A planned trade mission to introduce South West businesses to Gibraltar post-Brexit has attracted so much interest from around the country it is being widened into a national visit.
Devon-based International Trade Matters (ITM) was looking to organise the mission to the Rock for November 2019 but has moved it until early 2020 after receiving inquiries from across the nation after Business Live ran the story.
Kevin Kelway, of Plymouth PR firm Dorcas Media, is helping to organise the trade mission and said interest is mounting.
“Following the Business Live coverage we had a companies around the South West get in touch and from London, Southampton, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland,” he said. “So a South West trade mission will end up being a Ƶ trade mission.”
Mr Kelway visited Gibraltar in June 2019 on a fact-finding trip ahead of the full mission and said it was very successful.
“We had a meeting with the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce who are positive and looking at facilitating networking meetings,” he said. “We were looking at November but it will now be early next year because of the level of interest and so we can get more companies involved.
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“We are looking at groups and sectors of businesses. We are very excited.”
Mr Kelway is also planning to meet Sir Joe Bossano, Gibraltar’s Minister for Economic Development, and Telecommunications, in London on his next visit to the Ƶ, to discuss the potential trade mission.
Mr Kelway described The Rock as a “vibrant, strong, and diverse economy with a highly skilled workforce”, and an ideal partner for working with the Ƶ businesses.
ITM helps businesses to develop trading opportunities, analyse new markets, and makes introductions in foreign territories.
It can tap into international specialists that provide expertise in market research, strategic development and distribution, global PR and marketing, and regional industry.
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Mr Kelway, who works with partners across the globe, helped ITM head Linda Middleton-Jones coordinate the trade mission to the southern Russian city of Novorossiysk, a key Black Sea oil port and construction industry hotspot, in September 2018.
He said that in the late 1990s and early 2000s campaigns were launched in the South West to “Keep the Rock British”, with Plymouth campaigners handing a petition to 10 Downing Street, and to link Gibraltar to the South West Euro constituency.
Mr Kelway, who was involved in the campaigns, was made an honorary Gibraltarian
For information about the forthcoming trade mission email Mr Kelway at: k.kelway@i-t-m.ltd or visit:
