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Bernadette Byrne of thebigword one of the illustrious speakers sharing their insights at IOE exporting seminar

Leeds, England: 15 October 2014 - Bernadette Byrne, Client Services Director at thebigword - a global, technology-enabled language solution provider - will be one of a powerful panel of speakers sharing their insights at the Institute of Export (IOE) workshop at Gresham College, London, October 21.

"£48bn in revenue lost due to bad language?" will see Bernadette offering her insights into Professor James Foreman-Peck's recent calculation that UK businesses have lost the equivalent of 3.5 per cent of GDP - or £48bn - by not exporting.

The talk will explore what can be achieved through speaking to valuable new international markets in their own language and being aware of important cultural nuances and differences.

There will also be a strong focus on new and existing language technologies, and the role they can play in helping exporters produce significant return on investment.

Bernadette said: "As many as three in five UK companies do not export, which I find astonishing given that, in one year alone, American companies exported $772 billion to more than 150 foreign countries.

"New research by Barclays Corporate Banking has revealed that products with a 'Made in Britain' label command a considerably higher price when sold abroad, particularly in new and emerging markets.

"We understand better than anyone that language can be a real barrier to trade - after all, 76% of the world's internet users say they are more inclined to buy products and services marketed or sold in their own language."

"But a combination of emerging language technologies and professional expertise is making it increasingly easy to break those down. And the opportunity to export is clearly too attractive to miss out on."

"Exporting: If we keep doing what we're doing..." is a day-long event organised by the IOE designed to encourage businesses to forge ahead with their exporting.

In addition to Bernadette Byrne, the Institute's chair, Ian Taylor and its Director General Lesley Batchelor OBE, will be joined by IOE Vice President Lord Empey, OBE, John Burbridge-King of Interchange Solutions Ltd, lawyer Keith Arrowsmith, Nicholas Niggli from the Embassy of Switzerland in the UK and Peter Andrews from the Bank of England.

Ends

Editor's notes

thebigword (www.thebigword.com) is a global, technology-enabled language solution provider that delivers translation (written word) and interpreting (spoken word) services. Headquartered in Leeds, thebigword employs 500 people based in 13 offices in 12 countries, working with more than 12,000 linguists in 73 countries.

At the centre of thebigword approach is delivering customer focussed solutions, of the highest possible quality and making the global communication process smooth for its wide range of public and private sector clients.

For a high resolution image of Bernadette Byrne please seehere.