On behalf of us all at the Australian Institute of Export welcome to 2012

On behalf of us all at the Australian Institute of Export welcome to 2012. One can never really predict what lies ahead but if the dollar remains high and the international business environment shows little sign of recovery, it will continue to be tough for many Aussie exporters.  But in saying that, the US is looking brighter and if China holds up then many major export opportunities will continue to flourish pushing growth in the Australian economy, albeit a two speed economy, for some time yet.

The Institute’s agenda in 2012 is strong. First we have a new President. Dianne Tipping, well known to many of our colleagues particularly those who have experienced an AIEx training program, who took up the task this month. We would like you to join with us in welcoming Dianne to this important role and wishing her well.

Top of the AIEx activities list is the Australian Export Heroes Awards which will be held this year in Sydney. If you know of someone who has, over a long period of time, made a significant contribution to international trade please let us know. Nominations close at the end of February should be directed to Lisa McAuley at lisamcauley@aiex.com.au

This year we also celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Premier's NSW Export Awards. Given this important milestone the Institute and NSW Trade & Investment are planning a number of special events in metro and regional NSW culminating in the awards ceremony in October. It will be the biggest export event on the state’s calendar and we encourage you to get involved through entering the awards and having your company recognised for its export achievements. Contact lisamcauley@aiex.com.au for details.

For those new to export, those looking to export to develop their business, or current exporters assessing new market opportunities, the Institute has a range of activities planned for 2012 designed to help develop and build a sustainable export business. Details of these programs including the Future Leaders in Export Club, seminars and workshops on new markets and international trade disciplines will be available on our website at the end of this week. 

In the meantine, we would like to invite you to participate in a short survey that will help ensure our 2012 Future Leaders in Export (FLEx) program continues to present topics that you are interested in. Please click here to follow the link to complete the survey online, which should take just 5-10 minutes of your time. We look forward to seeing you at FLEx meetings commencing in February 2012.

In a difficult export environment possessing the sound international trade skills must be top of your list. Never has it been more important to effectively manage the export risk than it is today. With over fifty year’s experience, the Institute has the best skills development programs available in Australia. Whether face to face, on-line or at your company the Institute provides a flexible range of programs on all key aspects of doing business overseas. For details contact petermace@aiex.com.au or consult our website at http://www.aiex.com.au/education-training/short-courses-workshops

One of the most important things we do at the AIEx is to work with Government in building Australia’s international competitiveness. Whether promoting improvement to the Export Market Development Grants Scheme, lobbying government on tackling the high cost of trade facilitation or building a case for greater access to trade finance, the Institute is there on your behalf taking these issues to Government. To do this effectively, build our export skills and recognise excellence we need your input and participation. Through becoming a member of the Institute you can participate in a range of rewarding activities, benefit through discounts on skills development programs and assist us in getting your message to Government. Details can be found on http://www.aiex.com.au/membership/membership

We wish you every success in 2012 and thank you for your support.   

Ian Murray
Executive Director, Australian Institute of Export