Meet the Buyer hailed as a resounding success!
Published: 22 October 2012
London Luton Airport welcomed local businesses and Airport companies to the ‘Meet the Buyer’ event, a business networking event giving local suppliers the opportunity to showcase their services directly to Airport related companies.
The event, now in its third year, included 77 suppliers and buyers, encompassing a great breadth of industry sectors from across the Region.
Yolanda Rugg, Commercial Director at The Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, commented that, “Businesses across Beds and Herts were thrilled to access key decision makers from sizeable organisations located at the Airport, and be given the opportunity to pitch for local contracts and add value to the supply chains. This was a great event to help boost confidence and support business growth.”
Support from the event also came from Sue Munn, Business Development Manager at the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, who said that there is “untold value in initiatives such as Meet the Buyer”, especially in encouraging organisations to “facilitate and encourage a ‘buy local’ culture”.
Cllr Nigel Young, Executive Member for Sustainable Communities (Strategic Planning and Economic Development) Central Bedfordshire Council said: "It was a fantastic opportunity for our businesses to engage with major buyers and speaking to a business following the event they said it was good to meet buyers that they wanted to have an audience with. For them, they said that two of the pitches went really well and that these could potentially lead to something more for them."
Cllr Hazel Simmons, Luton Borough Council said: "The Council was delighted to partner such an important event which we know from experience will lead to increased business opportunities at the Airport for local businesses in Luton."As well as offering suppliers appointments in which they could introduce themselves to major companies at the Airport, this third Meet The Buyer event also provided them with an invaluable networking opportunity."
“Milton Keynes and North Bucks Chamber of Commerce supported last week’s London Luton Airport Meet the Buyer 2012 to provide a firm platform for members to benefit from a targeted and informative business introduction event. We thoroughly endorse events of this kind that support growth within the local economy and open up valuable business networking opportunities.” Colin Fox Chief Executive Milton Keynes and North Bucks Chamber of Commerce.
"The University is very glad to support airport businesses and their important local suppliers through the excellent Meet the Buyer initiative. We are delighted that airport employers contribute directly to our courses and this helps us to supply the graduates and the work placements that successful businesses value." Eamonn Keenan, Associate Director, Knowledge Hub, University of Bedfordshire
"Sue Ryder is delighted to be the Charity of the Year for London Luton Airport. It was clear from the 'Meet the Buyer' event that London Luton Airport has excellent links both with their suppliers and their community partners. Their commitment to the community in the their local area shone through. It was great to be part of it". Jason Suckley, Director of Fundraising and Marketing, Sue Ryder
“This was a great event attracting small businesses from across our Region [and beyond] who were given the opportunity to pitch to some major buyers on the London Luton Airport site; not least the Airport itself. Listening to businesses throughout the day I detected a lot of confidence that 'real' business will be done. The day set a good example to public sector buyers in the Region, some of who still need to improve their procurement accessibility to local businesses for mutual benefit, growing the local economy and fostering meaningful, sustainable growth in the small business sector.” FSB Regional Representative, Ian Cording
The event encapsulates London Luton Airport’s commitment to positively contribute towards the regional economy and in a very real way provide opportunities for local businesses.
Glyn Jones, Managing Director, London Luton Airport said, “The ‘Meet the Buyer’ event has been a resounding success. This resulted in opportunities to do business which has a real impact on the local and regional economy, which only goes to emphasis the important role that the Airport plays as a key economic driver in the Region. We would like to thank all the local agencies that partnered on the event, their input ensures the wide reach of the event into Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, not to mention the suppliers, who through their attendance have raised almost £7000 for Sue Ryder, the Airport charity of the year".
‘Meet the Buyer’ was hosted in conjunction with Luton Borough Council, The Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, Central Bedfordshire Council, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, Milton Keynes & North Bucks Chamber of Commerce, University of Bedfordshire and the Federation of Small Businesses.
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Pictured L to R: Garth McKenzie, Central Bedfordshire, Prof Carsten Maple , University of Bedfordshire, Cllr Sian Timoney, Luton Borough Council, Elliot Renton, London Luton Airport, Hazel Simmons, Luton Borough Council, Yolanda Rugg, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, Glyn Jones, London Luton Airport, Caron Kendall, Federation of Small Business, Oliver Jaycock, London Luton Airport, Jason Suckley, Sue Ryder
For more information please contact:London Luton Airport Press Office – press.office@ltn.aero
Notes to Editors
London Luton Airport is one of the UK’s largest airports and carried 9.5 million passengers in 2011. The Airport directly and indirectly employs over 500 and 8,000 staff respectively, is a key economic driver for the region and a major base for ‘low cost’ or ‘no frills’ air travel. easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Monarch, Thomson, Aer Lingus, EL AL, Blue Air and Flybe operate from the airport, departing to 100 destinations including services to Europe, Africa, and Asia, with onward connections to Mumbai, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Beijing and Bangkok via Tel Aviv.
London Luton Airport Operations Limited, through its parent company TBI Limited, is owned jointly by the leading international infrastructure provider abertis Infraestructuras S.A. (with a 90 per cent shareholding) and the international business arm of Aena, the Spanish national airport and air traffic control organisation, Aena Desarrollo Internacional S.A. (with a 10 per cent shareholding).