With the upcoming 2023 Rugby World Cup and 2024 Olympic Games (where Rugby 7s is played), due to both take place in France, we invite you to our informative UK/Hauts-de-France Rugby & Business Project with the aim to strengthen economic and business ties between the UK and Hauts-de-France.

Brexit is done, now let’s strengthen Franco-British business links! More than 18 months after the UK left the single market and customs union, trade flows between the UK and France and the wider continent still have some ground to recover. This takes coordinated and proactive actions from businesses and officials on both sides of the Channel, as it is in everyone’s interest to strengthen trade between our two countries. This can be done essentially through two types of actions:

• Help companies deal with new trade constraints. New trade rules and controls at the UK/EU border have created many headaches for companies using it. But these constraints are not insurmountable; it’s just a matter of organisation. Whether you struggle with tax representation, fiscal representation, sanitary and phytosanitary controls or finding the right warehouses or business contacts to talk to, the partners behind the Short Straits Users Forum (SSUF) are here to help you and will present their pragmatic solutions to help all businesses – large and small – thrive in their cross-Channel operations.
• Identify new business opportunities. Kent and Hauts-de-France share many common features, from a geographic but also economic and business angle. Two sectors stand out in particular: agri-food and transport/logistics, as they are the most hit by the return of trade constraints, but also as they are experiencing substantial transformations due to a variety of business and economic trends, which can create important opportunities for companies on both sides of the Channel.

During this event there will also be plenty of Business Networking Opportunities. All in advance of the event, brochures with details of all companies attending will be displayed, to allow business representatives to prepare for the networking sessions and make the most of them.

One year ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2023, this event will include a Rugby Game in Roubaix between Roubaix rugby club and Folkestone (in Kent). The game will be co-organised with France 2023 (the Rugby World Cup organisation), to mark one year ahead of the 2023 world cup in France, which means the event will involve several officials and will attract a few hundred people locally, with local/regional media coverage.

Partnering with the Rugby game will be a large business conference, aimed for companies from Kent and the wider UK looking to develop their trading ties with France and Europe.

Agenda;

Friday 16th September: arrival in Lille (around 6pm) and informal event/dinner: Business representatives will be invited to join an informal event with regional representatives from Kent County Council and the Hauts-de-France region, as well as Hauts-de-France regional companies.

Saturday 17th September

9:00-12:00: Business Sessions

Session 1 : Dealing with new trade barriers

Topics: dealing with tax/customs representation, controls and requirements on both sides of the Channel

Speakers: RM Boulanger, Unsworth, Ashford/Dover Port Health, Calais SIVEP/Customs

Session 2: Cross-Channel trade opportunities

Topics: business and trade opportunities, agri-food sector, transport and logistics sector

Speakers: Kent Chamber of Commerce, Hauts-de-France Chamber of commerce, 1-min pitch from UK and French companies

12:00-13:30: Networking lunch

14:00-16:00: Watch Roubaix-Folkestone rugby game and networking

16:30: Bus departs to UK