Gatwick Airport has launched a competition with the Department for International Trade to give local businesses the chance to attend international trade exhibitions – helping them grow internationally and support local job creation.
SMEs headquartered in Surrey, Sussex, Kent and Croydon can take part by explaining in 150 words how their business will develop by attending trade exhibitions through the Gatwick Trade Fairs webpage (www.gatwickairport.com/trademissions).
Thanks to a new Gatwick partnership, the Department of International Trade will also be offering support to the winners to help them maximise the opportunities at the show they choose to attend.
International Trade Secretary and President of the Board of Trade Dr Liam Fox MP said: “Businesses of all sizes should remember that there is a world beyond Europe and there will be a time beyond Brexit. This competition, which we have launched with Gatwick Airport, will help SMEs who may not have the time or resources to realise the opportunities of international expansion and exporting.
“The DIT stands ready to help companies export. I encourage local businesses to get in touch with us to learn more about what we can do to help you make the transition from local to global.”
Oxford Economics found that Gatwick was an important enabler of trade with £7.5 billion of international goods passing through Gatwick in 2017 in business that supported 113,800 UK jobs. Such trade is enabled directly by the transport of cargo within the belly holds of flights – particularly through the airports 66-strong long haul route network.
Guy Stephenson, Chief Commercial Officer, Gatwick Airport said; “SMEs are an important cog in the economic ecosystem of the South East and we recognise the many challenges they face. By supporting local enterprises to attend international trade shows we hope to provide them with an important step up that will help them to develop and grow their business for the future.
“We hope to keep working closely with the Department for International Trade to see how else we might support local business going forward.”