Business leaders map out Staffordshire’s Economic Futures at forum event

Business leaders will map out how Staffordshire can maximise opportunities across its key sectors at a forum event next month.

Invest Staffordshire – Staffordshire County Council’s inward investment service – is hosting the event jointly with InsiderMedia on Thursday 4 September and is inviting people to register now. It takes place at the Denise Coates Foundation Building at Keele University.

Martin Murray, Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills, will open the event before the panel discussion by business and education leaders.

Staffordshire is one of the UK’s fastest growing economies thanks to big regeneration projects, excellent connectivity, global brands and thriving small and medium-sized businesses. The forum will explore how the area promotes itself globally and how it can drive growth through its world-class businesses, such as Bet365, JCB, and Michelin.

The event will also look at how the area makes the most of its status as a tourism hotspot, with attractions such as Alton Towers Resort, as well as investment hotspots such as Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone and The Central Edge Growth Zone in South Staffordshire.

It will focus on three key areas:

• Advanced manufacturing: How to attract major investment and create a global supply chain, working effectively with central, regional and local government and skills development
• Property development: Maximising potential of major schemes such as the West Midlands Interchange, i54 South Staffordshire and the Central Edge, the role of public-private partnerships in creating and delivering sites
• Growing tourism: Building on the county’s visitor economy worth of £2.7 bn a year and making the most of key attractions such as Alton Towers Resort, Drayton Manor Resort, Waterworld, Trentham Estate and the National Memorial Arboretum
  People can register to attend now at the event webpage.

Martin Murray said:

“We have huge potential in Staffordshire to rapidly increase major business investment across our key sectors – building on our strong foundations and reputation.

This is the beating heart on the country with excellent connectivity, global brand leaders to be proud of and with thriving SMEs which create and sustain thousands of jobs.

We have some of the UK’s top visitor attractions and continue to attract significant development as the West Midlands Interchange testifies. And we look forward to major improvements on road and rail, including the M6/M54 link and A50. However, we will not rest on our laurels and this event will allow us to look at how we can work collaboratively to maximise future opportunities for Staffordshire.”

A full list of panellists is on the event website with more to be announced in coming weeks.