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*The 2008 London Passport to Export Awards is an international business awards scheme. The awards recognise the achievements of SMEs in trading overseas under UK Trade & Investment’s (UKTI) Passport to Export programme of advice and support for new and inexperienced exporters. *
The event was held on June 24, where five category winners were presented with their prizes at a ceremony in Westminster, hosted by writer and broadcaster Hardeep Singh Kohli.
Guest speakers included Tim Parker, newly appointed First Deputy Mayor of London and Chief Executive of the GLA Group; and Alan Ainsbury, Head of Trade at awards sponsor Barclays Commercial Bank.
Lambeth-based organic tea company Today Was Fun, which increased its international sales approximately ten-fold between 2005 and the end of 2007, won the Best Newcomer category, while Knomo Bags Ltd won the Outstanding Achievement award. Dexela Ltd received an award in the International Innovation category, Evolve Creative in the Emerging Markets Exporter category and Octopus Media Technology took the prize for Best Use of UK Trade & Investment Services.
Founder and CEO of Today Was Fun’s award-winning Green Green Tea, Sharyn Wortman, said: “My UKTI advisers told me that Passport to Export would help me take the initial steps towards exporting – it was more like a giant leap! They assisted with everything from defining possible markets, to understanding complicated paperwork, and visiting potential retailers – without UKTI’s help in breaking down these barriers, we would have found it very difficult to get into the Russian market."
Alan Ainsbury, Barclays Commercial Bank, concluded: “These awards are indicative of the breadth and scale of successful London companies that recognise and act upon opportunities in trading internationally. We are committed to helping our customers’ businesses grow through overseas prospects and I hope that some of the great success stories from these awards will be an inspiration for SMEs across the country.”
The awards ceremony was the climax of UKTI’s International Month, a series of events, training days and seminars giving businesses throughout the country essential insights into opportunities in sectors and markets abroad.