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Connecting UK Creativity to Global Opportunity
Creative excellence is one of the UK's greatest strengths. The Creative Trade Forum exists to help the world see it – and help UK businesses benefit from it.
Connecting UK Creativity to Global Opportunity
Creative excellence is one of the UK's greatest strengths. The Creative Trade Forum exists to help turn that strength into international growth, supporting exports, attracting investment and creating new opportunities for UK businesses around the world.
The UK is one of the world's leading creative nations. According to official UK Government data, UK creative industries annually contribute more than £145bn to the UK, comprising 5.5% of the UK economy's total size, while UK creative exports have reached almost £70bn. The sector sits at the intersection of culture, technology and commerce, helping drive innovation, exports and economic growth across the UK.
From film and television to music, performing and visual arts, design, architecture, fashion, publishing, video games and advertising, the UK's creative industries shape global culture, attract investment, strengthen our soft power and create jobs and growth across every region and nation of the country.
The Creative Trade Forum has been established to turn creative excellence into commercial growth and support the sector's global ambitions as part of the UK’s Industrial Strategy.
ABOUT THE FORUM
Bringing together industry leaders, Government and strategic partners, the Forum acts as an active commercial platform for UK creative trade and investment, helping to grow exports, attract investment and enhance the UK's position as a global creative superpower. It replaces the former Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board (CITIB) and builds on its legacy. With a renewed focus on delivery, collaboration and international opportunity, the Creative Trade Forum delivers on a key commitment from the Creative Industries Sector Plan.
The Forum is designed as a delivery-focused partnership that helps unlock commercial opportunities in priority international markets.
Together, members will:
• Identify new opportunities for UK creative businesses overseas
• Drive trade and investment growth
• Strengthen the UK's reputation as a global creative leader
• Provide industry insight to Government
• Shape practical action that delivers commercial outcomes
• Showcase UK creative excellence on the world stage
• The UK's creative industries are a global success story
• The Creative Trade Forum has been created to ensure the sector's international performance matches its creative excellence
• By bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, investors and strategic partners, the Forum will help unlock new markets, build strong international relationships and create the conditions for long-term growth
• It is a delivery-focused network designed to turn international opportunity into commercial success for UK creative businesses
Meet the Co-Chairs
Francesca Hegyi OBE
Chief Executive, Edinburgh International Festival
Francesca Hegyi is Chief Executive of the Edinburgh International Festival and a recognised leader in the UK’s creative industries, with more than 25 years’ experience across culture, major events and international collaboration.
Her career has spanned leadership roles in the museum and heritage sectors, the cultural programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Hull UK City of Culture 2017, where she led a landmark programme that delivered significant social and economic impact. She was awarded an OBE in 2018.
Since joining the Edinburgh International Festival in 2019, Francesca has strengthened global partnerships and championed UK cultural excellence internationally. She also serves on the Creative Industries Council, the UK Government’s Soft Power Council, and a number of Scottish advisory groups.
Michael Frohlich
Chief Marketing & Corporate Affairs Officer, WPP
Michael Frohlich is Chief Marketing & Corporate Affairs Officer at WPP, the creative transformation company. As a trusted growth partner to many of the world's leading brands, WPP brings together creativity, technology and AI to help businesses grow, build enduring customer relationships and create lasting value.
As Co-Chair of the Creative Trade Forum, Michael Frohlich is helping champion the next chapter of growth for the UK's creative industries. He believes creativity is one of Britain's greatest competitive advantages and that closer collaboration between business and government can help creative companies expand internationally, win new customers and drive economic growth.
With more than 30 years' experience spanning advertising, communications, business transformation and corporate affairs, Michael has built a career helping organisations navigate change, unlock growth and compete on the global stage. He is a recognised advocate for the power of creativity as a driver of innovation, commercial success and economic prosperity.
In addition to his role at WPP, Michael serves as Co-Chair of the Creative Trade Forum, where he is helping strengthen the UK's position as a global creative powerhouse. He is passionate about ensuring the UK's world-class creative talent, businesses and ideas translate into international growth, new export opportunities and long-term competitive advantage.
Before joining WPP's executive leadership team, Michael served as Global Chief Client Transformation Officer and EMEA CEO at The Weber Shandwick Collective. He previously led Ogilvy UK as Group CEO, where he integrated advertising, PR, digital, CRM and design into a single business model, earning recognition as Campaign's Integrated Agency Head of the Year.
Alongside his leadership roles, Michael is a member of the UK's Creative Industries Council and sits on Meta's Global Policy Council.
Meet the Members
Paul Alger, UK Fashion & Textile Association
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire
Tom Christopherson, British Art Market Federation
Deborah Dawton, Design Business Association
Elizabeth Diaferia, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Hannah Essex/Claire Walker, Society of London Theatre (SOLT)
Giorgio Fazio, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC)
Tom Fiddian, Innovate UK
Cliff Fluet, Lewis Silkin/Music Tech UK
Tom Fussell, BBC Studios
David Leigh-Pemberton, British Fashion Council
Ross Lewis, PACT
Alison Lomax, YouTube, UK and Ireland
Nema Hart/Nick McDowell, Arts Council England
Scott McDonald, British Council
Natalie Melton, Crafts Council
Agnieszka Moody, British Film Institute (BFI)
Iain Munro, Creative Scotland
Kate O'Connor, Animation UK
Nick Poole OBE, UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE)
Chloe Straw, Goalhangar
Kate Taylor Tett, GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign
Dr Jo Twist OBE, British Phonographic Industry (BPI)
Valerie Vaughan-Dick, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Stephen Woodford, Advertising Association
Adrian Wootton OBE, Film London
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) representative
Business.gov.uk is the UK government's online home for business support. It brings together information and support from government and partner organisations to help UK-based and international businesses:
The British Business Bank is the UK's largest investor in venture and venture growth opportunities which focuses on making the finance available to smaller businesses more diverse, more plentiful, and easier to access.
UK Export Finance is a UK government ministerial department and the nation’s export credit agency. It helps UK companies access and benefit from export finance, comprising loans, insurance policies or bank guarantees that enable international trade to take place as easily and securely as possible.
Innovate UK is the UK's innovation agency. It backs the most promising deep tech businesses in the UK’s priority sectors, providing the funding, expert support and connections that help them start, scale and stay in the UK.
The Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) is funded by the recorded music industry and HM Government to help UK artists reach international audiences. It supports small to medium-sized music companies as they build on the commercial potential and profile of their artists in overseas markets.
The International Showcase Fund (ISF) offers grants of up to £5,500 for international export opportunities for UK-based artists, bands, songwriters and producers who have been invited to perform or create new music at international industry-facing showcasing festivals, songwriting camps, or conferences.
The UK Global Screen Fund (UKGSF) is designed to boost international development, production, distribution, and promotional opportunities for the UK’s independent screen sector. Targeting support across the screen sector, including film, TV, documentary, animation and interactive narrative games content, the UKGSF is financed by the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and administered by the BFI.
Trade barriers are tariff, non-tariff or overseas direct investment restrictions that block or delay investments, exports or potential to do business. Visit the site below if you think you are facing a new trade barrier, are experiencing problems with an existing barrier, or want to check if a trade barrier has already been reported.
The Ukie Video Games Growth Programme, in partnership with Tencent and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST), champions innovation and supports the next generation of video game start-ups and scale-ups across the UK.
