* * *
Update on Monday 12 March:
Hot off the press! We've just had confirmation from UKTI (the government department for UK Trade & Investment) that ambassadors from Austria, Cyprus, France and Serbia will be visiting Growing Green, bringing commercial professionals to meet with you in the Hosted Buyers Lounge (sponsored by Bibby Financial Services).
Representing Serbia will be 10 buyers from a range of sectors including Rail, Infrastructure, Renewables, Heating, Construction and Waste Technology. More information soon!
* * *
Have you booked your place at Growing Green 2012 yet? This huge event (we're expecting around 1000 visitors) is your chance to:
* Promote your business
* Learn how to become more sustainable
* Celebrate the West Midlands' world-class manufacturing heritage and its potential to lead the way in green technology
* Meet with UK and international procurement chiefs.
It will take place on Wednesday 21 March 2012 (9am to 2pm) at the Bethel Convention Centre in West Bromwich [and not as previously advertised - this is due to huge demand] and will be themed around Coseley Eco Park, the UK's first sustainable, self-contained eco park.
You can
read lots more about Growing Green here and
sign up here. (You'll need to be logged in to sign up.)
Meet the buyer
To make the event even more valuable to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) we're working with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) to invite overseas ambassadors, specifiers and buyers to meet with you and talk business one-to-one in a quiet lounge area.
Our special guests will all be people who are interested in green innovations, and in working with West Midlands companies such as yours.
We're also giving you the chance to meet leading supply chain managers and senior buyers. Representing the UK's biggest contractor firms, they are the very people who award the work and sign the cheques for large-value projects and contracts most businesses would love to be involved in.
By booking a meeting you will:
* Meet face-to-face with your chosen buyer at a pre-arranged time in the quiet space of our Hosted Buyer Lounge
* Know in advance that the buyer is interested in talking to you.
* Be able to turn up prepared.
Here's who we've confirmed so far, with more to follow soon:
UK Buyers
Head of Construction Procurement from Interserve Construction
Procurement Manager from Galliford Try
Senior Buyer from Galliford Try
Sustainability Manager from Balfour Beatty
Senior buyer from Morgan Sindall Plc
Supply chain manager from Morgan Sindall Plc
Buyer from Lovell
Procurement Manager from Thomas Vale
Senior Buyer from Amey Plc
Acting Head of Procurement from Centro
Category manager (contracts) from West Midlands Police
*Estates manager from Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS
*Senior Contract manager from West Midlands Fire Service
International Buyers
Director for Sustainable Development from Serbian Railways
Technical Director from City of Krusevac District Heating Plant
Managing Director from Enterijer Construction
Director from City of Novi Sad Energy
Director from Arhisolar Architects
Head of sustainable procurement from Belgrade CouncilIf you're interested in booking in advance to meet a buyer, please call Steve Massey on 07929 353232 or e-mail stephen_massey@sandwell.gov.uk.
A 20-minute meeting costs just £20 plus VAT or you can secure six meetings for £100 plus VAT. We are offering a money-back guarantee, so if the meeting doesn't happen due to the buyer being unavailable we will refund you in full.
Note: Meetings with Buyers marked with an asterix * are free!