Engaging with external organisations comprises a vital element of the work that the Export Council carries out. Domestically, we liaise with the Department of International Trade, the Home Office and the Cabinet Office and are active on the Joint International Fire Board [JIFB] and its Strategic Steering Group. We also work closely with exhibition organisers and enjoy a synergistic relationship with other trade bodies including the BSIA, BSIF and ADS.

Wider afield, we work also with overseas exhibition organisers, DIT Commercial Officers in countries of interest and are developing opportunities with trade associations in Turkey and South Africa for example. All of this assists us in understanding overseas territories and enabling us to provide market intelligence to our members and facilitating missions and other visits to priority countries.

Our promotional activities are an important part of this. We continue to disseminate the FIA Export brochure, the ‘UK Fire and Resilience Offer’ brochure, Exporters Directory and promotional video and are augmenting these with a series of members’ Case Studies that highlight major overseas projects. Our involvement in the JIFB is proving an important addition and is already yielding new opportunities across the globe.