UK Advertising Exports Group Joins International Trade Week

The UK Advertising Export Group is featuring throughout the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) International Trade Week which starts today and runs until Friday, November 4. UK advertising companies will be participating in a series of events curated to help businesses, large or small, maximise their global growth potential. The line-up, led by the UKAEG, highlights why the UK’s advertising and marketing services sector has a pivotal role to play in the UK’s export strategy. 

International Trade Week is the biggest export event of the year for the DIT. The ambitious week of Government-led activities will help businesses by providing them with the know-how to capitalise and unlock global opportunities. 

The UK Advertising Exports Group (UKAEG) is partnering with the Department of International Trade for three virtual events.

• How to Create an Effective Growth Strategy – 1400 on Monday 31st October - Speaker: Matthias Gray, Global Strategy Director, Freedman Insights
• Breaking through cultural barriers with cultural intelligence – 1430 on Wednesday 2nd November – Speakers: Julie Cohen, CEO, Across the Pond and Rosie Allimonos, Cultural Intelligence Coach and Former Google & BBC Executive
• How to build your China market entry strategy? – 1400 on Thursday 3rd November – Speaker:  Jes Man, Senior Business Development Consultant, PingPong Digital

Aisling Conlon, director of international trade, Advertising Association said, “We are delighted to be hosting three virtual sessions at this year’s International Trade Week in partnership with the Department for International Trade. The sessions will help us showcase the power of our industry as a true force for economic growth in terms of exports, whilst equipping and empowering businesses, large or small with the knowledge and opportunities to maximise their global growth potential. Looking ahead as we deal with economic headwinds of inflation and increasing interest rates it is more important than ever to have partnerships and open dialogue with the Government to underscore our industry as an economic driver for growth.”

David Moody, sector specialist - advertising and creative technology, Department for International Trade said, “The Department for International Trade has a unique and successful partnership with the UK Advertising Exports Group that has promoted the UK advertising industry as the centre of excellence for the last four years at global events such as Cannes Lions. Our remit is to support businesses to reach customers and do business around the world. DIT is therefore delighted that the UK Advertising Exports Group is supporting International Trade Week with presentations that showcase the importance of good communications in a brand’s export strategy. And to inform exporters about the range of expert resources available from UK advertising to help businesses across all sectors engage international customers and deliver their global growth ambitions.”

The timing of International Trade Week comes at the perfect time for the UKAEG as planning for SXSW 2023 in Austin, Texas is underway. SXSW will be the biggest and best version of the festival to date and the UKAEG and DIT will be there, working together to promote our industry. UKAEG and DIT are currently looking for businesses within the creative industry to partner them in this drive, providing a huge opportunity for the advertising and marketing sector to highlight its potential as an industry that can yield a high percentage of growth for the UK economy. If you are interested in applying to become a partner at SXSW, please click here.

This series of events is hot on the heels of a successful trade mission at Cannes LIONS festival. In June 2022, Cannes LIONS, saw over 41 companies take part in the trade mission, led by the UKAEG in partnership with DIT. LIONS was the UK’s biggest trade mission to date overseeing an extensive programme of events, including a roundtable with Campaign featuring senior leaders from brands such as McDonald’s, Mars, United Airlines, Diageo, Dole, Essity and the NFL meet with UKAEG companies.

Annual UK exports of advertising and marketing services were worth £11.7 billion according to the latest ONS figures for 2020, remarkably sustaining the same level as pre-pandemic conditions of 2019.