April 20, 2023
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Empire State Development led a four-day trade mission to London, England on March 26th-29th. Joining the Chamber were a total of eight Brooklyn/New York based businesses, represented by a diverse group of professionals, half women-owners and half-BIPOC owned businesses. Businesses were from the IT, life sciences and energy sectors. London Partners from the UK assisted the Chamber in organizing and planning the itinerary of the trip; London Partners’ collaboration helped to make this trip a success.
The delegation took off from JFK airport early Sunday morning and arrived in the UK late Sunday evening. Monday morning began with an action-packed day for the delegation group. The group was hosted by the advisory and law firm of Oury Clark where the group heard from experts on how to go about setting up a business in the UK, finding the right commercial spaces, hiring folks and the various incentives that the UK offers to folks from the US who open a business in the UK. Following this meeting the group then headed to the law firm of Faegre Drinker where the British American Business (BAB) group hosted a luncheon for the group. The delegation was briefed on trade and the general economic climate in the UK post Brexit, as well was greeted and met with Ms. Rosemary Gallant from the US Embassy in London. Afterwards, the group then headed to Here East for a tour of the repurposed Olympic Park. After a long day, the group headed to Gunpowder which was an Indian restaurant for dinner.
Tuesday morning began with an early start. The group headed out early morning for the trek down to Dover. The group visited Dover Castle, the famed White Cliffs, and then headed to Kent where they ate lunch at the four-hundred-year-old tavern called Tickled Trout. On the way back into the city the group visited the Tower of London, London Bridge, Big Ben, Westminster, Whitehall and Trafalgar Square, The group also had a chance to stop at Buckingham Palace. After a long day, the group headed back to the hotel for an early evening.
Wednesday morning the group checked out of the hotel and headed to the city for their last meeting. The group was hosted by the London Chamber of Commerce for a B2B networking meeting. Afterwards the group went for a farewell lunch at the famed Cafe Murano at Covent Garden, and then headed back to London Heathrow airport for the return trip home.
It was a short but action-packed trip with great networking and connections, and the Brooklyn Chamber businesses that participated were very pleases with the trip. The London delegation trip attendees are very much looking forward to following up with many of the contacts and connections they met over the duration of the overseas trip for future business opportunities and expansions.