British Chambers of Commerce

No one imagined 10 years ago just how the relationship between Ten Alps Publishing and the British Chambers of Commerce would develop. The financial benefit to British Chambers has risen from a few hundred pounds to a six figure annual royalty. British Chambers of Commerce and Ten Alps Publishing are now continuing to talk about a wide range of other projects including e-zines and events, not just aimed at the internationally alerted reader but to all members of the chamber of commerce movement.

No one imagined 10 years ago just how the relationship between Ten Alps Publishing and the British Chambers of Commerce would develop.

Initially BCC gave Ten Alps Publishing a contract to produce 10 "Fact File Folders" free of charge for a few hundred pounds royalty for each folder.

The folders contain eight panels and a flap to retain information on different non-European countries where UK Exporters might prosper. The destinations were chosen because there were to be Trade Missions to the destinations the following year. Early text comprised of a map and some basic background information.

The first folders were successful and were well received by Chambers of Commerce around the UK, particularly those with active International trade teams

A plan was developed to produce an additional five folders the following year bringing the total to 15 per annum. BCC and Ten Alps Publishing also noted that although there were no trade missions to Europe, there was still a considerable demand for information. We agreed to produce a Western European Market Guide to fulfil this demand. It then became logical to produce Market Guides for all the areas of the planet, so as to provide some basic information on every country in each region or continent.

• Western Europe
• Central and Eastern Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Near and Middle East
• Oceania
• South and Central America
• North American Markets

In addition, the individual market fact file folders continued tracking down tomorrow’s Trade mission markets thanks to help from UKTI, the government’s trade and investment development department,

As the millennium, approached the inovation and opportunities of the dot-com revolution persuaded Ten Alps Publishing and the BCC that every country in the world should be represented with information.

Link2exports was born at www.link2exports.com featuring profiles of over 200 countries and linked directly to the BCC website.

In the last few years, the titles of the Guides have changed to reflect the responses of the advertising markets around the world and the requirement from readers for new slants on the old information.

Apart from the publications and the website, the sales campaign now alerts BCC to regions of the world suddenly coming to economic life and conversely where markets are not quite so vibrant as one would expect.

From those humble beginnings, Ten Alps Publishing now produce 20 Fact Files per year, six or seven guides on emerging and established markets, as well as the website, which has recently undergone its third face lift.

The relationship has taught both parties many things about publishing, content management and relationship management. The financial benefit to British Chambers has risen from a few hundred pounds to a six figure annual royalty. British Chambers of Commerce and Ten Alps Publishing are now continuing to talk about a wide range of other projects including e-zines and events, not just aimed at the internationally alerted reader but to all members of the chamber of commerce movement.

Let’s hope that both organisations can benefit from similar exponential growth over the next ten years.