-face appointments are expected to be made through the business club over the three-week festival, which takes place in Liverpool in June and is being delivered in partnership with UK Trade & Investment and the GREAT Britain Campaign and with the support of the UK government.
The International Festival for Business Club will also enable businesses to access free advice from industry experts through the Meet Your Specialist Advisor programme. Covering each step of the export and business growth journeys, delegates will be paired with the advisers best suited to their needs through the digital matching service.
Festival director Ian McCarthy (pictured) said: "The International Festival for Business Club will create an easy-to-access route for businesses looking to engage with the festival.
"But more than that, we've created a virtual shop window, where businesses looking to do deals can showcase their products and services and connect with potential buyers, partners, investors and suppliers from all over the world in just a few easy steps.
"This offers unbeatable opportunities for ambitious SMEs who may lack an international network but are looking to take their companies to the next level and do deals on a regional, UK-wide or global scale.
"Alongside the explicit commercial opportunities the festival enables, companies also have the chance to take advantage of in-depth advice and support from experts in all stages of the export journey – from IP protection to marketing to logistics – via bespoke one-to-one sessions."
Specialist advice areas range from international market research to export tax, the tender process, logistics, finance and legal. Advisers will represent organisations including UK Trade & Investment, Exporting is GREAT, the British Library & Intellectual Property Centre and the London Stock Exchange.
McCarthy said: "As a result of IFB2014, we know that businesses benefited from the festival to the tune of £280m in new sales and investment deals and we're expecting IFB2016 to be even more successful.
"This is a global, outwardly-focused festival and we want to really encourage UK SMEs to get involved, engage with the International Festival for Business Club and make the most of the plethora of opportunities that will present themselves."
The festival is supported by main partners HSBC and BT, global media partners Bloomberg and The Times and festival supporters Arup, DLA Piper, DONG Energy, Heathrow, PwC, Siemens and Virgin Trains.