FTPB - News

FTPB News n° 13 - 22 September 2008

Most of you will have gone away for at least part of the summer, so I hope you had a pleasant and enjoyable break. If you stayed in the UK, weather conditions will not have helped, and indeed across Northern France (including Brittany), I hear things were not much better — not so much a case of global warming hitting us all, as a matter of fighting off global drowning.

In August, here at FTPB, we actually had quite a lot to do — the ritual summer holidays that used to shut down much of France from about 10^th July till early September no longer appear to be as absolute as they once were. We get more and more French-based client companies that continue doing business in sustained fashion over the summer months, with an increasing number of executives taking shorter breaks; this means the level of activity in July and August does not decrease as much as it used to, even though things do slow down as compared to the rest of the year.

We produce press packs on a regular basis for a range of client companies, and we had several in the pipeline for September (known as ‘la rentrée’ in French, i.e. the back-to-school season).

One focused on Corsica’s traditional and typical food & drink products (A Taste of Corsica), since the island-region of Corsica was represented by a dedicated stand, in co-operation with CCFGB, the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain, at the Speciality & Fine Food Show at Olympia (in London).

Another press pack was about organic products from across France, with a particular emphasis on the south-west of the country, since this press kit was tied to an event being co-ordinated by CCFGB, together with the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of the Dordogne département.

As part of this all-day event, British buyers and journalists were invited to Vinopolis (near London Bridge, in London ) on 18^th September. Among other highlights, celebrity chef Raymond Blanc gave a presentation in the morning.

Separately, we have two press trips scheduled for mid-October 2008, the preparation of which has kept us occupied. Two British journalists are invited to take part in the first one, which will focus on the NEM Summit (13^th to 15^th October) in Saint-Malo (near Rennes, in Brittany). The networked & electronic media (NEM) event is taking place under the aegis of the European Commission, with the backing of Brittany's regional authorities and that of Rennes Atalante Science Park (the high-technology cluster based in the region).

The 2008 NEM Summit will be a major conference and exhibition devoted to the field of networked and electronic media, as well as ICT in general. The conference will address topics relating to electronic media content, distributed media applications, new media delivery networks, user devices and terminals, and NEM-enabling technologies. The event is expected to bring together 400 to 500 representatives from both industry and R&D.

The second press trip (15 to 17 October) is due to take place in another part of Brittany, which is just as attractive and scenic as the region of Saint-Malo — the region of Quimper, Concarneau and Brest. Backed by the council of the département of Finistère, this press trip will enable two British journalists to discover the region’s textiles and clothing sector.

Finistère is home to numerous SMEs in the textile sector. Their quest for innovation, the variety of their ranges, and their search for new markets make them exemplary success stories. These businesses are tied with Breton culture, but their customer base extends well beyond the region's borders. They are also committed to the environment — with the use of plant-based inks and organic cotton, and the reliance on fair-trade production principles overseas, among other factors coming into play.

Armor Lux is but one example of Finistère’s resilient and successful textile sector. The company is a well-known manufacturer of traditional Breton clothing items, including the iconic striped T-shirt, as well as jumpers, jackets and scarves. Armor Lux was founded more than 70 years ago and currently employs 640 staff in three factories, with a network of over 30 boutiques selling its goods.

Should any of you be interested in the press trips outlined above, do get in touch with Kate Ambler, FTPB’s press officer, who will be delighted to hear from you.

Apart from the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain, already mentioned, we continue to work closely with our other partners — more particularly the Mission Economique (ME), i.e. the Trade Commission of the French Embassy in London, and the Invest in France Agency.

For example, we have issued a press release on behalf of Mission Economique and in relation to the franchise-sector event that they are organising in Birmingham, in conjunction with the British Franchise Association (BFA) and international banking group HSBC. The event will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Birmingham NEC on 2^nd October. This Franchise Day will include B2B meetings and conferences involving a range of consultants and experts in the field, on the occasion of the National Franchise Exhibition. Let us know if you would like to attend.

The FTPB team has expanded to include two new Editorial Assistants since the previous Bulletin (see the group photo): Pauline Le Goff, who comes from Toulon (in south-eastern France), started at FTPB in July, and will be with us till Christmas; and Luc Bouffet, who comes from Poitiers (in western France), started at FTPB in September and will be with the press bureau till June 2009.

The next few months promise to be busy and exciting in more ways than one, and we will keep you informed of the latest developments at the press bureau. The next Bulletin will come out in late November or early December and will be the last one for the year 2008.

From left to right: Luc Bouffet (Editorial Assistant), Pauline Le Goff (Editorial Assistant), Kate Ambler (Press Officer), Estelle Atayi (Project Manager) and Philip Jolly (Managing Director).

Together with the rest of the FTPB team, I wish you a good ‘rentrée’!

Philip Jolly, Managing Director, FTPB

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The Trade Commission of the French Embassy in the UK presented four French bespoke designers at the 100% France stand at the 100% Design Show, which was held in London from 18 to 21 September 2008.