BUSINESSES in Birmingham have indicated their support for the city’s new inward investment platform by signing up to become commercial partners in the organisation.
Firms from the property, shared services, media and manufacturing sectors have all backed Marketing Birmingham’s new business brief, Business Birmingham.
The eight new partners include: the Birmingham Office Market Forum, which represents 15 of the city’s property agents, residential developer Willmott Dixon and commercial property agents King Sturge.
Following an extension of its remit in October, Marketing Birmingham, the city’s public/private strategic marketing body, launched Business Birmingham with the aim of increasing outside investment in the area.
The new partners are keen to align their sales and marketing activity with the city’s overall plans to target national and international audiences.
Ian Taylor, commercial director at Marketing Birmingham, said the key to raising Birmingham’s business profile on the global stage was to align public and private sector activity in this way.
“Birmingham has much to offer potential investors and by working closely with partners from across the city we are able to fully demonstrate the full range of opportunities available. Our commercial partners play a vital role in promoting the city and we have worked with them to tailor our 2011 programme to ensure it offers real, deliverable opportunities for Birmingham businesses as well as potential investors,” he said.
“The opportunities open to our partners range from a presence at major events both here in the UK and internationally, access to joint marketing and media opportunities and a valuable network of business contacts.”
The organisation was tested successfully at the recent Conservative Party Conference where it worked in collaboration with 25 partners, helping to showcase the city to a global audience.
“Looking ahead, we are already speaking to partners to plan Birmingham’s presence at key events including MIPIM, the world’s biggest property conference, which takes place in Cannes next March and next Autumn’s political conferences,” added Mr Taylor.
Andy Geldard, group Head of Communications at Willmott Dixon, said the company had been attracted to the project by the opportunity to support the city’s development.
“Willmott Dixon spends over £7m a year with local businesses and employs nearly 1,000 people in the city, underlining our aim to play a big role in the economic growth of Birmingham. We were delighted to be the first company to publicly back the city’s LEP plan and by working closely with Marketing Birmingham, we intend to play our part in the Big City plan that will unlock an exciting future for the city,” he said.
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