The UK leisure marine industry generates annual export sales worth around £1.15bn.
A British government agency is playing matchmaker in the hope of bringing superyacht owners together with British marine related businesses.
UK Trade and Investment is aiming to give marine industry exporters a boost by hosting this years Meet the Buyer event which forms part of the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show.
The event, held in association with the British Marine Federation at the ExCel centre in London’s Docklands on January 10 and 11, brings buyers from the world’s leading boat and superyacht builders for one-to-one meetings with UK suppliers.
Arranged along the lines of a speed dating meeting companies just need to identify the buyers they want to speak to – then as many 20-minute meetings as the schedule allows will be arranged for them.
Experienced exporters like Garmin, Halyard, and Spinlock return repeatedly to this event to develop their international business.
The 2011 “Meet the Buyer” attracted 18 overseas buyers and 64 UK suppliers, resulting in a record 435 one-to-one meetings and significant levels of new business.
In a survey of the UK companies who took part, 88 per cent said they expected to supply new OEM customers as a result.
Confirmed buyers for the 2012 event to date are:
- Nautor Swan (Finland)
- Baltic Yachts (Finland)
- Lurssen (Germany)
- Gulf Craft (UAE)
- Fairline Boats (UK)
- Oyster (UK)
- Canados (Italy)
- SAIM (Italy)
- CNB / Lagoon (France)
- Montecarlo Yachts part of Beneteau group (Italy)
- Mariotti (Italy)
- Onmar (Sweden)
- Apreamare (Italy)
- Perini Navi (Italy)
- Sanlorenzo (Italy)
- Tamsen Maritim (Germany)
- Arcadia (Italy)
- Ka Shing Enterprises (Taiwan)