News Story

Respected business commentator and academic, Professor David Bailey presented a well-received overview of the current business climate to Birmingham Forward members at the organisations quarterly Economic Lunch event on Tuesday at the Jury’s Inn in Birmingham.

At the lunch Professor Bailey, Director of Coventry Business School, explained how the Midlands economy had reacted to the challenges to the region’s manufacturing base and how some of the issues faced in the local economy could be addressed.

Do you spend a lot of time travelling around the city centre? If so, do you find that you’re spending lots of money on parking or new shoes? Well, City Hop might just be for you! 

It has been a busy few weeks with various requests from a range of stakeholders to hear the views of Birmingham Future. 

It’s a great pleasure and privilege to bring to you my first comments as Chair having taken over at our End of Year Dinner in August. As well as an opportunity to hear from my predecessor Darren Walker and from our Inspiring Leader for 2011, Paul Thandi, in my first appearance as Chair, I was able in my speech to outline my vision and aspirations for my year ahead.  For those of you who could not make it along, I would like to summarise the key messages and thoughts I shared with those at the Dinner and also to revisit a few highlights from the past month.

This year Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) decided to include a one-off award for the first time in the event’s history, the Birmingham Future Business Award. Last week we spoke to Tim Pile, CEO of Cogent Eliot about why he decided to sponsor and fund this one-off award and today we’re speaking to the winner, Managing Director of Click Travel, Simon McLean.

This May saw Hilary Allen crowned the eleventh Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) at a glittering awards ceremony at the ICC. The highly prestigious awards recognise and reward the most talented young professionals within Birmingham’s business community across six different categories including communications, entrepreneurial and financial services.

The Cabinet Office has selected Arts & Business to connect the Arts with skilled people as part of the European Year of Volunteering. So on 19^th September 2011, etc.venues on Corporation Street are hosting a unique speed dating event to bring the Business Community and the Arts Community closer together as part of this initiative.

Gareth Morgan, a Valuation Surveyor with Jones Lang LaSalle in Birmingham, has taken over as Chair of Birmingham Future at an event staged at The Crowne Plaza Hotel last week.

Gareth will lead the representative body of the city’s young professionals for the next twelve months and succeeds Darren Walker, a solicitor at Cobbetts.