City leaders join forces for MIPIM UK
LIVERPOOL City Region’s business and property leaders are showcasing the city region as an international investment destination at MIPIMUK, the UK’s largest annual property conference and exhibition which started in London today (Wednesday October 19) until Friday (October 21).
MIPIM, the world’s biggest property event, has been held in Cannes in France for the past two decades and MIPIMUK is the national version of the event and is in its third year.
The event at the London Olympia attracts thousands of investors, property professionals and city leaders, and is the foremost property and investment expo of its kind.
The group from Liverpool City Region will be joining forces with Manchester to sell the region on a joint exhibition stand. The combined Liverpool and Manchester delegation will highlight key development and investment opportunities across the North West.
Led by private sector partners including property group Peel, construction and infrastructure giant Morgan Sindall, engineering consultancy Arup and developer Bruntwood, the delegation is backed by leaders including Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, Liverpool City Council chief executive Ged Fitzgerald, leader of Wirral Council Phil Davies, leader of Knowsley Council Andy Moorhead and chief executive of Knowsley Mike Harden.
Sean Beech, head of Deloitte’s office in Liverpool and chair of the city’s MIPIM steering group, said: “Liverpool’s global brand is outstanding and we’re really looking forward to having the opportunity to showcase the city region’s amazing assets and build on the city region’s reputation as a fantastic investment opportunity.
“There’s been significant investment in Liverpool over the last 10 years – indeed, if you haven’t visited Liverpool in the last five years, you are missing out – it’s almost unrecognisable.
“The scale and pace of change in the city region is breath-taking and we’re not stopping there; schemes like Atlantic Gateway, which will see £50bn invested in 50 North West projects over the next 50 years, are future-proofing the region and creating a platform which will stimulate even greater growth and investment.
“We’re delighted to be joining forces with Manchester to promote our great cities. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with both domestic and international investors and we’re looking forward to using MIPIMUK as a platform to make new connections, deepen existing relationships, and showcase the best of our amazing region and all it has to offer.”
Ian Pollitt, assistant project director for Liverpool Waters at Peel, said: “A key to this region’s future success will be through continued collaboration to help convince government, business and others that the North West can be an ever increasingly prosperous region and a key part of the vision for the whole of the North.
“Our two great cities have complementary strengths and it’s important for Peel with major projects in both cities that Liverpool and Manchester work together to promote the range of economic and cultural assets that exist here and our business excellence and ambition. MIPIMUK offers this opportunity.”
Ellen Cutler, head of Invest Liverpool, said: “MIPIMUK is a fantastic platform to promote the Liverpool City Region and all it has to offer. Liverpool has really come into its own in the last ten years, with developments like Liverpool ONE, the Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) and Enterprise Centre Liverpool (ECL) at the King’s Dock and Liverpool Waters, breathing new life and confidence into the city.”
While developments like Sensor City, Liverpool’s first University Enterprise Zone, and Sci-Tech Daresbury, which is one of only two national Science and Innovation Campuses in the UK, are pushing forward the region’s capabilities in next-generation technology and industry.
Programme highlights at MIPIMUK will see Fitzgerald and Colin Sinclair, chief executive, Liverpool Knowledge Quarter, discuss key investment opportunities during an event titled, Liverpool: A City of Opportunity, while Sir Howard Bernstein will deliver a keynote speech on October 20 on UK Cities and Devolution, as part of an afternoon exploring the importance of the North as a key element of the UK’s economic development.
This will be followed by a Northern Powerhouse drinks reception in central London showcasing the five cities within this group.
Liverpool has enjoyed a transformational multi-billion pound economic regeneration in the last 20 years, with more than £2bn of investment in commercial property between 2006 and September 2015.
The city is increasingly attractive to investors, with access to six million customers, an economy worth more than £121bn driven by more than 252,000 businesses.
