Member Article

C&W Chamber conference features national and international figures

Leading national and international figures from business and politics will be giving firms in Coventry and Warwickshire an insight into the prospects of the UK economy this autumn.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Economic Conference is taking place on Friday, November 3 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The former leader of the Conservative Party and the man widely seen as the architect of recent changes to the welfare state, Iain Duncan Smith MP, will be a keynote speaker at the event.

Andy Street CBE, the former chief executive of John Lewis and recently elected mayor of the West Midlands, will reflect on his first six months in office, while Dr Adam Marshall and Suren Thiru, both of the British Chambers of Commerce, will talk about the UK economy in the wake of a long period of political uncertainty. Janice Charette, Canada’s High Commissioner to the UK, will offer a unique perspective on the UK’s ability to strike new trade deals with countries around the world following the exit from the European Union.

Paul Noon, executive director at Coventry University Enterprises, and Dave Ayton-Hill, head of economy and skills at Warwickshire County Council, will highlight how Coventry and Warwickshire has performed economically and the opportunities and threats it faces moving forward.

Regional MPs, Marcus Jones and Nadhim Zahawi, will also be speaking at the event which is being facilitated by Adam Dent, managing director of Advent Communications.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The past couple of years have seen a great deal of change on a regional, national and international level.

“We are delighted that we can be joined by Andy Street on what will mark six months of him being in office. Not only can he give us a regional insight, he can also talk about his experiences with John Lewis and how a major company manages change and economic uncertainty.

“Iain Duncan Smith had, up until last year, played a major role in Government and was a keen supporter of the UK leaving the EU so he can provide a very interesting perspective on where the UK might be heading – just as Janice Charrette will be able to offer a view from the ‘outside looking in’.

“Couple all of that with contributions from some of our local MPs, from key regional economic experts such as Paul Noon and Dave Ayton-Hill and national business figures in Dr Adam Marshall and Suren Thiru and we have a fantastic conference to look forward to.

“As ever, we will also be staging panel discussions during the conference, as well as offering one of the best opportunities to network there is in the region throughout the whole of the year.”

For more information or to book a place at the Chamber’s Annual Economic Conference on Friday, November 3, log onto https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/events/the-chamber-s-annual-business-economic-conference/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .