Insider Media Limited

Insider has confirmed its panel of experts for its Black Country Economic Forum - an agenda-setting event that will look at how the region will fare during 2012 and beyond.

Four experts, including developers, academics, industrialists and planners, will answer questions from an audience of business leaders on Thursday January 26 at the home of Walsall FC.

The Question Time-style event comes as the Black Country shows itself as an area fighting back, despite recession. Much of the news coming out of the region is far from dark with investments such as those by Jaguar Land Rover and Moog at i54, the Tesco development unlocking regeneration in West Bromwich, and the £46.5m project to improve Dudley’s tourism facilities.

The panellists so for confirmed are:

• Jatinder Sharma, principal and chief executive, Walsall College

• Richard Smith, director, Opus Land

• Tim Johnson, executive director of regeneration, Walsall Council

• Stewart Towe, group chairman & managing director, Hadley Industries

This forum will look at how the Black Country can seize the initiative and become the economic powerhouse it once was. Local business people will quiz the experts and influencers on how the region can maintain the momentum that has developed over the past few months.

How can education, industry and politicians work best together? Can the Local Economic Partnership being fresh initiative and focus to the area? And how should state funding earmarked for the region be best used?

Insider’s forum is an opportunity for the business community to listen to and question those behind the big issues which will affect the Black Country’s future. We intend to drill down to look at the area’s future prospects, looking at both challenges and opportunities.

Our events are regularly over-subscribed, therefore please register your interest as soon as possible. If you have been successful you will receive a confirmation email one week prior to the event.

If you need any more information, please contact Lianne Sunderland on 0161 907 9741.

If you are interested in sponsoring this or any other Insider event please contact Richard Carey on 0121 204 1490.

Timings for this event are as follows:

7.30am - Breakfast and registration

8.00am – Meeting commences

9.00am – Approximate close