Pictured above: Peter Rhodes OBE, managing director of
Reed MIDEM, with Coun Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City
Council
Birmingham is committed to MIPIM as the place where ideas are
born, the city council's leader Coun Mike Whitby has stated.
He said Birmingham was fully committed to MIPIM as a vital shop
window for the £20 billion development programme that it is
committed to undertaking in the next ten years - which Birmingham
has deemed the "Decade of Delivery".
"If we want to be recognised as a global city, we have to front
up to the competition and that means coming to MIPIM and fighting
our corner for the investment that is out there.
"The credit crunch has meant that if there is less money
available from our high street banks at home, we have to come out
on to the world stage and make our pitch for investment from
markets like the Middle East, China and India.
"We have 20:20 vision on where we want to be in ten years time
but we are not so arrogant that we think we have a monopoly on good
ideas or all the answers on the investment front," he said.
"That's why we like to come to MIPIM - this is like the Top Gun
fighter pilot school - we need to be working with the 'best of the
best'.
"And with the UK being designated Guest of Honour at MIPIM 2011,
we are determined to position Birmingham at the heart of next
year's marketing and promotional efforts to ensure we extract
maximum benefit.
"Birmingham is at the heart of the UK on every level - location,
transport, innovation and regeneration, and we want to make sure we
tap into every possible investment opportunity both this year and
next year.
"We know that MIPIM is where ideas are born, they are developed,
planned and funded in following years and in Birmingham's case,
delivered."
He met Reed MIDEM managing director Peter Rhodes OBE who said:
"We recognise Birmingham's importance as the largest metropolitan
authority and Coun Whitby's support for MIPIM is most welcome.
"We work with our core cities and key clients to ensure that
MIPIM delivers the results they are seeking so his words of
encouragement are very supportive of our efforts.
"We look forward to welcoming Birmingham and Coun Whitby back
next when the UK takes centre stage as the 'Guest of Honour', he
said.