Business guru Professor Robert Kaplan is heading for Birmingham for the first time.

Prof Kaplan (pictured), a top economic thinker and co-creator of the Balanced Scorecard, will speak to Midlands business leaders on May 10 at the Burlington Hotel.

But his visit is not coming cheap - tickets to the event cost #895.

The Balanced Scorecard is a strategic management tool which, it is claimed, has been adopted by 44 per cent of the UK?s FTSE 100 companies.

Organisations using it include Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, Tesco, the Ministry of Defence, NHS and the Highways Agency.

The Balanced Scorecard was developed on the principle that financial performance alone is not sufficient to measure a business?s total value. Instead, it is argued that a company should assess how it performs relative to customers? expectations, examine areas for improvement in its internal processes and measure learning and growth alongside financial measures.

Business leaders attending the one-day event will be guided by Prof Kaplan through his methodology.

?By bringing Kaplan to Birmingham, we are providing an opportunity for business leaders throughout the region to learn from one of the world?s foremost business academics closer to home,? said Tina Schneidemann, president of Leading Minds, organisers of the event.

?The fact that we are holding the event in Birmingham is recognition of the Midlands? significant contribution to both business innovation and the UK economy.

"When Kaplan last appeared in the UK, Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco and one of Britain?s most respected business thinkers, explained to 1,500 delegates that the Balanced Scorecard was a key factor in Tesco?s ongoing success.

"This is the Midlands? chance to learn from a leading authority on business strategy while networking.?

Prof Kaplan is the Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development at Harvard Business School.

Tickets are available at http://www.leading-minds.com/rkbirmingham or kaplan-uk@leading-minds.com