Investment chiefs hit the Big Apple

MANCHESTER investment chiefs are targeting North America in a series of events in New York this week.

Luring Wall Street institution Bank of New York Mellon a decade ago remains one of inward investment agency’s MIDAS’ greatest achievements – and it is hoping to fly the flag with US and Canadian businesses as part of a trade delegation alongside Manchester City FC’s parent company City Football Group and the Manchester International Festival.

The MIDAS team is seeking to leverage the city’s sporting and cultural assets to open a dialogue on the wider investment opportunities available in the area. The group also includes Deloitte, the University of Manchester and Jacob Construction.

The delegation teamed-up with Manchester City FC, to host a business reception at Yankee Stadium during the New York City FC match with Toronto FC on Thursday night.  More than 40 US and Canadian companies attended the event. The Yankee Stadium is home to City Football Group’s newest club New York City FC.

Tim Newns, chief executive of MIDAS, will be joined by Tom Glick, president of New York City and former chief commercial and operating officer of Manchester City FC. The event will explore how strong sporting brands provide the opportunity for cities such as Manchester to showcase their assets internationally, whether is about infrastructure, skills, science or education.

Culture as a magnet for growth and investment will be the topic at a second business reception. This will be held in partnership with MIF prior to a performance of Tree of Codes, a new contemporary ballet bringing together the work of choreographer Wayne McGregor, visual artist Olafur Eliasson and Mercury Prize-winning producer/ composer Jamie xx.

Tree of Codes premieres in the US this week at the Park Avenue Armory for a limited run, after its hugely successful debut at MIF in July.

Guest speakers at the event will include Alex Poots, the founding director of MIF, and soon to be the director of New York’s Culture Shed when it opens in 2018. The reception will highlight how events such as MIF, the world’s first festival of original, new work and special events, have enabled Manchester to take its cultural offer to the world.

Tim Newns said “In a world where a city’s assets are no longer just its own, but instead are globally accessible, the way they are leveraged is crucial to urban growth. This is true whether the assets be cultural, sporting or science institutions, or indeed our populations in terms of talent or health research.”
 
Hailing Manchester as “the capital of the Northern Powerhouse”, he said working with the likes of Manchester City and Manchester International Festival “provide us with the opportunity to engage with target businesses from the financial and professional, life sciences and creative and digital sectors to showcase Greater Manchester as an innovative business destination with that offers more than football to the world.”