Member Article

Liverpool Vision highlight successes

Liverpool Vision has highlighted its successes as the regeneration agency publishes its Annual Review.

The city’s economic development company has secured £25.3m from the Regional Growth Fund for the City Fringe development programme, and has hosted the successful Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2012, as some of its achievements.

Mike Parker, chairman of Liverpool Vision, said: “Liverpool Vision has had another outstanding year, both in the way we have faced our challenges and in the way we have showcased the city’s excellence and ambition.

“One major highlight of the year was the GEC in March when we put the Liverpool stamp on this prestigious event and created the world’s largest ever gathering of start up champions.

“The GEC expressed in the most compelling way the city’s ambition in becoming the UK’s leading enterprise city, while inspiring our residents to aim high and showing our international visitors that Liverpool is a great destination for business and tourism.

“We have in the last year developed an increasingly close relationship with the city’s Culture and Tourism directorates, with which we are now co-located, providing a greater capacity to plan and deliver key transformational events.

“On the back of the ‘It’s Liverpool’ marketing campaign, we are, as one team, creating a programme of world class events which will make Liverpool synonymous with cultural blockbusters and economic purpose.

“Much is still to be done to improve the quality of Liverpool’s physical and business environment to help emerging high value sectors realise their potential, to promote innovation and competitiveness and support business in creating jobs and wealth.

“Liverpool Vision will remain in the vanguard of this work with an increasing focus in North Liverpool and in the knowledge economy.

“In addition, among other projects, during the next 12 months Liverpool Vision will lead on the next phase of city centre regeneration; continue to sell the city’s offer through our offices in London, China and the USA and look to new markets, particularly in India and Germany; develop a more effective and consistent marketing strategy through a new Vision portfolio, Marketing Liverpool; support the work of Culture Liverpool in maintaining our status as the UK’s most popular city for visitors outside London and Edinburgh.

“Liverpool Vision is an organisation configured for partnership and the strength of our relationships and the commitment of our staff, leave me in no doubt that we will continue to deliver for the city.”

Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, added: “I am delighted to report that in a year of further challenging economic conditions Liverpool Vision has proved again its worth to the city it serves.

“Year-on-year Liverpool Vision delivers for Liverpool and 2011-12 has been no different - from the big projects to on-the-ground support for businesses in the city, particularly in response to the civil unrest last August.

“Despite on-going operational changes forced by austerity, Liverpool Vision will continue to showcase the city’s opportunities to global markets, maintain and enhance Liverpool’s position as a cultural capital and help improve the conditions in which the private sector can create a dynamic and innovative economy.

“Vision is also working with me in delivering my Mayoral pledges of more jobs and businesses and greater economic vigour, as well as helping to ensure maximum impact from the City Deal with Government which we secured.

“As Liverpool’s business-facing organisation, Vision is trusted and respected by the private sector.

“This trust and its reputation for delivery are crucial if it is to help Liverpool to continue to grow and prosper in the future.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .