NEWS

Kent Businesses Visit Horeca Expo

A group of 20 Kent businesses from the hospitality and catering sector visited the Horeca Trade Fair in Ghent, Belgium as part of a trip organised and funded by the 2ST project. The visit enabled the businesses to better understand the Belgium market, assess the competition and take a further step to determining whether the Flemish market could be right for their company.

Interactive Marketing Workshop

The Interactive workshop on international marketing was a great success. Kent businesses were able to discuss marketing materials and strategies with a panel of experts in order to prepare for promoting their products on the other side of the Channel.

Kent Visit to Horeca Expo 20 Nov (Hotel & Catering)

Kent Companies are invited to express an interest in a day trip that is being organised to the Horeca Trade Fair which takes place in Ghent. Businesses which supply or have the potential to supply to the hotel and catering sector would benefit from attending this visit to research the Belgian market and make potential contacts with exhibitors at the show. Please contact us for more information.

Creative Sector Market Visit to West Flanders

More than 20 creative companies from Kent and the SW of the Netherlands visited West Flanders on 22 and 23 October to take part in a market visit. The trip included a b2b networking lunch, a visit to the Interieure trade show and a morning at the Creax Innovation centre where companies had the opportunity to hear about a fresh approach to innovation.

Market Visit to the SW Netherlands - June 2012

Companies from Kent, East Flanders and West Flanders visited the SW of the Netherlands to find out more about the ports and logistics sector in the area. The trip included visits to several Dutch logistics companies and enabled the companies to find out more about business opportunities in the area.

Mark Norman, Business Correspondant from BBC South East travelled with the group and the video below aired on South East Today on 6 June 2012:

Join our new Linked In group - May 2012

We have just set up a 2 Seas Trade Linked in Group which aims to bring together businesses from Kent, East & West Flanders and the SW of the Netherlands. Join the group to find out more about the project and to connect to businesses from the partner areas.

Success at TAVOLA Fine Food Fair - March 2012

The 2 Seas Trade project has just returned from the TAVOLA fine food & drink trade fair in Kortrijk, Belgium. TAVOLA is a major European trade fair and attracted 18,000 visitors during the 3 days. The project partners organised a stand where 5 Kent SMEs and 4 Dutch companies exhibited their products. It is no exaggeration to say that the participation at TAVOLA 2012 exceeded all expectation and was an incredibly successful event for all participating companies.

Sustainable Design & Construction Business Networking Event - March 2012

The 2 Seas Trade project is offering the opportunity to participate in a B2B networking event at the Ecobuild trade fair in London on 21 March 2012. Companies from the partner areas of Kent, West Flanders, East Flanders, the SW of the Netherlands and Nord-Pas de Calais France can register to participate.

Flemish Project Launch 27 October 2011

The Flemish launch of the 2 Seas Trade Project is taking place in Deinze on 27 October. Speakers will include the UK Belgian Ambassador, Jonathan Brenton. See our events page for more information.

Kent Business Workshops Open for Registration

The next free workshops for Kent companies are now open for registration:

• Exploring European Markets - 27 Sep, Gravesend
• Overcoming Cultural & Legislative Barriers - 8 Nov, Canterbury

2 Seas Trade Kent Launch Event Videos

Steve Samson from Kent County Council and Stefaan Matton from the POM West Flanders give a brief overview of the 2 Seas Trade project at the launch event in Ashford on 29 June 2011.