On April 16, 2020, International Trade Centre's Eastern Partnership: Ready to Trade project organized an online workshop – "EU export marketing customer communication and preparing for the recovery from COVID19” - for their beneficiary companies. The workshop was conducted by James Fitzpatrick, an expert in trading, importing and developing supply chains globally.
Twelve Eastern Partnership: Ready to Trade project beneficiary companies attended the workshop. The European Union funds the project under its EU4Business initiative, which aims to connect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Eastern Europe to global markets.
Several topics were discussed during the meeting, including current tendencies and what will happen after COVID19 on the EU market; A review of beneficiary company activities in 2019; What EU buyers demand and how to communicate with them. Furthermore, beneficiary companies received additional information about future events such as the trade mission in the EU (Netherlands, Germany and Belgium). During the trade mission, companies will be able to build awareness in the EU that Georgian companies are open for business; conduct individual B2B meetings with buyers; furthermore, beneficiaries will have the opportunity to visit the factories and understand the technical demands of the EU buyers.
"In business, we have to plan, we have to look forward and most of all, we have to look for opportunities in an optimistic fashion. The workshop was a way to manage a difficult situation in a positive way, looking forward, rather than looking at the crisis”,- James Fitzpatrick.
The Eastern Partnership: Ready to Trade project helps SMEs to access new markets with a focus on the EU, helping SMEs identify and comply with quality standards to meet international requirements, linking them with buyers along the value chain, and providing cluster support.
