SITPRO’s meeting at Clifford Chance was the last London event of the UK’s 2009 World Trade Week and despite the backdrop of economic worries this turned out to be a week that celebrated all that was best about British business.
World Trade Week was devised to highlight the importance of global trade in creating jobs and growth. Over the five days, events across the country demonstrated how the UK has been taking this message to heart. Businesses were able to get advice on all matters related to world trade, ranging from finding markets to SITPRO’s own guidance on documents and procedures. In keeping with its global theme, the week’s events did not end at the UK border and included meetings in key trading locations like Shanghai and New Dehli.
Stephanie Flanders interviews Lord Mandelson at the opening conference
Proceedings opened with a conference in the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London addressed by Ministers including the newly appointed First Secretary, Lord Mandelson and trade minister Gareth Thomas MP. This high level meeting, chaired by BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders, addressed some of the issues facing policy makers in this difficult economic climate and highlighted the need for globally coordinated efforts to resist protectionist measures that would ultimately damage global trade.
Delegates at the opening conference address the uncertainty of the current global market
However, it was not just senior politicians and business people who contributed. Schools were encouraged to take part in the week and one example was Skinners’ School in Hackney whose students set up a stall trading international products at the London Stock Exchange to begin the count-down to Global Entrepreneurship Week in November and encourage others to trade around the globe.
This was the first World Trade Week UK, but based on its success is unlikely to be the last and SITPRO is looking forward to helping to build on this achievement next year.
Return to SITPRO News: Issue 69, Summer 2009
