Anne has been working in the field of international trade, both for the private & public sector, for over 35 years, she has experience in the fields of trade development, facilitation, compliance, as well as Government funded projects. She is a qualified trade professional with a broad spectrum of experience but specialising in customs compliance including rules of origin and trade preference. She is a British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) network on rules of origin, trade preference and documentation. She is also a Department for Business & Trade approved BCC assessor and inspector relating to the certificates of origin and preference movement certificates. She has extensive experienced in assisting organsations enter new or expanding into overseas markets whether it be with market selection, research, routes to market, placing goods into market, or business opportunities. As Head of International Trade & Compliance at Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, Anne is responsible for the strategy development and delivery of Chamber’s extensive portfolio of trade services,

Lucinda O’Reilly is an international trade consultant with over 15 years’ experience of global imports and exports. As the Exports Director of a UK industrial flooring manufacturer, she grew exports to over 40 countries worldwide. Having successfully managed the transition through Brexit, Lucinda set up The International Trade Consultancy to provide practical, customized support to companies struggling to navigate the new regulatory landscape and supply chain challenges caused by the pandemic. Areas of expertise include tariff classification, duty relief schemes, reclaiming incorrect duty payments, restoration of seized goods, audits of import/export processes, complying with rules of origin, global customs compliance, achieving AEO status, global export strategy and supply chains. She is regularly invited to communicate the views of SME manufacturers in the media and to Members of Parliament.

Carys Ayton-Smith is Regulatory Affairs Manager at CTPA and supports members in navigating the current and future regulatory landscape in the UK and EU, focusing on areas such as product compliance, product claims and advertising, and developing member training opportunities. Carys has a background in cosmetic regulations with a focus on claims and substantiation. She is passionate about supporting and educating the industry on regulations to not only ensure a fair, safe and compliant market, but an innovative and exciting one. Carys is an active member within the cosmetic industry and a Committee Chair at the Society of Cosmetic Scientists.

Paul Alger MBE is International Business Director at the UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) and has worked in the industry for over 30 years, originally starting his working life in the food import and marketing industry. He is a BA Hons graduate in Modern Languages, Politics and Economics. Since 1989 he has worked with UK designers and manufacturers in the fashion and textile industry, offering business advice and support, particularly relating to international business and trade shows. He is experienced in the established markets of Europe and the USA but also has extensive experience and contacts in Japan, Russia and China. He is UKFT’s main point of contact with the Private Office of HRH The Princess Royal, UKFT’s active President, and represents the industry on a number of national committees and groups. In 2018, he was elected Chairman of Export Partners UK (a cross-sectoral not-for-profit organisation set up to encourage a joined up approach to UK exports, international trade and relations with Government). He regularly is interviewed by the press and represents the fashion and textile industry to government on issues including HMG’s Trade Agreement Group (TAG) which supports and scrutinises the UK’s new FTAs with countries including the EU, Japan, Canada, Korea, the USA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and others on behalf of British industry. He was awarded an MBE for services to Fashion and Exports in 2019.

Michaela is a Team Leader in SimplyVAT’s Business Development Team. Over the last 5 years, Michaela has helped hundreds of UK businesses expand their business operations compliantly by advising them on their VAT obligations in Europe, and by finding the right compliance solution based on every seller’s unique business set up.

Will Jones is Chief Operating Officer of BHETA, the trade association for suppliers in the DIY and Housewares sectors. Will is also Chair of Exclusively Housewares, the BHETA-owned and UK’s leading housewares, small domestic electricals, and gift exhibition, which takes place each June at the Business Design Centre, Islington.

Marcus Broix has worked in the UK and Europe since the 1980s, including owning and managing German and British companies. Today he runs Trade with Europe Ltd, the only one-stop shop for complete trade strategies and solutions. Via their select network of partners, companies worldwide can now access foreign markets in the EU (and the UK) and trade just like a local business.

Laura Rudoe is the founder and owner of Evolve Organic Beauty, the UK's leading, multi award winning, sustainable, ethical and organic beauty brand. It makes its certified organic and natural products in its wind powered eco factory in Hertfordshire and is proud to also be certified B corp, vegan and cruelty free. Evolve uses recycled and recyclable packaging, wind powered energy and is committed to becoming a regenerative beauty company. Evolve is distributed in over 45 countries, with main markets across Western Europe and USA, and listed in key accounts like John Lewis, Holland and Barrett and Sephora in the UK, Galerie Lafayette in France and Credo in the USA. 50% of its revenue comes from export and the company has been exporting for over 10 years. Laura’s top tip for export is to understand the local market needs such as registration, product assortment and pricing.

Jerry co-founded Frog bikes in 2013 with his wife Shelley. Headquartered in Ascot, Frog Bikes designs and manufactures lightweight kids’ bikes. The range of bikes starts at a balance bike with 10” wheels for a 1-year-old and goes through hybrid, road bikes and mountain bikes as well as track bikes. Frog Bikes are sold in over 2,000 shops in more than 50 countries. The company has had partnerships with USA cycling, Team Sky, HSBC, British Cycling, the Tour de France and currently with National Trust. Frog Bikes started exporting early on to Norway, Finland and Denmark and latterly big cycling markets such as France and Germany. Frog Bikes entered the US market in 2016 and today export is about 45% of the volume made and sold by Frog. Jerry’s exporting tips are to carry out research to check if there are any regulations and certification needed to sell into the market and understand if there are already competitors or demand; make sure there are no IP issues and register your brand in the markets; see if you can use local teams to help launch and find out about Trade shows that your target audience attends.”

Catherine founded doddl in 2013, following her own struggle with children’s mealtime tools that she was using for her children (then 2-year-old twins and a 3-year old). doddl was a pure start-up, and initially self-financed. Catherine led on 2+ years of research, design, development and testing prior to launching to market in 2016. doddl has since grown into a multi-million-pound business covering various international markets (with Asia being the top export market) and offering a range of innovative products. Catherine is CEO, and her core focus is overall business strategy, compliance and new product development. Catherine has been through the rollercoaster journey of turning an idea into a successful business, facing all the trials and tribulations that typically arise from this type of venture. Her tip for exporting is to thoroughly investigate fulfilment and export/import requirements to ensure viability before finalising any agreements with distribution partners

Established in 2019 and based in Wiltshire, EXEAT has become the UK’s most exported luxury, sustainable tennis brand for women. Made from pioneering sustainable fabric with an ultra-low carbon footprint, the brand’s famous ‘haute courtwear’ aesthetic is loved by international fashion editors, celebrity stylists and influencers. The company employs 25 members of staff across the UK and started exporting in 2020. Exports to 65 markets account for 80% of sales, with North America, Asia and Europe among EXEAT’s top sales destinations. Laura’s export tip is: “For Ecommerce brands selling goods internationally direct to consumer, as part of your export strategy it’s worth checking out different countries’ de minimis as you may be surprised at the markets you can sell to without your customer attracting import duty. For instance, the USA has a whopping $800 threshold, whereas Europe is capped at 150 Euros.”

Lucy Haine is Global Digital commerce and marketplace lead at the Department for Business and Trade Account managing marketplaces in Europe and emerging markets including Amazon, and digital lead for Beauty, homewear and creative industries. With an industry background, Lucy worked in senior leadership teams for UK High Street Retail brands including M&S, Debenhams and Monsoon Accessorize, focused on International multi-channel expansion. Lucy leads on DBT Digital commerce strategic partnerships across Europe, Africa, Central and South Asia, and Asia Pacific regions.