Olympic business summits
Prime Minister announces programme of business events expected to generate more than £1bn in trade and investment for the UK.
External site: GREAT Campaign External site: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI)
The Prime Minister confirmed today that top international and UK business leaders, including Christine Lagarde, Eric Schmidt, Daniel Ek, Howard Stringer and Sir Martin Sorrell will be taking part in the British Business Embassy - a series of global business summits to be held during the Olympics and Paralympic Games.
The British Business Embassy, developed by UK Trade & Investment as part of the GREAT campaign, will help showcase global business partnerships along with the best of what the UK has to offer in some of our most successful industries such as fashion, architecture, technology, life sciences, advanced engineering, automotive and aerospace.
The programme begins with a Global Investment Conference followed by a series of sector days to be held at Lancaster House between 26 July and 9 September 2012. Each event will involve UK-based and international business leaders from emerging and developed countries meeting with a broad range of British companies including mid-sized businesses and SMEs.
Firms that have signed up so far include Airbus, Alliance Boots, AMEC, ARM, Arup, ASOS, AstraZeneca, Atkins, Autonomy, Barclays, Beggars Group, Bharti Airtel, BHP Biliton, BG Group, BT, Burberry, Cisco Systems, Diageo, EDF, Embraer Executive Jets, Facebook, GlaxoSmithKline, HSBC, Ideo, Intel, Imagination Technologies, Jaguar Land Rover, JCB, Kraft, Mother, Marks and Spencer, Pearson, M&C Saatchi, Mott Macdonald, NEC, Nestle, Nissan, Pinewood Studios, Rolls Royce, Shell, Sony Corporation, Siemens, TalkTalk, Telefonica, Vodafone, Warner Brothers, Working Title and WPP.
There will also be two country-specific events promoting trade with prior Olympic hosts, China and the next hosts, Brazil.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
The Olympics will not only bring the world’s best athletes and thousands of sports fans to our country, but the major business players are coming too. This once in a lifetime occasion will provide UK companies with more than a billion pounds business opportunity.
The conference and these events will place the UK at the forefront in addressing the challenges facing the global economy, and a chance to showcase UK business, secure new trade and inward investment and give our economy a major boost.
The Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, the Chancellor, Business Secretary, Culture Secretary and other ministers will all host sessions during the British Business Embassy.
Read the full press release on the UK Trade and Investment website.