The summit was delivered by Business Growth West Midlands and organised by the three regional chambers of commerce – Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and Black Country Chamber of Commerce – with support from Lloyds and Hooper & Co.
The event heard from a range of speakers – from West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker through to Professor David Bailey, from the University of Birmingham Business School – on a host of topics relating to overseas trade.
Steve Lynch MBE, Director of International Trade at the British Chambers of Commerce, outlined the kind of help available to companies wanting to export, with Ralph Edwards, head of trade sales at Lloyds Commercial Bank, offering insight some of the opportunities available to businesses.
Tamara Harvey, co-artistic director at the RSC, gave examples of how the organisation exports productions around the world before Robert Lawton, director of Lawton Tubes, talked about his experiences in going from zero to becoming a King’s Award winning exporter.
David Hooper, of Hooper & Co, brought the 250-strong audience up to speed on US tariffs and how they are affecting companies in the region.
The event concluded with a panel discussion chaired by Raj Kandola, of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and included Dr Ruth Fleet, of Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce; Dan Carins, of WMCA; Abrar Aziz, of Targeted Help; and Chris Dowen, of Moserv.
It also saw the launch of the new Exporting Starts Here Global Growth Report 2025.
Corin Crane, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, facilitated the event.
He said: “This was a truly inspiring and informative event.
“We heard how our region exports everything from culture to copper tubing around the world and that there is still a huge amount of respect for UK products and services.
“There is no doubting that it has been a tough few years for businesses and that is why it is so important that we continue to bang the drum for the importance of exporting. It boosts the bottom line, it makes businesses more resilient and it contributes significantly to economic growth.
“And, as we heard time and again at the event, there is so much help available to make it happen.”
Dan Carins, policy manager for business at the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “International trade is pivotal to the ambitions of the West Midlands Combined Authority as outlined in the West Midlands Growth Plan.
“By expanding global reach, local businesses can unlock new markets, drive innovation, and boost productivity, which are essential for achieving inclusive growth and raising living standards across the region.
“Bringing together hundreds of businesses and those who provide the support to make export happen was a fantastic way to show the opportunities that are out there and the help available.”
