INTERPRISE 2001 - Technologies for the Future is set for March 2001.

Organised by County Durham Development Company (CDDC), it will each and every delegate with a schedule of pre-booked, 30-minute face-to-face meetings, it is the ideal forum for businesses to develop new contacts and explore co-operation and partnerships. With a wide range of partners from Europe, North America and the People's Republic of China, it is a truly international event.

One of the event's associate partners is Trade Partners UK. Trade Partners has a simple goal: increasing British business success overseas. It brings together all of the overseas trade development work of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Diplomatic Posts around the world and regional trade bodies, including the regional development agencies and Business Links.

Providing a complete range of export trade services to British companies, it harnesses new media to deliver these electronically, ensuring faster and more effective assistance. Its website at www.tradepartners.gov.uk now contains vast amounts of information on the 200 plus markets it covers.

It also offers a free Internet service www.tradeuk.com.

John Williams, international trade director North-East, said: "Interprise events provide tremendous opportunities for small to medium-size businesses wishing to develop business contacts in new markets."

Phil Eadon, CDDC's director of marketing, said: "We are pleased to see Trade Partners UK participating in Interprise 2001. The chance to network with so many international contacts and organisations will help our local companies identify new business contacts and opportunities in many different markets around the world.