Inaugural West Midlands Business Festival declared 'huge success'

Mayor Richard Parker said he launched the inaugural festival to bring ambitious businesses together so they can get behind his mission to "turbocharge economic growth".

Organisers of the festival at Business Growth West Midlands say the event, staged at various locations across the region, engaged with 1,500 businesses and saw more than than 4,000 tickets booked for a line up of 100 events held across the two weeks.

The packed programme included workshops, networking sessions, discussions, expert insights and industry launches to a range of more ‘out of the ordinary’ events such as a networking and wellbeing event on roller skates by Wheels in Motion; Snooty Pooch’s idea to bring canines and corporates together to explore the power businesses can have on CSR.

“This festival was about bringing businesses together, to learn from one another and celebrate success. And we delivered.

“The feedback has been phenomenal, but the work doesn’t stop here. I’m giving businesses the funding and support they need to grow, create jobs, and drive our economy forward. We’ve already issued £10 million of grants and supported over 10,000 businesses but there is more to do.

“I want next year to be bigger, bolder, and even more ambitious. The future of business in the West Midlands is bright. I can’t wait to build on this success.”

The festival was organised for the Mayor by Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).