Central South represented at TEAM UK event to showcase the region on the global stage at MIPIM

Published: June 27 2023

TEAM UK hosted a special reception at the world’s leading real estate event, MIPIM, yesterday and it was an opportunity for investors to find out more about the key cities and regions of the UK.

The gathering which was held in partnership with Savills at the Salle de Press was the brainchild of the Central South UK contingent which is drawn together by Business South.

Group CEO, Leigh-Sara Timberlake explained: “We attended MIPIM for the first time in 2022 and we were blown away by the experience.

“The Central South is represented by a business-led consortium and together we are promoting the opportunities to invest in the Central South. Having seen how well collaboration works for us as a model, we thought there was an opportunity for us to reach out to other regions and cities across the UK.

“We wanted to see if they would be interested in jointly hosting a reception so we can show the opportunities that exist across the UK. And the response from our UK partners has been overwhelming,” she said.

Tim Newns, Director for Levelling Up at the Office for Investment in the Department for Business Trade welcomed guests from across the globe before two panel sessions were held.

Panel session one – How can the UK really level-up and what are the next steps for devolution?
  • Liverpool City Region (Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region)
  • Newcastle (Sarah Green, Chief Executive, Newcastle Gateshead Initiative)
  • West Midlands (Andy Williams, Director of Business, Investment and Culture at Coventry City Council)
  • London (Jonathan Martin, Director of Inward Investment & Higher Education Academic Relationships, London Borough of Waltham Forest)
  • Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (Gail Mayhew, Managing Director – Future Places)
Panel session two – The destination approach to building inclusive and sustainable economies
  • Belfast (Cathy Reynolds, Director Regeneration & Development)
  • Cardiff Capital Region (Cllr Huw Thomas, Leader, Cardiff Council)
  • Bristol, Bath & West of England (Richard Bonner, Chair West of England Local Enterprise Partnership)
  • Southampton (Mike Harris, CEO)
  • Greater Manchester (Paul Dennett, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester)
  • Leeds (Angela Barnicle, Chief Officer, Asset Management & regeneration)
  • Portsmouth (Megan Carter, Head of Major Projects)

Collaboration between the regions and public/private sector partnerships were heralded as the way forward.Sarah Green, Chief Executive, Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, captured the essence of the event when she said: “London needs strong regions. If we are all going to succeed, we need to have the perception of strong cities across the UK. Brilliant stuff is already happening and we need more of it.”