UBIFRANCE UK News

UBIFRANCE UK News n° 17 - 16 June 2009

In the past few months, we have continued supporting the action of our colleagues in the various departments within Mission Economique UBIFRANCE, the French Trade Commission in London, while also working on various other PR operations.

To give an idea of the range of sectors covered by the French Trade Commission, recent events have included a French Fashion Day at the Meridien Hotel in Central London (in the field of design for high fashion); a French Pavilion at both the Internet World and the Infosecurity trade shows in London (IT and web technology); and an evening devoted to Corsican wine in co-operation with the association of Corsican wine-growers (CIVC).

The press bureau also assisted the Strasbourg Chamber of Commerce (Chambre de Commerce & d’Industrie de Strasbourg) in the promotion of the excellent white wines of the Alsace region (in eastern France). The Alsatian wine-growers had a stand at the London International Wine Fair (LIWF) at Excel, in Docklands. Additionally, we did a press release for Kiwicru, a Corsican producer of kiwi-based wine, who had a stand at the LIWF: it may be more exotic than wine from Alsace, but still impressed visitors and attracted a lot of interest.

Lest readers of UBIFRANCE UK News should imagine that we only — or mostly — focus on alcoholic drinks, I should add that the press bureau has helped Collection Pierre prepare the official opening of its new showroom in Pimlico (in London), on 9 June. The company designs and makes a unique range of classy furniture.

The British showroom may be in London, but the factory making the goods is very much in France. In its workshop in the Vosges region of eastern France, the company employs the best cabinetmaking craftsmen, sculptors, marquetry-makers, gilders, lacquerers, upholsterers, and tapestry-makers, who make high-end furniture for private and institutional buyers (including government ministries and embassies).

When it reopens, and next time you have a meal at the Savoy (in London) — as one does — you will be able to admire Collection Pierre’s furniture in the hotel’s dining-room, since the French company has won that exceedingly prestigious contract.

The press bureau has successfully organised two press trips since you received our April bulletin, and both took place in mid-May. The first one involved sending a delegation of Norwegian journalists to Corsica, as part of a contract with the Chamber of Commerce of Bastia for the promotion of the food & drink sector in Corsica. To set up the press trip, we worked closely with the French Trade Commission in Oslo (Norway). Indeed, the press office of UBIFRANCE UK covers Nordic countries from London, but it is always a help if we can benefit from the support and expertise of our colleagues in the French trade commissions across Scandinavia.

The second press trip was in a completely different field — electronics and aerospace — and was focused on the high-technology cluster that exists in this industry in Brittany, in western France. Three British journalists were given the opportunity to visit a large number of aerospace companies based in the region, many of which were set to attend the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget. The press delegation was a multinational one, since there were also Italian and French reporters and editors among those present.

I thought I should keep the best piece of news for the end of this newsletter: the French Trade Commission in London organises a B-to-B event for France’s beer-and-cider sector at a yet-to-be-disclosed venue on 2 July. Journalists who would be interested to attend ought to contact Kate Ambler, press officer, who will be delighted to pass their details on to the organisers. Being thirsty is a prerequisite, since there will be ample scope for on-site tasting, but is not enough: belonging to the food & drink trade press (or covering such topics for a national newspaper or another media) is also part of the criteria, I am told.

As we know, many people and companies in publishing and in journalism, and in the media in general, have been affected — directly or indirectly — by the present economic conditions. So, we, at the press office of UBIFRANCE in London, hope that, despite the difficult times we currently live in, you will enjoy a pleasant summer break at some stage or other in the coming months.

The next issue of UBIFRANCE UK News will be sent to you after the summer, in early-to-mid September 2009.

Philip Jolly

Manager — Press Office

Mission Economique UBIFRANCE, the French Trade Commission in London

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Food & Drink

Sommet de l’Elevage to make cattle – and others – green with envy

Sommet de l’Elevage, the leading business meeting for European livestock breeders, will be held from 7 to 9 October 2009 in Clermont-Ferrand. For the first time at the event, there will be a pavilion focusing on renewable energies. The show will welcome 1,150 exhibitors and 75,000 professional visitors – including 2,000 international visitors from 50 countries – to a 150,000m2 exhibition site.