Invest in Britain Bureau TEL:
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29.08.91
10:37 No.007 P.02
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invest in britain bureau
FAX
P W Heap Esq CMG,
Senior British Trade Commissioner, Hong Kong.
Invest in Britain Bureau
Department of Trade and Industry
Kingsgate House
66 74 Victoria Street London SW1E 6SW
Fax
071 215 8451
Direct line 071-215
2509
29 August 1991
Dear Peter
IBB SEMINAR IN HONG KONG
Eddie Ripley has discussed with me a conversation he has had on the telephone today with James Smith-Laittan about your proposal to invite Lord Young to deliver the keynote speech at the IBB seminar on 13 November. If accepted, this would mean the seminar taking place sometime between the 4 and 9 November, a week earlier than previously agreed, to accommodate Lord Young's diary. Lord Young's participation would raise the profile of the seminar and it was thought, would attract a higher quality audience. It was felt that the FCO would not object to this proposal; indeed they would support it.
I agree that Lord Young's participation would raise the profile (although this conflicts with our understanding that any promotional event should be kept as low key as possible) and attract a high quality audience. However, it is almost certain it. would be, from an IBB point of view, the wrong audience. From the beginning we have been clear that IBB's main interest is attracting an audience of manufacturing companies who are already exporting to the EC, and who are looking to establish manufacturing facilities in the EC before 1993. We are not looking for the financial giants like Hutchison Whampoa or Dickson Poon who have been able to acquire British companies without any encouragement from us. It naturally follows on from this that while IBB seminars will always attract a certain number of multipliers like banks and similar financial institutions, at least 60% of our audiences have to fall into the manufacturing/greenfield investment category described above, which justifies the not inconsiderable expense of holding a seminar. I cannot justify IBB funding for events which are not designed to attract our target audience. One of the reasons for agreeing to the appointment of Ms Hoon to coordinate the seminar