Olympic Summit to give £1 b boost for British biz

The 2012 Games are the greatest business networking event in the global calendar where companies from all over the world will come to London to meet, interact and do business. To take full advantage of this unique opportunity to deliver a worthwhile and lasting business legacy across Great Britain, the Government will be hosting the biggest ever investment conference Britain has ever seen.  

  The bold and innovative programme, run by UK Trade and Investment, will enable international companies to come together and discuss both opportunities and the major issues affecting them and will, over time, generate more than £1 billion of additional revenue for British businesses.

The Government has developed an exciting Games time programme of networking opportunities, conferences, summits, seminars and face- to- face meetings for British and international businesses. As the platform for showcasing international business partnerships and the best of British expertise and skill, the Olympics conference series is the key element of this programme running from the eve of the Games on July 26th to end of the Paralympics on September 7th.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “This summer’s Olympics will put the eyes of the world on Britain as we host not just an unparalleled sporting spectacle, but also a chance for companies from across the globe to interact and do business here in the UK.

“A wide range of British companies will be involved alongside the world’s leading business figures in this exciting programme of events, putting the UK at the forefront of efforts to resolve the economic challenges that face us all.

“We are working hard to make sure the whole country can seize this once in a generation opportunity. We expect these events to generate at least £1bn for British businesses and they are vital to our efforts to secure a long-term return to sustainable growth.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Trade and investment is critical to our economic recovery and future prosperity. The Olympic business legacy programme will help British business identify new export opportunities and tell overseas investors why the UK is a great place for them to invest and grow.”

On 26th July, the eve of the Olympics, the Government will host the Global Investment Conference, a major international event which will be attended by more than 200 global financial and business leaders. The Global Investment Conference will address the vital issues that are facing all world economies; how to drive growth and how to stimulate increased global trade, investment and partnerships. It will create a global conversation and position the UK as a thought leader, a creative and innovative nation and a source of solutions to the global issues facing businesses today.

The Global Investment Conference will feature leaders of the multi- national and central banks (including the Bank of England), sovereign wealth funds, foreign trade ministers from key emerging markets, leading global investment managers and Chief Executive Officers from energy, infrastructure, technology and healthcare companies. Companies that have already confirmed their participation as speakers include ARM, Autonomy, GlaxoSmithKline, Vodafone, and WPP. Other confirmed attendees include Airbus, China International Capital Corporation, DP World, Gamesa, Goldman Sachs, Google, HTC, Iberdrola, Korea Investment Corp, Nissan, Prudential, and Standard Chartered.

To give British and international businesses the chance to attract inward investment and grow their business internationally the Government will host a series of Global Business Summits from July 26th to September 7th 2012

Earlier this year UK Trade & Investment launched the British Business Club, another important element of the overall Government Olympic programme. The Club brings together UK and overseas businesses to network, identify business opportunities and develop partnerships. Companies can register online for free at: www.britishbusinessclub.org