Liverpool will host three-week International Festival for Business 2016

The International Festival for Business 2016 (IFB2016) will showcase the UK’s leadership in green technology, shale exploration, nuclear power and offshore wind technology. The three-week festival will include leadership events, conferences and one-to-one appointments with suppliers, buyers and investors, export and investment opportunities.

IFB2016 is expected to attract more than 30,000 delegates from the UK and overseas, it will be a buzzing marketplace for companies to create connections and do deals. The festival takes place in Liverpool over three themed weeks from 13 June to 1 July.

The second week of the festival will see UK Business Secretary Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP address the Federation of Small Business at an event, with international opportunities for small businesses in the Northern Powerhouse at the heart of its agenda.

Ian McCarthy, Festival Director of IFB2016, said: “For Energy & Environment week at IFB2016 we have brought together an exceptional series of events that both showcase UK capability, expertise and leadership and open up a wide range of investment and trade opportunities for both UK and overseas companies.

“The Festival will be a platform to highlight the UK shale industry, bring together leaders in biofuels and demonstrate how renewable technologies will shape tomorrow’s energy production. The richness and range of events, under one roof and over a few days makes this the must visit energy sector event of 2016.

“The UK Government’s support for IFB2016 is demonstrated by the scale and quality of the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) events programme, providing the opportunity for business to investigate how to work with the UK government in both international technology transfer and investment in UK energy infrastructure.”

The festival in former European Capital of Culture, Liverpool, at the Exhibition Centre, a state-of-the-art event complex on the city’s iconic waterfront. There will be a rich and varied cultural programme for delegates to enjoy and in addition to the events outlined below, there is a day programme of ‘Blue Skies’ activity that takes in informal talks from global figures, business leaders and innovative thinkers.

The programme for Energy and Environment week at IFB2016 highlights global advances across the industries that will shape energy production in the future. The festival includes a week of international leadership events, including:

Federation of Small Businesses: From Northern Powerhouse to Global Markets (20^th June) – Small firms aiming to use the Northern Powerhouse’s international profile to boost their export sales will hear from keynote speaker UK Business Secretary Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP and other business leaders 

Energy 2016: Risk, Resilience and Cyber Security of Global Supplies (21^st June) – Speakers from the US Department of Homeland Security, European Commission, UK Power Networks and National Grid will address changes in the global energy mix, bring international perspectives on security and resilience in infrastructure. In addition, energy gaps, new infrastructures, technological innovation and incentives for investment will be considered.

OLEOFUELS 2016 (21^st-22^nd June) – A two-day conference that will bring together the leading executives and experts from across the UK and EU to debate the future of fuels made from oils & fats including biodiesel. The event includes a site visit to the ReFuel Energy plant in Knowsley. Key speakers include Javier Vila od Petrofac, Stephen Leisner of Bio Oil Group, Ralf Scmidt of Bioeton Deutschland and Nuno Correia of Prio Energy

International Circular Economy, Resource Efficiency and Eco-Innovation (22^nd June) – An innovation event covering technology developments in eco-innovation, low carbon and energy efficiency

International Shale Conference 2016 (22^nd-24^th June) – the UK’s definitive guide to the potential of oil and gas shale within the UK

UKTI will be showcasing the Government’s support and investment in UK energy opportunities to both invest in the UK and for UK companies to export technology globally. These events will cover the following areas:

2017 and beyond – Energy Industry Challenges & Solutions (20^th June) – The event will also look at how technologies and the future demands on them will contribute towards global carbon reduction targets in the next 30 years. Speakers include Philip New (Chief Executive – Energy Systems Catapult)

Oil & Gas: Connecting the UK’s Capabilities to the World (21^st June) – An event including interactive discussions with leading experts and senior business executives. It will provide a unique networking opportunity for both regional and international oil and gas communities. Speakers include Jon Fredrik Muller of Rystad Energy

Green Finance: Changing the Colour of Money (22^nd June) – This roundtable event will bring together UK and international investors, industry practitioners and senior policy makers to increase momentum in both the UK’s green finance offering

From Innovation to Industrialisation: How UK Renewables are Delivering Global Carbon Reduction (23^rd June) – Influential players from the renewable energy industry will discuss current and future ambitions for implementing the renewable technologies that will contribute to global carbon reduction targets.

Selling your Products and Services to Global Aid Organisations (25^th June) – Delegates will hear from, and have the chance to have 1-2-1 meetings with, UKTI specialists from Washington, New York, Geneva, Brussels, Manila and Abidjan.

In addition to the events focused on the energy and environment sectors, IFB2016 offers services through the free membership of the IFB2016 Business Club. They include inspiring talks from leaders in the fields of business, innovation and technology as well as:

“Meet Your Future Deal” – one-to-one appointments with suppliers, buyers and investors, export and investment opportunities.

“Meet the Specialist Advisor” – a range of free international business services including legal, financial and marketing advice.

World-renowned events – including Wireless Global Gongress, TEDx, Accelerate 2016 and the Horasis Global Meeting.

Delivered by Liverpool Vision in partnership with UK Trade & Investment, the Great Britain Campaign, IFB2016 will feature the Great British Showcase – an exhibition of UK innovation, technology, design and creativity – the Exporting is Great Export Hub, and a changing, interactive display of UK industry sectors and inward-investment opportunities.

IFB2016 will highlight the UK as the go-to place to do business and will build on the success of IFB2014, which attracted companies from 92 countries and facilitated export and investment deals worth over £280 million.

Attending the festival is free, but to get involved with the many and varied aspects of the festival, delegates must register for the IFB2016 Business Club here.

Membership of the IFB2016 Business Club will give representatives and visitors access to free advice from specialists in legal, accounting, translation, regulation and exporting. In addition, there is a digital matching service that will arrange meetings from delegations looking to do deals. Finally, all the details of the attendees at events that a visitor registers for thorough the IFB2016 Business Club will be available.