NI Chamber is inviting suppliers to register for its annual Meet the Buyer event

Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) is inviting suppliers from all industries across the province to register for its annual Meet the Buyer.

Hosted in partnership with Bank of Ireland, the flagship event is an opportunity to connect with potential new customers, pitch products and services as well as win new business and takes place in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast on Wednesday, September 28.

With more than 25 major buyers in attendance, it presents unprecedented access to procurement specialists through a bespoke matching service which is designed to ensure that mutually beneficial meetings take place.

Urging suppliers and businesses to sign up before the August 26 deadline, Tanya Anderson, head of international and business support at NI Chamber, said: “Meet the Buyer is all about helping our members to ‘do business’ with potential new customers.

"We have secured a host of major buyers including CAF Rail, Coca-Cola HBC, Eakin Healthcare, Wright Bus and many others, who are all interested in meeting suppliers in the local market, bringing supply chains closer to home and availing of the quality products and services with NI firms have to offer.

"More than half of them are new to Meet the Buyer, so there are lots of fresh opportunities, including for those suppliers who have attended previously.“The event is also an excellent networking opportunity, which will enable attendees to network with others, including people from outside of their own industries. We’re inviting suppliers to register their interest in attending now and encourage them to do so before the deadline of Friday, August 26.”Highlighting the huge benefits of taking part in the event, Niall Devlin, head of business banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK, added: “At Bank of Ireland we understand the importance of winning business, particularly in the current inflationary environment and with supply chain issues at the forefront of many businesses’ list of challenges.

"As businesses look at options to develop strength, resilience and agility to protect against future shocks, new buying or supplying opportunities are key. These include dual sourcing of raw materials, increasing stocks of critical products and regionalising supply chains, all of which present many opportunities to win business.

"That’s why this ‘Meet the Buyer’ event is an important opportunity for local SMEs. It provides unique access to buyers from well-known major business brands with significant buying power, and we’d encourage all local businesses to get involved.”Buyers who will be attending to source new suppliers include Belfast City Council, Boomer Industries, CAF Rail, Camlin Group, Choice Housing, Coca-Cola HBC, Connex Offsite, Eakin Healthcare, Education Authority, Equans, Fibrus, Kane Group, McAleer & Rushe, McColgan’s Food, MJM Marine, Moy Park, NI Water, Nicholl Oils, NIE Networks, Nitronica, QUB, Translink, Ulster University, Unicorn Group, Wright Bus and Yelo.For information on the event, visit the NI Chamber website.Meet the Buyer with Bank of Ireland is delivered as part of NI Chamber’s Learn Grow Excel business support programme, which is also supported by SME Partner, Power NI.