EEF National Manufacturing Conference explores global competitiveness

Business leaders will gather at the EEF National Manufacturing Conference and Manufacturers’ dinner on Tuesday 6 March 2012 to explore global competitiveness and urge government to use its spring Budget to spur industrial-led growth.

FARNBOROUGH  - Dec 19, 2011

Manufacturers can direct their timely messages to Chancellor George Osborne, who is guest speaker at the biennial EEF Manufacturers’ Dinner. Business Secretary Vince Cable and Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband are also confirmed as keynote conference speakers.

The conference www.manufacturingconference.co.uk, which is sponsored by Lombard and delivered in partnership with The Manufacturer and Infor, will take place in the heart of Westminster at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, followed by the dinner at the Dorchester Hotel.

Terry Scuoler, EEF Chief Executive, said: “The timing of the conference, just ahead of the Budget, is absolutely critical. It will be a powerful rally call to government to place manufacturing at the heart of its strategy for growth and to present a visionary Budget that bolsters economic recovery through bold measures to support industrial expansion and international trade.

“Our conference theme is ‘Competitiveness in the Global Economy’ and it will be a rare opportunity for the country’s manufacturing leaders to gather together to challenge political decision makers on the issues that matter most, share best practice, stimulate debate, solve problems, and gain industry insights and connections.”

Other speakers include Sir Richard Needham, Director of Dyson and former Minister of Trade; Declan Curry, business journalist and presenter; Alexander Baldock, Managing Director of Lombard;  Andrew Kinder, Product Marketing Director, Infor, and Terry Scuoler.

The conference will feature panel discussions and a choice of best practice workshops led by exemplary manufacturing businesses, covering topics such as innovation, exporting, and investment. There will be plenty of opportunity for manufacturers to network and learn from their peers.

The seismic shifts in manufacturing and the global competitive landscape will be explored. Some of the big questions posed will include: how can we ensure UK manufacturing remains competitive?  Should government do more to promote growth and support manufacturing directly? What more can be done to improve competitiveness in key areas such as tax, skills, regulation and energy?

For further information or to register for the EEF National Manufacturing Conference: www.manufacturingconference.co.uk  Delegates registering before 31 December 2011 will receive discounts on their tickets.

Media enquiries to:
Janet Kilpatrick, email: jk@janetkilpatrick.co.uk, phone: 0161 487 3830, mobile: 07794 192 677, or Mark Swift, EEF, email:  MSwift@eef.org.uk, phone 0207 654 1576, mobile: 07979 543710

Notes to Editor:

EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, is the representative voice of manufacturing in the UK. It has a growing membership of almost 6,000 companies of all sizes, employing some 900,000 people from every sector of engineering, manufacturing, engineering construction and technology-based industries. www.eef.org.uk

Conference headline sponsor Lombard is part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group. As one of the largest asset financiers in the UK and voted Best Leasing & Asset Finance Provider by Business Moneyfacts in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Lombard provides various forms of asset finance to businesses of varying sizes – from SMEs to large corporates. Products include Hire Purchase, Finance Lease, Operating Lease, Sale and Leaseback, Contract Hire, to Contract Purchase, as well as multi-specialist asset finance products such as marine, aviation and specific wholesale and stocking funding for distributors and dealerships. www.lombard.co.uk

Conference partner The Manufacturer  is the premier business magazine for senior management within the UK’s diverse and thriving manufacturing sector. The Manufacturer is determined to provide the UK’s manufacturing directors with the information, guidance and insight they need to run their businesses efficiently and effectively in the global marketplace. www.themanufacturer.com/uk

Conference partner Infor has grown to become one of the leading providers of business software and services helping more than 70,000 customers in 164 countries improve operations and drive growth.  Infor is committed to supporting the future of UK manufacturing and believes that manufacturers are seeking a better, more collaborative relationship with their business software provider. Infor aims to deliver the best software experience possible by delivering solutions that are simple to buy, easy to deploy and convenient to manage with a lower total cost of ownership. To learn more about Infor, please visit www.infor.co.uk.