Marketing Birmingham replaced by regional body
Marketing Birmingham is to metamorphose into the West Midlands Growth Company as part of the Combined Authority’s strategy to raise the profile of the region in national and global markets.
Next Thursday, voters will elect the first mayor for the West Midlands, who becomes the chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
The creation of the West Midlands Growth Company was formally agreed at a Marketing Birmingham general meeting. This change to Marketing Birmingham will ensure the geographies of the two entities are the same, with both covering Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Martin Reeves, interim chief executive of the WMCA, said: “Creating the West Midlands Growth Company is a huge step towards delivering our aspirations for the region and how we will make the most of devolution, demonstrating that a stronger West Midlands is not just good for local people and businesses, but the whole of the UK.”
Paul Kehoe, chief executive of Birmingham Airport and chairman of the West Midlands Growth Company, believes the Growth Company “will build on Marketing Birmingham’s expertise” to the benefit of the whole West Midlands.
He said: “By working across a unified region, the Growth Company will be able to tell a much stronger story internationally and use this collaboration to its advantage in securing more investment and visits into the West Midlands.”
It will be charged with delivering a pipeline of major inward investment propositions, developing a more focused and seamless business support programme and marketing the West Midlands’ visitor economy assets for business and leisure tourists.
The Growth Company will work in partnership with LEPs, local authorities, growth hubs, universities and the private sector, and a new board will be established for the broader organisation. It will continue to promote the Marketing Birmingham Partnership Programme, Business Birmingham, Visit Birmingham and Meet Birmingham.
