FDF launches export promotion drive
A joint initiative between Open to Export, government and industry, the Food and Drink Export Month will run from September 15 – October 10. It will include free-of-charge live webinars, the latest exports statistics and case studies, plus a 2014 update of a free downloadable guide ‘10 Steps to Export Success’.
The first live webinar on September 18 will feature presentations from successful exporters Kallo Foods, Eat Natural and Queens Award winner Broker Gin. They will give details of their export journey and provide top tips for other businesses looking to begin exporting or expanding into new markets.
Further webinars include ‘How to export dairy’ on October 2 and ‘How to export beer’ on October 9.
Overcome export problems
The activity follows the successful launch of the Food & Drink Export Week last year. That initiative was aimed at helping firms overcome export problems and inspiring food and drink businesses to start exporting or export more.
“The inaugural Food & Drink Focus Week was such a success that we’ve decided to scale it up to a whole month and introduce a raft of new content for 2014,” said Steve Barnes, FDF director of economics and commercial services.
“Food and drink exports are a long-term opportunity for growth for companies of all sizes. For those wanting to take a more proactive approach to exports and expand into new markets, the free materials and expert advice on Open to Export throughout the coming weeks should be a valuable resource.”
More likely to consider exporting
David Lowe, director of operations for Open to Export, said: “Last year’s feature saw thousands of companies make use of the free online resources on Open to Export, with over 200 questions answered on our forum, and 77% of webinar attendees saying they were more likely to consider exporting as a result.
“We hope that this year’s expanded feature will reach even more companies and get them thinking about the international opportunities for their products.”
