Last week Kent Business School hosted the first Business Soundbites, an informal networking event on topical issues. The theme of the gathering was Brexit, and the effects it may have on businesses in Kent and the South-East of England.<\/p>\n
Last week Kent Business School hosted the first Business Soundbites, an informal networking event on topical issues. The theme of the gathering was Brexit, and the effects it may have on businesses in Kent and the South-East of England.<\/p>\n
Around 50 attended the debut event, including regional business leaders, local media, academics and students, which was held at Kent Business School <\/a>on the Canterbury <\/a>Campus. The event included an hour of talks by informed speakers and an hour of networking over food and drinks.<\/p>\n Professor Richard G Whitman<\/a> is Senior Fellow for the Economic and Social Research Council\u2019s <\/a>UK in a changing Europe<\/em> Programme, Director of Global Europe Centre and Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent<\/a>. In his speech he examined the process and negotiations that must take place in order for Britain to leave the EU: \u201cthe UK must go through an enormously complicated process to break free from the EU, starting with the repeal of the 1972 European Communities act by Parliament. The UK will have to decide what it wishes to negotiate before it can appoint the right people to undertake these negotiations. The EU, likewise, is still positioning itself, but one thing is certain: Brexit is a very unwelcome distraction.\u201d<\/p>\n Kent Business School\u2019s very own Reader in International Business<\/a> Dr Fragkiskos Filippaios<\/a> is currently working on a research study for Kent County Council<\/a> on the internationalisation of Kent Businesses and made some pertinent points on his discoveries: \u201cAccess to markets is the biggest worry. Exporters are more aware of the implications of Brexit and they will suffer the most. Companies are afraid: they are spending resources on planning for Brexit, rather than using these to grow the business.\u201d<\/p>\n The speakers then invited the audience to a Q and A session compered by Head of School Professor Martin Meyer<\/a>. This was followed by a social gathering over food and drinks in the Kent Business School reception area, with music by Groove Zoo.<\/p>\n The success of the launch event paves the way for a series of Soundbites on contrasting themes in the coming year. For more information, please visit our webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you are interested in attending the next Business Soundbites event, please contact\u00a0Floortje Hoette<\/a>\u00a0for more information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"