Chamber announces economic business conference

The conference at the University of Wolverhampton Business School on November 3 will be the flagship event for the chamber’s latest campaign, This is the Black Country.

It will provide a platform for speakers from across the region and beyond to discuss the local economy and the actions required to tackle the barriers limiting growth, productivity and competitiveness.

Featuring contributions from the campaign’s business partners, national audit, tax and advisory firm Crowe UK, recruitment experts Pertemps, Brierley Hill legal firm Higgs LLP, IT experts EBC Group and the university business school, the event will provide a platform to promote the region as a dynamic and innovative place to do business and bring together experts to discuss the work of the campaign.

Neil Anderson, the chamber’s director of external affairs, said: “This is the Black Country celebrates and champions our great region and, there’s no better day to announce its flagship event than Black Country Day.

“We are a region of makers, innovators, and dreamers and the conference has a fantastic line-up of leaders who will help shine a spotlight on the great work taking place across the region and debate the issues affecting businesses today such as the skills gap, recruiting and retaining talent, driving innovation, accessing green power and ensuring that the region remains connected to modern infrastructure to get its goods and services to the world."

Speakers on the day will include West Midlands Mayor Andy Street along with campaign business partners Johnathan Dudley, Midlands managing partner and head of manufacturing business at Crowe UK; Richard Lane, managing director and founder of EBC Group: Nick Taylor, managing partner of Higgs; Carmen Watson, chairman of Pertemps and Professor Paul Sissons, head of management research centre at the business school.

They will be joined by Nick Barton, chief executive of Birmingham Airport; Dr Julie Nugent, director of productivity and skills at West Midlands Combined Authority and Paul Faulkner, chief of staff and operations at Richardson.

Further speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

The free event starts at 9.30am and businesses are encouraged to sign up and book places to join the discussions.

To book a place visit blackcountrychamber.co.uk/events/03112022/black-country-economic-business-conference-2022