Businesses in the West Midlands are being urged to take advantage of an exciting opportunity to find out more about trading in the Nordic and Baltic States from experts in these countries.

Eight senior trade officers from UK Trade & Investment's commercial teams in the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) and the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) are leading a seminar at the Ramada Hotel, Sutton Coldfield, on Thursday 29 April to help West Midlands companies beat the economic downturn by reaching these markets.

The free event, which is being organised by the Midlands World Trade Forum (MWTF) and Enterprise Europe Network on behalf of UKTI, runs from 9.30am-3pm, including a buffet networking lunch.

It will feature overviews of the countries, two question and answer sessions and a presentation from a company that is successfully exporting to these markets. Delegates will also be able to have pre-arranged one-to-one meetings with the trade officers in the afternoon.

The Nordics have sophisticated and wealthy consumers and there are opportunities in all sectors, especially life science, nanotechnology, ICT, energy, creative and media, mass transportation and consumer goods. 

In the Baltics, British expertise in areas including education, tourism, public projects and industry is highly valued. 

Instarmac Group, of Tamworth, which manufactures and supplies instant road repair and rapid setting high strength cements for the reinstatement of ironwork in roadways, that allows early trafficking after two hours, thereby minimising traffic disruption, has been exporting and keeping the traffic flowing in Latvia for a number of years with help from UKTI.

Export manager Angus Longward said: "We gained substantial business from six leading road contractors in Latvia after visiting the Baltics on a UKTI trade mission and commissioning an Overseas Market Introduction Service report from UKTI's commercial team at the British Embassy in Riga.

"The team also arranged a product demonstration for us and the opportunity to meet potential partners and key decision makers - contacts that we would never have made without their help.

"We have used our success in Latvia as a springboard into neighbouring countries and are now also exporting our products to Lithuania, thanks to the assistance provided by the commercial team at the British Embassy in Vilnius.

"I'd definitely recommend other West Midlands firms to consider exporting to the Baltics and the Nordics - and this event will be a great opportunity for them to pick up practical advice from experts in the markets."

To book your place at this event, please contact Amardeep Kaur at MWTF on Tel: 0121 607 1810; Fax: 0121 607 0130; Email: a.kaur@mwtf.org.uk .