inspire


BUSINESS WEST – CONNECTING BUSINESSES


Export markets are a major opportunity for firms of all sizes, and Business West provides a range of services to help you go global


INTERNATIONAL TRADE A big win for Business West


Business West Chambers of Commerce was one of five Chambers that walked away as World Chambers Competition champions, winning the Best Job Creation and Business Development project, which aims to maximise international trade as a means of benefitting business in South West England. Other 2017 winners are from Brazil, Germany,


UAE and Columbia. Organised by the ICC World Chambers Federation, this year’s World Chambers Competition was held in Sydney. The only awards programme of its kind, the biennial Competition originally received 53 applications from chambers, representing 27 countries.


Recognising Chambers for


their forward-looking approaches to solve some of today’s global challenges, 18 finalists competed across four diverse categories, each presenting their ground- breaking initiatives to an international judging panel, and many of the 1,000 delegates attending the biennial Congress. Rona Yircali, WCF honorary chair and


‘Never has our chamber and the global network been so relevant in driving jobs and growth’


head of the competition jury, said: “The need to ideate is now more vital than ever before. Through this international concourse, WCF aims to boost chamber creativity and innovation, as well as contribute to the exchange of best


James Monk and British Chambers’ Adam


Marshall


Business West has helped create thousands of jobs, and generated millions of pounds of new export business. They are a shining example for Chambers both in the UK and around the world, for how to boost trade in local business communities.” James Monk, commercial director at Business


West, said: “We are delighted to win this award as recognition of achieving almost half a billion pounds worth of additional export sales and creating nearly 4,000 new jobs. The launch of our International Trade Centre was instrumental in helping Business West to achieve a 40% increase in our website traffic, 250% more potential first time exporters using our services, and our social media channels saw more engagement than ever before. “All of this has been against a challenging national and global backdrop where instability currently tops the media and business agenda in the UK. Yet we have seen that businesses still want to do business with each other. “By changing the way we talked about export


practices to help chambers flourish


in the face of such adverse and uncertain business and economic


conditions.” David Riches, executive director – commercial, trade and marketing, British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Our warmest congratulations to all at Business West for a tremendous achievement. Through their work,


to smaller companies, bringing all elements of business support under one-roof, using our global network of Chambers and private sector partners, and removing the friction between buyers and sellers, we can ensure that, despite what the politicians are doing, we can still drive business growth and success for our members. “Never has our chamber and the global network been so relevant in driving jobs and growth.”


Superact to lead €4m creative project


Bristol based Superact has tapped into its international expertise to secure €2m to deliver Future DiverCities, a four year project to promote cultural diversity across Europe and Canada. Superact, a not-for-profit community interest company which uses music and the arts to help improve the health and well-being of communities, will lead eight partners from across Europe and Canada to deliver a programme of activity that will support new and emerging artists and bring culture and creativity to the heart of communities. The project is being co-funded by Creative


Europe and was launched in Marseille in January 2017. Superact has received €2m from Creative Europe and will work with its partners to raise an additional €2m. Over the past nine years, Superact has developed from delivering small, community projects in Bristol and the South West to leading projects across the UK, in Europe and in India. Throughout this time the company has


Superact believes in the benefits of creativity 16 insight NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017


worked closely with the Department for International Trade (DIT) to develop the skills


and contacts needed to build an effective export strategy, and credits DIT for encouraging them to think ‘bigger’ than just the UK market. Chris Knight, international trade adviser, of the


Department for International Trade south West, said: “Future DiverCities is an amazing initiative and to have been named as lead partner for such a prestigious project is testament to the hard work and dedication of the whole team.” Nick Smith, director, Superact said: “Winning


the bid to deliver Future DiverCities was the culmination of many years of hard work, building contacts and expertise across Europe. “DIT has been an important part of that growth,


opening our eyes to the opportunities available to export our particular type of services and providing us with the support and reassurance we needed to start working overseas. Future DiverCities is a unique and challenging project; working with our partners we are looking forward to establishing a European network of artists and musicians who will encourage and support creativity and innovation within our communities.” Businesses with ambitions to export should visit DIT’s new trade hub www.great.gov.uk


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