Member Article

Manchester’s Sir Howard Bernstein urges NW businesses to visit IFB 2014

Sir Howard Bernstein is urging the region’s business people to involve themselves in the International Festival for Business 2014 as it reaches the half way stage.

Sir Howard, chief executive of Manchester City Council, has himself attended several events including the Global Economic Forum at Crowne Plaza Liverpool and the Invest breakfast at Manchester’s Bridegwater Hall.

He also spoke at the European Tour Operators Association’s Future of City Tourism Conference at Liverpool’s Rum Warehouse, alongside Loyd Grosman, chairman of the Heritage Alliance.

Sir Howard is one of the key speakers at the two-day UK Property Forum, 1-2 July at Liverpool’s Crowne Plaza hotel.

Liverpool is the host city for IFB 2014, but as a UK festival and the first of its kind for more than 60 years, there are events in other parts of the country and across the North West, including Manchester, until the end of July.

Sir Howard, who has supported the festival since its inception as an IFB Ambassador, said it was a festival accessible to all across the North West: “I would certainly encourage Manchester businesses to do that [come to Liverpool for the festival], but equally a lot of the events are not just taking place in Liverpool.

“There’s a lot going outside the city, for example there was an event in Derby, so as many businesses as possible should be able to experience the really exceptional participation that this conference offers.”

IFB is a global showcase for great British industry across multiple sectors, and is championing UK businesses to new markets, new products and new partners.

Comprising some 300 high value business events, the festival is a key part of the government’s ambition to promote economic growth, rebalance the economy and double UK exports by 2020.

Key themes of the festival include: manufacturing, science & technology; maritime, logistics & energy; knowledge, professional & financial services; higher & further education & research; low carbon & renewables; cities, enterprise & urban business; knowledge, creative & digital.

Sir Howard added: “It has been a very positive experience not only for the North West, but for everybody who has been attracted to Liverpool. It is providing the platform to celebrate national business achievements and that’s what this is really about.

“I have been really impressed with the range and quality of private sector participation and the quality of the events that I have been involved so in those terms this has so far been a resounding success.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .