How to successfully work alongside the newly formed local enterprise partnerships is likely to be a key theme at the forthcoming MIPIM property show according to one of the men who will lead the Birmingham delegation.
This week the companies set to partner Business Birmingham – the inward investment arm of Marketing Birmingham – will meet to discuss a plan of attack at the property conference which takes place in Cannes next March and Ian Taylor, commercial director at Marketing Birmingham believes the new business support structures will be a significant area of interest.
He said: “We were focussed on sustainable development last year and part of the meeting coming up is to say to the partners we have some ideas but what do you think the themes should be. I think you can say with a fair degree of certainty that the local enterprise partnerships will be a key part of what we are doing – their ambitions, how to develop with the LEP beside you and so on as this is the first MIPIM since the LEPs have been up and running in a meaningful way.
“We feel there is a real momentum and having signed a recent memorandum of understanding, what we are seeing is a really useful tool to gain traction to align some of the work we have been doing.”
Partners already signed up include Carillion, Argent, Keepmoat, Nikal, Jaguar Land Rover and Willmott Dixon Construction as well as a number of other new supporters which Mr Taylor believes is testament to the “real cut-through” being achieved since the launch of Business Birmingham.
He also said that the annual event would bring together the work being done across the different strands of Marketing Birmingham - Meet, Visit and Business.
“On a practical level at MIPIM I think we have a really strong story to tell on the visitor economy and how the hotel sector has really benefitted from that and what it means in terms of investment into the city, which is something we have a good understanding of through the work we have done at Marketing Birmingham.
“Investors also want to know about transport infrastructure and we have a great story to tell. This is not just about big development, it’s about instilling confidence in the long term prosperity of city.”
Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “Birmingham is proof of how the public and private sectors can work together to successfully regenerate a city. This year we are already working closely together to create a powerful and targeted campaign at MIPIM 2012, but there are still opportunities for new partners to join us.”
Simon Dingle, operations director with Carillion, Birmingham City Council’s construction partner for the new Library of Birmingham, added:
“Birmingham’s interactive stand at MIPIM 2011 was a huge success; it raised the city’s profile significantly with investors, despite competition from other locations both across the UK and internationally.
“We are looking forward to be taking part in the event again next year, to boost Birmingham’s reputation even further.”
