They say time flies when you’re having fun. So, we must have been having a ball at Downtown in Business since the turn of the year.
We can’t believe Easter has been and gone – and with it 25 DIB events!
It is impossible to go through all of those gatherings, but highlights have included a lunch with West Midlands mayor Richard Parker, dinner with the Managing Director of Birmingham City Council Joanne Roney, a roundtable event in Lancashire with Ribble Valley MP Maya Ellis, and a fascinating conversation with Paul Vernon, executive Director of SITC, focusing on the strength of the Tech and Science sector in Chester.
The Liver Buildings and the HQ of Everton Football Club played host to a special DIB breakfast session, exploring the opportunities Everton’s new stadium offers the city, and in particular North Liverpool, in terms of investment and regeneration.
We also hosted our first awards of the year, the annual Women in Business Awards and Downtown was proud to support the launch of charity Mindflow at the National Football Museum in Manchester.
The mayor of Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram, Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson, and the chief executives of Coventry, Manchester, and Newcastle were among the speakers at DIB s events programme at the international property festival MIPIM in Cannes.
And this week, we were in London for the Manchester Parliamentary Reception in Westminster, where 100 plus Manchester business leaders were joined by Manchester leader Cllr Bev Craig, the leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell MP, and the chair of the Business & Trade select committee Liam Byrne MP.
Before we bring the curtain down on April, there is more… a dinner with Homes England chief executive Eamonn Boylan, and our final event in our series of discussions around the UKs future relationship with the EU, led by think tank Best for Britain.
It has been a whirlwind start to 2025 – with much more to come including DIBs UKREiiF dinner, the Liverpool City Region Parliamentary Reception, the Northern Power Towns conference, and gala awards in Chester, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham.
