Insider Media Limited

Nottingham business leaders said international developers and investors were impressed with what the city had to offer at a promotional event in London.

More than 200 guests gathered for the St Pancras Hotel event, organised by the Invest in Nottingham Club, a private-public partnership set up to help promote and grow East Midlands' commercial capital.

Paul Southby, chairman of the Invest in Nottingham Club, said the event was a way for Nottingham to "behave like a business" and proactively market itself to help promote and grow the city.

He said: "With events like this, we will be able to promote and grow the city – creating jobs for local people, strengthening the local economy, helping local firms expand and encouraging new companies to locate here."

Koolesh Shah, the owner of two boutique Mercure hotels in London and Hotel Indigo, was at the event. He said he chose Nottingham for his first hotel outside the capital after looking at a number of locations. The George Hotel in George Street, Hockley, will open in September following a £3.5m renovation.

He said: "I was looking at other cities in the East Midlands but chose Nottingham because it is the perfect place to be in terms of business and leisure. I did look elsewhere but Nottingham worked particularly well."

Nottingham-based attendees were from companies such as Alliance Boots, Specsavers, Experian, Speedo, Paul Smith, along with companies from the creative sector and strong representation from Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County councils.