The smaller firms in Wales are creating our international brand
TWO weeks ago, Qatar Airways launched its first routes from Cardiff Airport. Visit Wales announced this with a promotional video entitled Welcome to Wales, and it was rightly lauded as another example of Wales reaching out and offering our national brand to the world.
This Welsh identity is one of our strongest assets, and is embodied by our dynamic and energetic smaller firms. Many businesses operating in Wales have a truly global outlook and it is our job to support that ambition.
There must be a serious conversation in Wales on the current brand recognition internationally and how this can be built upon to create even more favourable conditions for our Welsh firms.
That’s why our annual FSB Wales dinner, which takes place on June 20 in the Exchange Hotel, Cardiff Bay, will focus on Wales’ role in our changing world.
Our dinner speaker will be Osian Roberts, technical director at FAW and assistant coach to Wales’ national football team. Often referred to as “the most influential man in Welsh football”, he has had more than 300 international games as Wales National Coach.
Osian will reflect on how the Wales football team capitalised on our national brand as part of their successful year at the Euros in 2016.
This is particularly timely given that while Swansea’s seven-year tenure in the Premiership came to an end last weekend, Cardiff City’s promotion from the Championship will ensure that Wales will continue to be represented at world football’s top table.
International sporting events are only one way in which Wales can be projected around the world. The smaller firms in our country are how we represent ourselves and our interests abroad.
From those that export goods and services around the world to those that help attract higher numbers of tourists to Wales every year, these firms embody what it means to be Welsh in our modern society.
Welsh brands are now being regularly recognised around the world – such as Cardigan-based Hiut Denim, Penderyn Whisky and Anglesey Sea Salt.
This brand recognition is something that smaller firms in Wales are building upon every year.
There are also firms making a huge stamp on the worldwide stage by attracting more tourists to Wales every year.
Zip World, Anglesey Sea Zoo and our small army of those firms providing accommodation, food, drink and activities are all demonstrating why Wales is increasingly viewed as one of the world’s most beautiful tourist attractions.
Over the past year, we have opened up conversations on how to engage more small firms with trading internationally or opening up new markets for those who already do so, and introduced recommendations.
These included calling on the Welsh Government to engage more small firms in overseas trade missions and to instigate a Trade and Investment Strategy to work alongside the new Economic Action Plan.
This strategy would be tasked with delivering a strong Wales brand which could be exploited by Wales’ businesses.
We have also argued that when we do attract foreign investment, such as that announced by Aston Martin, this benefits Welsh businesses through supply chain opportunities and benefits from the best practice examples that are available.
The conversation on Wales’ place in the world must continue.
As we move closer to our exit from the European Union, businesses must be able to feel confident in the post-Brexit trading landscape.
This will also affect those seeking to encourage tourists to visit.
As the world continues to change, there will be new opportunities emerging, and our businesses must be the best-equipped to exploit them in order to build Wales’ international brand and our strong place in the world.