Suppliers across Northern Ireland are being urged to register for NI Chamber's 'Meet The Buyer' event before the deadline on Friday, 9 October.

Held in partnership with Bank of Ireland UK, the event will take place online on Thursday 5 November. It offers suppliers from all industries the opportunity to pitch products and services to companies with significant procurement needs. To date, 24 major buyers from NI and ROI have confirmed their attendance including Applegreen, Caterpillar, Coco-Cola, Harland & Wolff, Randox, Seagate and Translink.

Tanya Anderson, Head of International and Business Support at NI Chamber explained: "Meet the Buyer is one of our most popular flagship annual events and we're really pleased to be able to deliver it digitally for the first time in November. This year, it will place a strong emphasis on boosting the local supply chain – connecting large companies with suppliers from Northern Ireland. This focus on bolstering the local supply chain is really resonating with buyers in the current climate, who are keen to increase levels of local sourcing. The list of those attending spans all sectors, from retail and manufacturing, to utilities, tech and education.

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"We have witnessed a really significant level of interest from new buyers this year. One in two of those attending the 2020 event are new to Meet the Buyer, which means there are lots of fresh opportunities for suppliers who attend this event annually. This list of new buyers includes Irish utility company Ervia and Atalian Servest Ireland, bringing opportunities for new cross border trade as well.

"Last year, this event facilitated over 350 meetings and with the benefit of increased capacity through digital technology, this time that number is set to be even higher. At the 2019 event, 70% of suppliers identified new customers and 54% identified new export markets – so it is well worth investing a few hours of your time to attend."

Niall Devlin, Head of Regional Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK added: "Meet the Buyer is at the heart of our Winning Business partnership programme with NI Chamber because it is tangible in enabling local SMEs to win business. A recent McKinsey survey indicated that 93% of supply chain leaders in business are seeking to improve their supply chain resilience. Locally, we have 24 high quality organisations registered as buyers for the event. Their diverse needs will provide significant opportunity for new local supply deals, connections and commercial collaborations to help strengthen, diversify and rebuild supply chains. I would really encourage local businesses to register and get involved."