Liverpool bids for US investment on back of City clash

A Liverpool City Region delegation is in the US this week on a mission with the dual aim of attracting inward investment and boosting tourism.

Led by Marketing Liverpool and Invest Liverpool, together with private sector and knowledge economy partners, the visit will use Liverpool FC’s match with Manchester City in New Jersey tomorrow, July 25, as a focal point to arrange meetings with key businesses and organisations in the US.

The investment delegation will be focused around the strengths of life sciences and digital technologies, bringing together representatives from Knowledge Quarter Liverpool and its world-leading universities and hospitals, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Arup, CBRE, Planit-IE and Great George Street Developments.

The packed itinerary includes meetings with the British Consulate, attendance at New York’s biggest tech and science networking event, and meeting high-growth innovative businesses in renowned start-up/business growth spaces in New York and Boston.

The US is also one of the major target markets for the city region’s visitor economy, largely due to the brand awareness from football and music.

Marketing Liverpool has worked with partners including Liverpool FC, The Beatles Story, Titanic Hotel, Strawberry Fields and Cavern City Tours to showcase the best of the city region’s offer in one-on-one meetings with some of the most important decision makers in the US travel trade.

There will also be a tie-in with VisitBritain and Marketing Manchester, encouraging US operators to see direct flights to Manchester Airport as a gateway to the whole North of England.

Ellen Cutler, director of Invest Liverpool, said: “The US is one of our top targets for attracting inward investment, especially in life sciences and digital technologies.

“Liverpool FC’s match in New Jersey gives us a unique opportunity to harness the excitement and brand awareness that football brings, and use it to showcase the city region’s strengths and assets in two very different areas; knowledge economy and tourism.

“The expertise of our delegation has opened new doors with investors which is our ambition.

“But I never have a conversation with an American investor without ‘soccer’ and the Beatles coming up, too. This is a perfectly matched opportunity for the whole region.”

Close