UK Advertising Export Group to visit India, Brazil, Nigeria and Japan this autumn

Virtual Roadshow – UK House – Continues As Export Group Introduces #TradeTuesday from September 28

London, August 15th, 2021: Following on from successes at SXSW, Cannes Lions and Shanghai International Advertising Festival, the UK Government and UK Advertising Export Group (UKAEG) have extended their partnership for online venue, UK House, to market UK advertising services to global customers this Autumn. UK House will host special events for advertising and marketing services professionals from India, Brazil, Nigeria, and Japan with more countries expected to be added to the online tour.

Starting 28^th September, UKAEG is introducing #TradeTuesday, a weekly event at UK House, for all UK advertising and marketing services companies looking to grow their international customer base. In addition, UKAEG and the Department for International Trade have 100 LIONS Membership passes available to companies keen to start their export journey. The year-round membership provides free access to Cannes Lions Deconstructed on September 17^than exclusive member’s event, access to a global database of members and The Work Classic – a database of winning Lions Award entries from 1956-2000.

Already lined up to speak at UK House are UK industry leaders such as; Daniel Cheetham, Happy Finish, Neil Davidson, HeyHuman, Michael Moszynski, London Advertising, Stephanie Whitaker, Ignis, David Ball, BrandFuel, Stephen Maher, MBAStack and Catriona Blampied, Procure Worldwide.  They will be joined by international industry peers such as Lanre Adisa, MD & Chief Creative Officer, Noah’s Ark Communications, Kelechi Nwosu, Managing Director, TBWA\Concept with more being added to the line-up.

Applications for Cannes Lions membership and/or to attend or speak at UK House are now open and companies can apply here. UKAEG welcomes fully proofed, diverse, focused, and forward-thinking talks, workshops, and case studies. Applications are welcomed from all UK companies that sell services to brands and fall into the Creative Industries across advertising, screen, immersive, experience, music, design and branding, social media, and games.

Quote from Julian Douglas, International chief executive and vice-chairman of VCCP and IPA President:

“Following a decade of growth the UK advertising services industry is currently at an all-time high. At the Cannes Lions this summer 46 British advertising and marketing companies won a whopping 135 awards, including 11 Grands Prix which is 11 more than at the last Cannes Lions in 2019, and second globally only to the USA. The creativity coming out of the UK is truly world class – and now is the time to capitalise on this success and secure a second decade of growth. I urge all companies looking to grow their international revenues to get involved in the Export Group and participate in UK House.”

DCMS Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage said:

“I’m delighted to once again see the great success of the UK’s creative industries recognised at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Our brilliant advertising industry is something to be proud of and will continue to make important contributions to our economy as we build back better from the pandemic.”

Last month, UKAEG hosted a virtual trade mission to China which included a partnership with the Shanghai International Advertising Festival (SHIAF) to showcase UK Cannes Lions 2021 winners’ campaigns, UK House content was broadcast via NetEase on the virtual stage, Global Creativity and Technology Forum. UKAEG also partnered with Department for International Trade to host a face-to-face networking session with twenty Chinese start-up brands looking to export into the west. UKAEG efforts in China over the last two years have resulted in approx. £21 million in new business wins for its members.

These results demonstrate the strength of UK advertising at a time when it is set to recover strongly following the downturn caused by the global pandemic. The latest Advertising Association/WARC Expenditure Report, the only source to collect advertising revenue data across the entire media landscape, forecasts UK adspend will grow by 15.2% in 2021 to reach a total of £27.0bn. This will recover the entirety of 2020’s £1.8bn decline and is expected to precede a 7.2% rise in 2022, by when the market will be worth a record £29.0bn.

Ancillary forecasts suggest the UK is on course to achieve the strongest ad trade recovery of any major global market this year. This will also build on the existing strength of the UK as an exporter of advertising and marketing services, which grew 7% year-on-year to reach a new record level of £11bn in 2019 – the last year for which the official figures from the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) are available.

Applications for Cannes Lions membership and/or to attend or speak at UK House are now open and companies can apply here. 

To find out more about joining UKAEG contact Aisling Conlon.