Adapting to new way of flying the flag for Birmingham

By taking the conference digital it now has a far greater global reach

SINCE our worlds were turned upside down by the Covid-19 pandemic, many great events have needed cancelling or re-thinking – Parliament itself is one and iconic sporting showcases have been among others.

Not least among them has been our programme at the Chamber and we took an early decision to save as much of it as possible by switching to digital technology.

Through online scheduling our heavy programme of daily contact with members has gone ahead almost uninterrupted. This has been critical in these difficult times and I’m delighted that we have received many plaudits for continuing to bring the business community together.

This includes our flagship Global Trade Conference, which will take place on Wednesday, June 24, as part of our International Week.

There will be a stellar line-up of speakers, including three MPs, led by International Trade secretary Liz Truss.

The conference will also feature a cross-party session with former

Chamber president Saqib Bhatti, now Conservative MP for Meriden, and Edgbaston MP Preet Gill, who in April was appointed Shadow International Development Secretary by the new Labour Party leader, Sir Keir Starmer.

We are greatly looking forward to hosting Ms Truss, not least because she is currently trying to protect her free-market principles over the import of hormone-fed beef and chlorinated chicken from the US into the UK. There is growing resistance within her party and the subject is likely to figure in our debate.

So bring in US ambassador to the UK, Robert Wood Johnson, who will be among the guests along with Doug Bouton, co-founder and chief executive of best-selling ice cream brand Halo Top.

They will be joined by representatives from Solihull-based global fitness and sports apparel retailer Gymshark and leading economists Joe Brusuelas and Simon Hart of RSM.

So you can probably understand that we have treated this as a great opportunity for the Chamber to adapt and learn from the coronavirus disaster. And the bonus is that by taking the conference digital it now has a far greater global reach.

We are seeing that already with early sign ups, especially from the US in the wake of the George Floyd outrage and the protests it sparked on both sides of the Atlantic.

But the conference and International Week will nevertheless still provide Birmingham with a magnificent showcase – something we always love to do – and we will be flying the flag around the world.

The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly changed the way we think and act about many things – and who knows how many of the changes will stay for the near future?

Paul Faulkner is chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers

of Commerce