East Midlands Airport is planning to host its first ‘speed dating’ style business event to match local firms with prospective clients. Airport management are inviting interested businesses to register for the inaugural ‘Meet the Buyers’ event taking place in January.
They hope to bring a range of businesses from around the region together under one roof. While it will give firms access to potential airport-related clients, the event isn’t limited to that sector. Invitations will extend to small and medium-sized businesses across many industries.
A spokesman said: “Those on the hunt for suppliers will include public sector buyers and private sector primary contractors with new projects, contracts and other supply chain opportunities.”
He said previous Meet the Buyer events at Manchester and London Stansted Airports, also owned by parent company the Manchester Airports Group (MAG), have netted more than £28 million of contracts for local SMEs. The group’s procurement team will also attend the event as a prospective buyer.
Marcella M’Rabety, Group Head of Education, Skills & Employment at MAG, said: “East Midlands Airport sits between Nottingham, Derby and Leicester and this central location and its huge cargo operation providing links to the world’s major trading cities means it plays a crucial role in the regional economy. It’s a role we take seriously which is why we are hosting this event.
“We hope to attract hundreds of attendees and will run a series of meetings throughout the day between buyers we have matched with suppliers, which we expect to result in many new business partnerships being forged.
"Events like this help businesses make introductions to the right contacts while removing the need for endless cold calls, e-mail chasing and speculative meetings. We hope to establish it as the region’s leading procurement event.”
The event will be held at Radisson Blu at East Midlands Airport on Thursday, January 25, 2024, and anyone interested in attending can find out more and register at www.eastmidlandsmtb.co.uk.
