We have just hosted the first Creative Industries Taskforce mission. There were 14 companies in the delegation of which seven are members of the Creative Industries Taskforce and two are on the waiting list. All of the companies represent the very best of creative talent and innovation from the UK.
The mission offered a unique opportunity for UK companies to engage with decision makers from three UKTI High Value Opportunities projects (projects worth more than £1bn) - the Macao Leisure projects (£10bn), West Kowloon Cultural District Development (£2bn), and the Kai Tak Multi Purpose Stadium Complex.
Macao’s booming gaming and leisure industry, the development of one of the world’s largest cultural projects and the regeneration of Hong Kong’s former airport, all provide enormous and exciting opportunities for UK plc.
Until recently, the market for UK creativity was limited largely to Western Europe but as new markets mature and global trading channels widen, the demand for British creative expertise is escalating. There is an increasing demand for British design internationally. Collectively the creative industries already generate more than £71billion a year for the UK economy – and employ 1.7 million people.
The UK Government launched the Creative Industries Taskforce in November 2013 to support some of the UK’s top 100 creative sector small to medium sized enterprises with an aim to win £500 million worth of high value overseas contracts in the next 3 years. The initiative is part of a government plan to get 100,000 more UK businesses exporting.
British design and creativity can cross international borders to great effect. UK creative talent excels in framing the bigger picture but also in handling the finer details with sensitivity and style, with the Olympics providing a brilliant example.
There are increasing opportunities for innovative firms to boost their overseas trade and Macao and Hong Kong have a concentration of such opportunities that are probably unparalleled in the world at present. And the opportunities really do extend from front end design consultancies all the way to retail, and from museum curators to exhibitions, installations and performing arts.
All the companies on the Mission appreciated the high level contacts we were able to help them make, getting them in front of key decision makers in the above projects (including meeting all 6 Macao integrated resort operators!). At the end of the Mission all of the companies were optimistic of landing business wins in the next year – which would be remarkable.
But the quality of the companies on the Mission were amazing – many having already delivered iconic and ground breaking projects in UK and around the world. You can read more information on them in the mission brochure (pdf) There was a buzz and energy, and humour around the mission which made it one of the most rewarding I have ever been involved in.
Another positive outcome, and reinforcement of the Creative Industries Taskforce initiative, is the companies realisation of the potential advantages to them teaming up and collaborating to present enhanced offers to clients. This bodes well for the Task Force to really start to achieve some results greater than the sum of its parts……
We are committed to building on this momentum for our projects and helping showcase the very best of what Britain has to offer. We are deep into the planning for the GREAT Festival of Creativity in Hong Kong and Macao in mid-November. And we have also agreed to run another mission like this in March 2015.
Do contact me if you are interested in finding out more about opportunities in the Creative Sector in Macao and Hong Kong.