The Chairman of the partnership that is driving economic growth, improving productivity and quality of life in the Midlands says it can help increase the number of visitors to Coventry in 2021.
Sir John Peace, the Chairman of the Midlands Engine, was speaking at a Business Leaders Lunch at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s #CWRocks trade expo at the Ricoh Arena.
The lunch, sponsored by PET-Xi, was attended by a range of corporate and strategic partners of the Chamber from across the region and also heard from Fleur Sexton, the managing director of PET-Xi.
Fleur talked about her background and how she started the company from scratch and how it has evolved and responded to new challenges over the years.
She said that the Chamber had helped her grow the business and urged company bosses to ‘break the rules’ if they were holding them back.
That was after Sir John had said that Midlands Engine had five key priorities – radically transforming Midlands connectivity, growing trade and investment, skills, shaping great places and increasing innovation and enterprise – in order to grow the economy across the whole of the Midlands.
And he said Midlands Engine partners were perfectly placed to help boost visitor numbers in Coventry during its year as UK City of Culture in 2021.
He said: “What the Midlands Engine partners can do is drive footfall to Coventry from right across the Midlands and beyond, which would have a positive impact on the city and the rest of the region during 2021.
“The tourism and cultural assets of the Midlands already contribute over £8bn a year to our economy and act as a powerful magnet. As the UK’s transport hub, with excellent international connections, over 90 per cent of the UK population is within four hours’ travel time to the Midlands.
“The city was a deserving winner of the title and a successful year for Coventry, would be a successful year for the Midlands.”
He added: “The Government can see the importance of the Midlands. The Midlands economy boasts over 14 per cent of the UK’s high-growth businesses but, on the other hand, our productivity is below the national average.
“If we could take it up to the national average, we would add nearly £54bn in GVA so the prize is very clear.”
Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the Business Leaders Lunch had been a great addition to #CWRocks.
She said: “We were delighted to see so many businesses at #CWRocks and we are extremely grateful to Fleur and PET-Xi for its sponsorship of the Business Leaders Lunch and for Fleur’s inspirational story.
“It was also great to welcome Sir John Peace to speak at the event. Coventry and Warwickshire does, of course, have its own identity but, as Sir John said, there are issues that we all face as a region and the Midlands Engine can help us better work together across all areas of the Midlands.
“He spoke passionately about his desire to see the Midlands succeed and not just to drive economic growth for the sake of it, but to drive up the living standards and opportunities for everyone.
“As he said, UK City of Culture presents a great opportunity to attract people from all over the world to our region but it’s important too that it attracts visitors to Coventry from across the Midlands.”