Lib Dems to bring £12m into Birmingham
Birmingham's economy is set to get a £12m boost from the Liberal Democrats' autumn conference.
Wouter Schuitemaker, investment director of Business Birmingham, told Insider the conference presented "a significant opportunity" to attract potential investors to the city.
The Liberal Democrats will hold their four-day event at The ICC, which Marketing Birmingham anticipates will attract about 8,000 delegates and more than 1,600 of the UK’s media.
Over the four-day event, up to £12m is expected to be brought into the local economy. This is the second time the city has hosted the Liberal Democrat Party Conference following its spring event last year. It is the seventh party conference the city has hosted in the last four years.
Paul Tilsley, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, said: "With party conferences come influential figures and the UK’s media, particularly when it involves the government of the day, providing a unique opportunity to show the city at its best.
"The impact of a conference such as this on Birmingham’s profile is significant. The last Conservative Party conference in autumn 2010 contributed £20m in economic impact while media coverage was valued at an estimated £29m."
In addition to the main conference programme, Birmingham will host over 500 fringe events including a series of ‘Team Birmingham’ projects, targeting visiting media, politicians and businesses.
Schuitemaker told Insider: "Ensuring our visitors have a positive experience that they can relay to their contacts, far and wide, is key and could give a real boost to Birmingham’s reputation – both nationally and internationally.
"From the green economy to economic growth, Birmingham will be positioned as an energetic and forward thinking city that the business community, including potential investors, needs to take notice of."
