Sad - really sad. The last Breakfast Connection as we know it.

Perhaps appropriate though that Sylvia King, chief executive of Europe's largest community arts development, The Public, at West Bromwich, should be the final speaker in its current guise.

I have to say that she made a brave attempt to sell the venue.

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To enthusiasts The Public - due to open next year - is a fantastic regeneration experiment in promoting theatre, music, dance and all kinds of creativity.

By the people; for the people.

To the critics it is an ugly, pink, monstrosity - a monumental waste of £53.9 million. Already it has been dubbed The Shoebox.

Unloved and unwanted. A bit like Breakfast Connection itself since the new regime of chief executive Andrew Morris took over.

He quickly made it clear that this was an outdated event which was surplus to requirements in the brave new world of the NEC Group.

Why? First, it got in the way of making money.

It meant one of the major hall's at the International Convention Centre was effectively out of action for a day - or so it is claimed.

Breakfast Connection at best only washed its face financially and, it is insinuated, was latterly in the red.

For good commercial reasons it had to go.

I can have some sympathy with this point of view because I believe it is right that the NEC Group is run as commercially as possible, its losses eliminated and the burden on the council tax-payer removed.

All for it. No problem, but I remain sceptical that had there been any goodwill towards it, which there wasn't, that some sort of acceptable compromise could not have been worked out.

The second reason put up for its demise was that the format had become tired, past its sell-by date and the punters were losing interest.

Rubbish. The format had stood the test of time and plenty of mileage was left in it.

It was by far the most successful gathering of its type in Birmingham and was widely considered an excellent networking opportunity.

A decent speaker, a good breakfast, a nice location, and a friendly ambience. The concept was simple, it worked and people liked it.

The reasons it had lost a little gloss was because the standard of speaker had been allowed to slip, there was no longer any promotion or marketing, and it wasn't getting very much tender loving care.

Cynics would say that, effectively, the NEC Group itself de-stabilised Breakfast Connection so it had the ammunition to claim it was no longer relevant. Not that anyone would admit that.

Problems? Nothing to do with me, Guv.

The oldest trick in the book. Breakfast Connection offered the NEC Group a different, and difficult to replace, rapport with the business community.

It was easy brownie points, because it attracted movers and shakers, particularly from the city centre set, people capable of influencing events, up and comers, the leaders of tomorrow.

The sort of individuals and companies which one day the NEC Group might just need a favour from.

A different grouping of business executive from the typical exhibition goer.

It is going to lose all that - just a pinprick to the NEC Group and, no doubt, they will view themselves as being well rid of this tinpot little gathering.

Somebody else's idea; yesterday's news; but it made for an easy success with the business community, had a loyal following, and offered an under-stated platform and profile.

One day the NEC Group will rue its departure, but it doesn't represent Breakfast Connection's demise.

It is thankfully to continue under the auspices of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and lobby group Birmingham Forward, moving to the Burlington Hotel.

Let's hope it proves as successful as it once was.

So, what will I miss about it now the NEC connection is being broken?

I already miss the sometimes bumbling introducutions by the retired Barry Cleverdon as he stumbled over his lines.

I miss his ghastly, lame jokes. Good old Barry.

I will be interested to compare the standard of breakfast.

The Burlington will be excellent, I am sure, but will it live up to those big fat bangers and slabs of black pudding which characterised catering at the ICC.

They did offer up a decent feed. I can't quarrel with that.

Will there be kippers on the menu? I think we should be told.

They once were at the ICC until the NEC Group latterly kippered them. On such seemingly trivial issues are matter of great import decided!

I shall even miss staggering bleary-eyed into the prebreakfast throng at an hour when I am still struggling to engage my brain. Desperate for a wake-up coffee.

Come the launch at the Burlington I have a horrible feeling I just may be getting out of a taxi at the ICC.

"Doh!" as Homer Simpson - uncomforably similar in stature and attitude to myself - might say.

But I salute Birmingham Chamber and Birmingham Forward for reviving the occasion.

It takes some hefty organisation and to dump it entirely was probably the easier decision.

Professionally it rarely fails to throw up a story for the next day's Birmingham Post.

I enjoy the bonhomie of the occasion and I like its innocence.

It is a good advert for the city and its citizens. So yah boo to the NEC Group. Long live Breakfast Connection.