On April 29-30, representatives of European export agencies met in Tallinn for a two-day event to share best practices in developing and offering national export services, boosting exports, and promoting international cooperation.

The Enterprise Estonia (EIS) organised this year’s meeting, the 92nd in its history. According to Tiina Tuisk, the regional director of nearby export markets at EIS and one of the event’s organisers, the meeting offered an opportunity to exchange international experiences, share successes and failures, and learn from one another.

“Although we do not collaborate daily as organisations, we have noticed in discussions with colleagues from other countries that we share similar joys and challenges,” emphasised Tiina Tuisk. Questions such as ensuring the relevance and effectiveness of export services for capable exporters, managing services, their impact, and customer portfolios based on data, leveraging exports through targeted international marketing and communication, and keeping necessary information up-to-date and accessible are issues faced across Europe, added Andres Kikas, director of export development at EIS’s export department.

Export agencies shared best practices

During the meeting in Tallinn, attendees exchanged best practices for export services, focus sectors, and event marketing. They discussed the importance of providing services to high-value-added companies, shared marketing tools, systematic cooperation strategies with businesses, and the use of data analysis to enhance customer experience.

Alongside the Estonian hosts, 22 representatives from export agencies in Austria, France, Iceland, Sweden, Czechia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Ukraine, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Norway, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Malta, and Finland attended the meeting.

According to Andres Kikas, apart from events, Estonia interacts most with export agencies in countries where it shares common challenges and solutions regarding strategic export support, service, and client management.

A decades-long tradition

“Business Norway, Business Iceland, and Business Finland face the same challenges as Trade Estonia. This creates a foundation for future collaboration, such as organising strategic days to share experiences and best practices. With Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy’s export department, we are planning a meeting to exchange insights on data analytics,” explained Tuisk.

The European umbrella organisation for export agencies, European Trade Promotion Organisations, which initiated this event, consists of 36 members from over 30 European countries, including EIS. Meetings take place twice a year. The location of the following 93rd meeting in October will be announced in the coming months. Estonia last hosted European colleagues in the autumn of 2013.

GOOD TO KNOW

• In 1958, Wassenaar, Holland, hosted half a dozen CEOs from Western European Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs) who decided to make a round table for sharing their views and experience of common interest. The meeting was so successful that they decided to meet again, establishing a tradition.
• Since then, delegates from export agencies in nearly 30 countries have gathered twice yearly in various European locations to exchange experiences. The Tallinn event was the 92nd in the series.
• In addition to traditional export promotion activities, the TPOs are playing a growing role as national agents boosting the global competitiveness of their local industries.
• www.europe-tpo.com

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