Virtual conference brings food and drink producers together in Norfolk

It's to help in the recovery from Covid-19

Meeting

Published 14th Sep 2020

Food and drink producers will be coming together online to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on their business and share ideas for recovery.

Rise: A Recovery conference for food and drink producers takes place on Wednesday 23 September from 2-4.30pm on Zoom.

Norfolk County Council is the lead organiser of the webinar, in partnership with Tech East, New Anglia LEP, Norfolk Chambers of Commerce and Local Flavours.

The webinar builds on the success of an earlier online conference for the visitor economy called Tourism and Tech which attracted over 150 participants.

Councillor Graham Plant, Deputy Leader of Norfolk County Council and Cabinet Member for Growing the Economy, is opening the conference. Councillor Plant said:

"This online conference showcases the work of food and drink producers in Norfolk and Suffolk that have thrived over the last few months by taking an innovative, creative approach and harnessing digital technology.

"We are acutely aware that the Coronavirus pandemic has presented many of our local businesses with extraordinary challenges and supporting them to tackle the long-term impact remains one of our key priorities. The current case of Banham Poultry is a clear example of how quickly COVID can impact an organisation in this sector. We hope this conference will inspire participants to think differently about their own recovery, to embrace digital technology and be more resilient in the future."

Doug Field, Chair of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership said:

"I have been pleased to see that many smaller producers have adapted so quickly and are trying different ways of engaging with their audience, including using digital technology. The Norfolk and Suffolk Covid 19 Economic Recovery Restart plan sets out the challenge to sustain a local food renaissance through longer term business models. This conference is a fantastic opportunity to bring local businesses together to share ideas and inspiration for a brighter, more resilient future."