Companies throughout Ireland with an ambition to grow internationally are set to attend the very first Export Summit, which takes place in Galway on November 9th.
The event is the brainchild of the Local Enterprise Offices of the West, and is supported by a host of key agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, the IDA, WDC and Údarás na Gaeltachta. The purpose of the event is simple, yet vital: match ambitious companies with a host of experts through various forums such as keynote talks, hands-on workshops and informal networking opportunities.
It is little wonder that the initiative has come from the west. The region has always had to work that little bit harder to attract foreign direct investment over the past thirty years, and the exercise has certainly done it no harm. Whilst Galway City is a mecca for the pharma and med sectors, it is fair to say that both Mayo and Sligo are no slouches in that regard either.
Now the region is turning it’s attention to growing it’s export markets, and it’s agencies are determined to help ambitious companies to find their feet in markets such as the UK, USA and continental Europe.
Breda Fox, head of enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Galway outlines the importance of the event for any west of Ireland business considering immediate or eventual growth into overseas markets. "The event is a wonderful opportunity for small and established businesses to meet agency heads and business experts who are successful in overseas markets. It will help those attending on the day to gather the knowledge and information about the supports available to help them grow into ever-expanding and increasing competitive overseas markets."
Businesses attending the event will receive valuable client support in a variety of ways:
“Growing business overseas brings a unique set of challenges for our clients,’ says Fox. ‘We want to give them the best possible chance of success by introducing our clients to business leaders who have invaluable expertise in this area.”
One such business leader is James Murphy, CEO and founder of Lifes2good.
Murphy is a keynote speaker who will address the audience on the fundamentals required for successful trading overseas. His company changed from being a small local distributor to being a bone fide global giant of online beauty sales inside a span of 10 years. In January of this year Lifes2good sold a part of their business for €150million - having purchased it only 10 years previous when it’s annual yearly turnover was just €700k.
Enterprise Ireland regional director, West Region, Barry Egan, believes that Export Summit is a key part of the agency's strategy for helping companies to expand into new markets. "Enterprise Ireland's strategy aims to support more Irish companies with global ambition to achieve greater scale and expand their global footprint. Our strategy aims to increase client company exports to €26 billion per annum by the end of 2020 with an ambitious target to grow the level of exports to over two thirds outside the UK over the period. Export Summit will provide companies from across the west of Ireland, with a valuable opportunity to examine the potential of a range of new markets and new strategies for growing their business. This is an important event in the region's business calendar for 2017."
Identify the market for you
One key benefit of Export Summit will be the availability of experts to help companies to target the ideal market. Much of the difficulty with export is the lack of knowledge of the culture and economic conditions pertaining to markets throughout Europe and beyond. At Export Summit experts will be on hand to help companies to pinpoint the most productive markets for their products.
Speakers will include Marina Donohoe, UK and Northern Europe director, Enterprise Ireland, Eddie Goodwin, Enterprise Ireland, manager Germany, Switzerland and Austria and Susanne Dirks, founder and CEO e-Vorsprung Consulting, who will address the issues associated with localising communications for export markets.
Export business challenges and solutions will be addressed in keynote topics such as Global sales through innovation, design and supply (Synecco), growth through process and people, challenges of scaling and growing an export business, and global market access through smart supply chain practices.