Another successful year for Meet the Buyers event

The fifth Meet the Buyers event, organised by the BSIA in partnership with the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO), IFSEC organiser United Business Media and the International Trade Promotion Centre, took place on Monday 16th of May, on the first day of the IFSEC show.

Formatted as a ‘speed networking’ event, where brief ten-minute introductory meetings are arranged in advance, this year’s edition of the popular event confirmed its extraordinary success and welcomed security procurement specialists from countries including India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Dubai and Nigeria.

Over the years, Meet The Buyers has achieved impressive results, introducing UK businesses to over 1,200 overseas buyers and resulting in almost £10 million worth of predicted sales.

Attending the event for a second year running, Jumade Adejola, from Nigerian company Surveillant Fire Limited, explained the reasons why, as a foreign company, this event is so beneficial: ‘My organisation has been dealing with UK companies for a number of years now, but being able to attend and be associated with Meet the Buyers puts us ahead of our competitors, as it proves we are serious about forging lasting links with UK businesses.  We have seen a significant boost in sales last year following the event, and our relationships with UK companies have never been better, as being able to meet people face to face always allows for greater networking success.’

Wilf Butcher, Chief Executive Officer for the Association for Specialist Fire Protection, also commented on the rare opportunity provided by the event: ‘The event does provide a unique opportunity to meet face to face with a number of commercial officers from across the world, all at the same time. There is real potential for companies to establish important business relationships as a result of this event, as long as attendees are well prepared and ready to seize the opportunities as they arise.’

‘I have been attending this event since 2007, and find it mutually beneficial for both Canadian and UK companies’, concludes Bernardette Terry, Trade Officer at the British High Commission in Ottawa, ‘The event is particularly useful in making UK companies view Canada as a viable route to the North American market, and is also a great way to showcase UK technology and expertise’.

On the day, Trade and Investment officers from foreign Embassies and Consulates were also on hand to impart their expert knowledge and advice for those UK companies looking to break into overseas markets and expand their business.

If you’re exhibiting at IFSEC next year and want to get involved in Meet the Buyers, contact Caroline Strickley for more details, c.strickley@bsia.co.uk

Meet the Buyers is organised by the BSIA in partnership with the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO), IFSEC organiser United Business Media and the International Trade Promotion Centre.

The BSIA’s Export Council is an invaluable forum for companies looking to test the overseas market.

BSIA Website