INDUSTRYNEWS
GET INVOLVED
WITH IFB 2014,
SAY UK
BUSINESS
LEADERS
Ed Wray, co-founder of Betfair, John Cridland CBE, Director General, CBI,
Dale Murray CBE, angel investor, Joe Anderson OBE, Mayor of Liverpool,
Max Steinberg CBE, Chairman of IFB & Crispin Simon, Chi.
Britain’s business leaders have marked the 100-day
countdown to the UK’s first International Festival
for Business (IFB 2014) with an exclusive showcase
hosted by London Stock Exchange (LSE).
Leading figures from institutions including
the Confederation of British Industry,
London Stock Exchange and UK Trade and
Investment are calling on British businesses
to make the most of the opportunities
presented by the Festival, urging UK firms
to get involved.
The event featured an all-star panel made up
of IFB ambassadors, including CBI Director
General John Cridland CBE, Betfair cofounder Ed Wray and angel investor Dale
Murray CBE, as well as UKTI chief executive
Crispin Simon, London Stock Exchange chief
executive Xavier Rolet, Mayor of Liverpool Joe
Anderson and IFB Chairman Max Steinberg
CBE.
Attendees were given an update on the plans
for this year’s biggest business event, with
Festival organisers spelling out what delegates
can expect from the expo, a year after it was
launched by Prime Minister David Cameron
MP.
John Cridland CBE, Director General
of CBI said: “IFB will be an opportunity
for British businesses to see how high they
can jump. Its core objective of trying to
significantly boost UK exports is also high on
the CBI’s agenda.
“Not only will IFB help promote Brand
Britain around the world, it will help
ambitious firms make connections that could
take UK industry to the next level.”
Ed Wray, co-founder of Betfair and IFB
Ambassador, said: “As a British entrepreneur,
I wish there had been an IFB when we started
Betfair. I expect deals will be signed and
connections made that will be life changing
for a whole generation of entrepreneurs.
“For young British companies it is a fantastic
opportunity for them to identify the strategy
and, in particular, the partnerships they need
to get where they want to be – it is the perfect
platform for them to take their business onto a
global stage.”
Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson OBE
said: “Liverpool has transformed its reputation
on the national and international stage and
hosting the IFB 2014 for the nation is the next
step in our development.
“For us, IFB is not something that has
happened in isolation but within a wider
strategic vision.....We look forward greatly to
welcoming visitors from across from the globe
to Liverpool in June and July.”
The Festival will offer unique opportunities
for small, medium and large businesses to
make international connections, exchange
new ideas, promote their products, create new
partnerships and seek new sources of finance.
Hosted by the Liverpool City region, IFB
will be a global showcase for great British
industry across multiple sectors, and will
‘not only will IFB help
promote Brand Britain
around the world, it will
help ambitious firms
make connections that
could take UK industry
to the next level’
champion UK businesses to new markets, new
products and new partners. Max Steinberg
CBE, Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision &
IFB Chairman said: “The countdown is well
and truly on for IFB and with the festival
programme growing each day, this is set to be
Britain’s greatest business showcase in more
than a generation.”
From established events including as
Horasis’s Global India Meeting, the British
Business Embassy and Accelerate 2014,
through to events such as BT’s Global City
Leaders Summit and Africa Rising, the
Festival is 50-days worth of world-class events
designed to propel UK industry and broadcast
the message of Brand Britain.
Sir Michael Rake, Chairman, BT Group plc,
said: “BT is part of the fabric of the nation.
We want to celebrate the positive impact of
business in society.
“Business creates growth, provides jobs,
drives innovation and stimulates investment.
We are proud to be supporting the
International Festival for Business, which is a
great platform to showcase the best of British
to the world.”
www.clearview-uk.com
20
APR 2014
To read more, visit www.clearview-uk.com