Maritime businesses meet their match

David Wright

Greater Manchester’s marine sector businesses attending the globally recognised Europort maritime exhibition in Rotterdam next month (5-8 November) will be able to maximise the value of their trip with one-to-one meetings thanks to Enterprise Europe Network North West (EENW).

EENW’s Marimatch one-day international brokerage event at Europort on 6 November is designed to leverage the opportunity of accessing more than 1,000 maritime businesses in a single place, including offshore, fishery and shipping companies from around the world. Available free of charge to any North West companies that have signed up in advance, it enables businesses to attend pre-booked appointments with organisations they would like to do business with, helping them develop international commercial opportunities.

David Wright, European business adviser at EENW, explained: “Europort is the must-go destination for any business involved in or interested in working with the maritime sector, including construction vessels, dredging, fishery, inland navigation, mega yachts, naval specials, offshore, sea shipping and workboats. It’s a sector that’s traditionally strong in the region, representing an annual turnover of more than £2.5 billion in Merseyside alone.

“However, we understand that attending an exhibition abroad is a big commitment that needs to be able to deliver a good pay back for the time invested. Our Marimatch event ensures that North West companies have confirmed appointments with prospective customers, partners or associates before they leave for Rotterdam, enabling them to maximise the value of their time at the exhibition.”

A number of companies have already signed up following the taster event held at Liverpool’s Albert Dock on 2 October.

David added: “Working the room at an exhibition can really pay off but our Marimatch event ensures that the doors are already open before delegates even arrive at the venue.”