Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby said he is “hopeful” the city has done enough to clinch the UK City of Culture title.
Coun Whitby headed up a delegation who travelled to Liverpool amid great fanfare this week to make the city’s pitch to the competition’s judging panel.
Coun Whitby said winning the title could bring £800m to the West Midlands’ economy and attract an extra four million visitors to the city for a year-long programme of cultural events in 2013.
Plans include scrapping the current Arts Festival and replacing it with a new autumn festival to rival the Edinburgh Fringe, as well as hosting events including the BAFTAs, Brits and the Turner Prize awards.
Coun Whitby said: “There is no doubt that the panel were very impressed with our bid.
“We showed that Birmingham is a city that celebrates its cultural diversity. This is the first year of the competition and we want to put on a show that will make that the people of Birmingham will be proud of.”
Coun Whitby did not reveal how much the city council had spent on compiling the bid but said it was “considerably less” money spent on Birmingham’s failed campaign to be named European Capital of Culture in 2008.
“We learned from our failings of the European bid and have spent far less, but we have engaged more people with this bid,” said Coun Whitby.
“The majority of the funding has come from cultural partnerships and the private sectors. It is a negligible amount when you consider the rewards that would come with winning the accolade.”
Rival cities Norwich, Sheffield and Derry/Londonderry also made the journey to Liverpool to submit their bids, which chosen to host the final deliberations in recognition of its role as European City of Culture in 2008.
The judging panel, chaired by Hollyoaks and Brookside creator Phil Redmond, heard pitches from the final four behind closed doors at Liverpool’s Convention Centre.
The panel’s decision will now be passed on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for final approval, and the winner is expected to be announced next month.
Meanwhile, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey backed Birmingham’s “entrepreneurial” poster campaign promoting its City of Culture bid on the London Underground.
Mr Vaizey said: “I see it on the Tube in London. It is a very entrepreneurial approach to raising the profile of the city across the UK.
“I know Mike Whitby quite well and I think people from Birmingham know that the leader of their council is prepared to seize any opportunity to promote their city.”
