We must get behind British exporters and show support for the International Festival of Business

24th June 2014

BCC Director General John Longworth will be speak at The Power of the Chamber Global Network event at the IFB on the 15th July Today marks the start of the International Festival of Business (IFB) a series of events spanning 61 days to promote international trade and exports.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) recognises the importance of putting the UK at the forefront of international trade, and encouraging even more businesses to start looking to new markets overseas. This is why the BCC will be present at the festival, which will focus on how UK companies, large and small, can create new international and domestic business-to-business relationships, allowing them to tap into new, high-growth markets for their products and services. John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and an official ambassador of the IFB, said: 'We are delighted to announce our support of the International Festival of Business, and look forward to engaging with attendees throughout its duration. What really sets the IFB apart from other festivals are the representatives who will be there in person from overseas markets, such as suppliers and investors. As a proud ambassador of the IFB, I understand that this is exactly the kind of practical support that can really help businesses take that first step towards exporting, and find new untapped markets for their products by making real, face to face connections. -Providing UK businesses with access to networking opportunities, both domestically and abroad, is essential to securing long term economic growth. With Accredited Chambers of Commerce acting as Britain's premier private sector source of international trade support for business, we believe the IFB will help to put the UK and one of our great trade cities, Liverpool, on the global map. -Statistics show that exporting businesses are 11% more likely to succeed than those which only serve domestic markets. We really must get behind our exporters if we are to stand a chance of achieving the Prime Minister's target of increasing exports to £1tn by 2020, and help them to seize valuable opportunities overseas.