Food & Drink – Meet The Buyers Event

Are you ready to attract new buyers?
 
West Sussex County Council has commissioned Natural Partnerships CIC to create an opportunity for the county’s food and drink producers to meet and sell to new buyers. This Meet the Buyer Event will be held on 26th February 2018 in West Sussex – spaces are limited, so register below for your stand space! 
 
Building up to this, we are managing four fully subsidised workshops to help you get ready to sell to new buyers.

You might make the most delicious product in the world, but a recent survey showed that buyers from retail, wholesale and hospitality businesses often find that local producers don’t have everything ready to be able to sell to them, however good your product is. This might be that your pricing isn’t quite right; you don’t have the right certificates to meet their health and hygiene procurement rules; or your marketing and packaging needs to be more appealing to customers. Or perhaps you’ve got all this right, but just need a refresher to make sure you’re bang up to date. 

The following workshops have been designed, with input from local producers, to help make sure you are ready to sell – and that you are ready to sell to the right buyer for your business. Sign up for any or all of the following workshops now, but be quick places are limited!
 

Meet the Buyer Event – 12-4pm, 26th February 2018

We can offer free stand spaces to up to 50 West Sussex food and drink producers at a special event, hosted in West Sussex, attended by dozens of buyers from retail, wholesale and hospitality businesses. This will be based on a first come first served basis.

Workshop 1 – The Nuts & Bolts 

Monday 22 January 2018, 2-4.30pm, Bolney Wine Estate

Who are my customers? Costings and pricing. How to distribute. Packaging and design. 

Experts will help you make sure that you have everything in place to get to the exciting part – selling to new customers. 

Workshop 2 – Are you ready to sell?

Monday 29 January 2018, 2-4.30pm, Highdown Vineyard

Legal requirements. Packs for auditing. Preparing for a customer visit. Can you scale up the business?

Experts will help you get the paperwork in place so that you are ready to receive new customers and manage success, without compromising your business and product. 

Workshop 3 – Marketing your products

Monday 12 February 2018, 2-4.30pm, Bolney Wine Estate

Developing your story. Marketing packs – practical exercise. Social media. Public relations. 

Experts will help you through a practical exercise to build your story and prepare your marketing pack to give to buyers, with top tips on supporting your customers through social online and attracting media profile.  

Workshop 4 – Selling your products

Monday 19 February 2018, 2-4.30pm, Highdown Vineyard

Going to a trade show & following up enquiries. Finding the right customers. Relationship building and maintenance. Keeping your products listed. 

Southern Co-op’s Local Flavours Sourcing Manager will lead this workshop, with support from a leading local food producer who can add producer insight.

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