THE inventor of the well-loved ride-on-suitcase for children, Trunki, rounded off a successful Export Week at Newcastle Airport yesterday.

Northumbria University graduate, Rob Law MBE, was guest speaker at the Exporting for Growth reception, which was attended by 90 representatives from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the North East.

UK Trade & Investment teamed up with partners and business organisations to host events across the country for Export Week.

Export Week events met the needs of every type of exporter, new or existing, and ranged from seminars and workshops to roadshows and one-to-one sessions, webinars and conferences.

The week began with a special Be part of Export for Growth event, supported by Tees Valley Unlimited, at Durham Tees Valley Airport.

Ken Cuthbert, marketing manager at UKTI, said: “We’ve had hundreds of companies attend this week’s events, which just goes to show the enthusiasm the region has for taking advantage of export opportunities. The past year has been full of challenges but the North East has still enjoyed another excellent export performance.”