25/05/2010
BSIA organised 'Meet the Buyers' event at IFSEC
Birmingham, UK
Caroline Strickley, BSIA Export Services Executive who is responsible for the co-ordination of Meet the Buyers, comments: "Over the years Meet the Buyers has introduced UK businesses to more than 1,200 overseas buyers, which has resulted in almost GBP 10 million worth of predicted sales. It is an extremely popular event with IFSEC UK exhibitors and BSIA members and this year's success reflects just that.
"A record-breaking 722 meetings were arranged for this year's Meet the Buyers, which saw 125 overseas buyers and commercial officers attend from countries as diverse as Bosnia, Iraq and Tanzania. This impressive number of meetings demonstrates how highly the event is regarded by UK companies and overseas buyers. As well as welcoming new faces this year we also saw many companies and buyers who return year on year without fail because Meet the Buyers offers such a valuable busisness opportunity."
At the event, Andrew Knights, Managing Director of Selectamark Plc, commented: "I've been coming to Meet the Buyers for all of the years that it has been running. The event is an effective way of seeing potential customers from a number of different countries and serves as a great way to get your name out there to an international audience and make contact with a range of buyers."
Alma Kadunic, UKTI Trade and Investment Manager at the British Embassy, Sarajevo, added: "It is my first time at Meet the Buyers and I was not sure what to expect. However, it far exceeds my expectations. Through the event I have managed to make many contacts that we will be developing further. UK goods and services are known for their quality, which is something that is very important so making the contact with UK businesses is essential. Meet the Buyers is a fantastic way to do this and the meetings I had were productive."