Dear Colleagues!

School Of Thought (SOT2K) would like to draw your attention to a very special event in Russia which you can't afford to miss if you already working in Russia or just thinking about it.

Trade Visit to Sochi, Russia – April 2010

Sochi, Cheltenham’s twin town, is on the Black Sea coast of Russia. Its hinterland is the Krasnodar region, where sites are being developed for the Winter Olympics 2014 and where expertise and help is needed in its preparations.


There are many potential areas for trade and investment for British companies. Cheltenham would like to assist its twin city and the Krasnodar area it serves, by enabling local companies who may be interested in exploring the possibilities of trade in Russia. The Borough Council will be working together with the company School of Thought 2000 (SOT2K), who specialise in missions to Russia, to arrange this trade visit, which will take place in April 2010.


There are many large projects that are being developed and implemented in this area, including a major reconstruction of the Krasnodar city centre, residential developments of European style housing, infrastructure developments and many others. 




Major industries in Krasnodar looking for support, include:-
food and food processing
construction
agriculture
engineering
chemical and petro-chemical
financial services
light industry
furniture and timber processing
tourism
resorts
hospitality retail
education and training,
as well as many more, all necessary for the building of an Olympic village and winter sporting facilities.

Foreign investors as well as contractors and subcontractors are very welcome. Krasnodar region has 5.1 million people and ranks third in Russia for inward investment. To date its main foreign partner is Germany.

The proposed visit will take place to the city of Krasnodar for 3 full working days, followed by a short flight to Sochi for meetings with Sochi administration and the organising committee of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2014, for 2 days. The trip will therefore be a total of 5 working days with a day either end for travelling.

The cost of the visit will be £2,750 per person for a group of 10+. The price includes:
• Russian visa
• Return flights to Krasnodar and Sochi from London Heathrow by Austrian airline
• Internal flight Krasnodar - Sochi
• Hotel accommodation with breakfast in Krasnodar (Hotel Platan Yuzhny) and Sochi (SAS Lazurnaya)
• All internal transfers in Krasnodar and Sochi
• A programme of tailor made meetings with Russian counterparts and potential partners in Krasnodar
• Meetings at Sochi Administration, Organizing Committee of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2014, and Olimpstroi (equivalent to London Olympic Delivery Authority) in Sochi.
• Group translation throughout the visit by qualified and experienced interpreter
• Group leader from SOT2K throughout the visit
• A briefing meeting in Cheltenham or Gloucester prior to the visit

Contact has also been made with UK Trade and Investment to seek some financial support to assist in travel etc. for this visit.


SOT2K have organised similar visits to the region recently for trade delegations from Hereford and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce and East Midlands branch of UK Trade and Investment.


Register for this Golden Opportunity!


If you would like to register your initial interest in this trade visit, with no obligation, we would be pleased to hear from you before
15 January 2010. Please ring or email me below as soon as possible.


Annette Wight, Twinning and Economic Development Officer, Cheltenham Borough Council, 01242 264311, Annette.wight@cheltenham.gov.uk


Visit our website on Sochi and click on the links to read more about the city and the winter Olympics it is hosting in 2014.


 

Download Brochure (PDF)