Liverpool unveils ‘Embassy’ plans
LIVERPOOL City Council has announced the details of its plan to open an “embassy” in London using the Pavilion developed for the city’s year-long presence at the Shanghai Expo, which ended last month.
The council revealed that The Liverpool Embassy will open on January 21 2011 at New Broad Street House, which is close to both Liverpool Street train station and the City of London’s financial district.
The city council said that the aim for the embassy would be to build in the Shanghai Expo and showcase Liverpool as a “competitive international business location”, as well as showing off potential investment and development opportunities to investors.
Council leader Cllr Joe Anderson unveiled the city’s plans this morning to an audience of the city’s business representatives at the Town Hall.
The embassy will open for an initial period of three months, but the city is looking at potential sponsorship opportunities with local companies in a bid to extend its lifespan.
“I’m absolutely determined that, in these difficult economic times, Liverpool continues to grow, thrive and prosper,” said Cllr Anderson. “We know, from our year as European Capital of Culture and from our recent success at Shanghai World Expo, that people from outside the city want to do business with us.
“It’s more vital than ever that we do not take our foot off the accelerator and that we continue to find innovative ways of working with the private sector to secure investment and drive this city forward.”
“The Liverpool Embassy is a big part of this plan. It will promote our unique assets, give us a strong presence in the nation’s capital and encourage investors to come here. And it will position us as a business-friendly, ‘can-do’ city, ready and willing to work closely with businesses.”
The embassy will include 3D TV and touchscreen technologies to show off key sites. It will also contain meeting rooms, exhibition and seminar space and videoconferencing facilities. The council is working with Liverpool Vision and Downtown Liverpool in Business to gain the support and involvement of the city’s business community.
DWF partner Guy Wallis, who initially had the idea to turn Liverpool’s Shanghai Pavilion into a London-based ‘Embassy’, said: ““A major way that Liverpool can demonstrate that it is a place where business can thrive is for business leaders in Liverpool to get down to London to attend events.
“By explaining what they do and how successful their businesses are, they can help the process of changing the perceptions of Liverpool to encourage people, who might not otherwise have thought of doing so, to take a serious interest in Liverpool as a place to do business.
Frank McKenna, chairman of Downtown Liverpool in Business, said: “The embassy is further proof of the city council’s willingness to listen to and work with the private sector. The idea was born from speaking to business leaders and it’s great to see the council move so quickly to turn an idea into reality.”
