Downtown Manchester in Business recently hosted a special round table event at The Lowry Hotel. The In Conversation event discussed the regeneration of the city with a focus on Building Back Better and the councils Manchester Strategy 2021 – 2026. This includes making more pedestrianised zones and reinvigorating the confidence of workers to return to their offices and for the longer term the “The Year of The Child” initiative.
The event was guest hosted by Lisa Morton, Founder and CEO of Roland Dransfield PR who have recently run a very successful campaign in the form of the UnitedCity campaign. Off the back of this an equally successful podcast called ‘We Built This City‘ has since been launched celebrating everything Mancunian, with some very recognisable, local guest appearances.
During the discussion it was highlighted out that Sir Richard had recently celebrated 25 years in the role of leader. A fateful date as not only does this coincide with Lisa Morton’s founding of Roland Dransfield PR, but it is also the anniversary of the Manchester Bombing on Corporation Street, 1996. Both Sir Richard and Lisa were able to draw comparisons with the recovery of the city then to the situation it finds itself in now.
The group went on to discuss many topics including the Green Agenda, Innovation GM and the university corridor and the rebuilding of the North Manchester General Hospital. Sir Richard told us how he had the pleasure of taking Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock through the Infirmary entrance by the workhouse at the very beginning of the project. Concluding the event Sir Richard encouraged the audience with these words, “Invest in the environment, Invest in young people and the rest will follow.”
Special thanks to our hosts, The Lowry Hotel and our event sponsors Sutcliffe Engineering.
Full video soon to be available on our YouTube channel.
