Todays highlights at IFB2016 included a luxury leather goods business sealing a deal to ship its high-end products to markets across the globe, and a Q&A with leading oil and gas experts UKTI.

During their time at IFB2016, bespoke leather goods business The Leather Satchel Company, has attracted interest from buyers around the world, and today teamed up with logistics company Hughes Worldwide to distribute their products as far afield as Colombia, South Korea and New Zealand. Following meetings staged at IFB2016, The Leather Satchel Company has also started talks with a host of Chinese delegates interested in bringing the products to the Chinese marketplace, and especially its 10 million strong student community.

Keith Henshaw, Executive Director and Master Craftsman at The Leather Satchel Company, said:

“IFB2016 has been very successful for us. The festival puts us in touch with traders from around the world without the cost of travelling there. It is a total no-brainer for us to attend.

“We have been at IFB2016 for a week and had more sales leads than anticipated from areas such as Cheng Du in China, that we never would have met.”

Thomas Hughes, Business Development Director at Hughes Worldwide, agreed:

“All of these companies from around the world are at IFB2016 and at any point you will meet someone really useful that you would not have met if you hadn’t attended. A good example for us is the China British Business Council, which has opened the door to us potentially being part of a trade delegation visiting China- an opportunity we would not have had if it weren’t for IFB2016.”

UKTI were also prominent at today’s proceedings, as more than 100 delegates attended their event, ‘Connecting the UK’S Oil and Gas Expertise to the World.’

CEO Catherine Raines gave the opening address, while Alison Baker, the UK Oil and Gas Industry leader from PWC, highlighted how the industry has the ability to adapt to changes within the industry, to cut costs and lower prices.

There was an international feel to the event, which also fielded a Q&A, with representatives from Brazil, Nigeria, Indonesia, Mexico, Burma and Azerbaijan all hosting roundtable discussions.