Free business seminar to break into Canadian market
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Firms in the Badenoch and Strathspey interested in tapping into the Canadian market will have the chance to attend a free seminar in Inverness next month.
It is being organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in partnership with Scottish Development International.
The event on June 6 will explain how companies can enter the Canadian market with £8.2 billion worth of goods and services exported from the UK in 2016.
Canada has similar legal and business practices to the UK and fewer trade restrictions than many international markets due to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
It offers close proximity and easy access to US markets and has a strong consumer base.
Canada is also an important market for Scotland's tourism businesses and the seminar will include a breakout session targeted at this sector.
Canada was Scotland’s 10th largest source market in 2017 measured by number of visits; fifth largest by number of nights and seventh largest by expenditure.
Attendees at the seminar will be given an overview of the market, including opportunities in different sectors, and cultural considerations.
They will also find out more about support available from HIE, Scottish Development International (SDI) and VisitScotland.
Speakers on the day include Alex Dalrymple, former SDI international manager for North America; Keith Campbell, VisitScotland’s market manager for Canada; and Stewart Miller, SDI’s export adviser for the Highlands and Islands.
Martin Johnson, head of international and key sectors at HIE said: “Canada is one of the UK’s largest export partners outside the European Union and offers many potential opportunities for Highlands and Islands businesses.
"It’s important that firms interested in targetting the Canadian markets have the information they need to give them the best possible chance of benefitting from these opportunities.
"That’s what this event is all about.”
Speakers from HIE and SDI will also outline the support available to businesses keen to enter overseas markets.
One-to-one advisory meetings with key speakers can be arranged prior to the event and delegates will be able to take full advantage of networking opportunities with likeminded companies.
The ‘Doing Business in Canada’ event takes place at An Lòchran, Inverness Campus, between 9.30am and 1pm. Businesses can find out more about the event, including how to register, at the events page on HIE’s website.
This event is part of the International Highlands and Islands Programme, which is partly funded by both HIE and ERDF under the European Regional Development Fund Scotland Programme 2014-2020.
