Forward eBulletin - April 2010

In order to align with the registration of Forward as a not-for-profit company we moved our AGM and associated lunch to Tuesday April 27th to complete the first 20 years in style. We are holding the AGM at The Council House at 11:30 and this is then followed by a very special celebratory lunch where the guest speaker will be Sir David Bell. The event is also supported by our sponsors, the Pertemps Networking Group.

However, this is just the tip of the celebratory iceberg which includes a special supplement in The Birmingham Post, records and information from 20 years ago, recognition of some of the founders and much more. You are all invited to the AGM (papers issued this week) and there are a limited number of place left for the celebratory lunch – we do hope you will join us.

Photo: Sir David Bell

This project, which we commenced in January on behalf of the region, is developing well. Thank you to all those members who have directly contributed to our phase one research. We are also extremely grateful for the introductions you provided to clients and prospective clients.

The research aims to identify four or five areas of expertise in business & professional services that we can build on for the future. Initial findings are expected in the next few weeks and these will inform phase two of the project. We will be looking to engage you further as the year unfolds.

Happy First Birthday to the Colmore BID, it’s amazing that we are already 20% through the project. Michele Wilby and her team, supported by a strong Board, have had a great first year. At the beginning of March they published an interim report together with some baseline survey data. This well written document provides a really good insight into the work undertaken thus far and the plans for year two. Copies can be downloaded at the Colmore Business District website.

Birmingham Forward's LinkedIn group is growing and has started to engage with members through its discussion threads. This is a value added benefit for our membership and will enable them to engage in online discussions on key matters, comment on events they have attended and seek out business advice and support from other members.

Please take the opportunity to follow this link and join us online now.

Birmingham Forward affiliate member, The NEC Group has set an exhibition and live events industry benchmark, having been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard certificate for sustained reduction of its carbon emissions.

The Group’s venues are the first purpose built exhibition, conference and arena venues in the UK to meet the stringent criteria needed to achieve the certificate.  Over the three year measurement period, the company recorded a 16% reduction in emissions, reducing CO2 output by 5,788 tonnes - the equivalent to over 1,700 flights from Birmingham to New York.

Paul Thandi, NEC Group chief executive, said: “With four million visitors attending over 900 events every year at four venues spread over two sites, attaining this level of reduction is no small feat and once again highlights that as a business, we are leading the way with environmental initiatives."

To read more, see the NEC Group website.

In these difficult times, which are new to many emerging leaders, we're asking more and more of our people and this course can really help not only develop and motivate but also retain key people, which will be important for so many organisations when we start to come out of the recession.

Common Purpose International Navigator is our new, modular course for up and coming leaders, which explores different leadership themes, such as courage, risk, vision and passion, through behind-the-scenes visits and real-life challenges.

Described as ‘the street-smart MBA’, it gives a unique insight and access to a diverse peer group,  that will help you lead more effectively.

The programme starts in June 2010 and is open for applications now.  The full fee price of the course is £3,500 plus VAT but there are a limited number of reduced fee places for SMEs, charities and not-for-profit organisations.  Early applications are recommended for these places.

Anyone who would like more information should contact Common Purpose on 0121 625 3269 or birmingham@commonpurpose.org.uk or visit www.commonpurpose.org.uk.

‘We’re working hard to become Britain’s regional centre, but we’ve still got some way to go in becoming one of Europe’s great business cities’ was the clear message from our members in the recent 20th anniversary survey.

The survey looked back on the last 20 years of Birmingham Forward and gauged opinion on the vision for the next 20. The results revealed that whilst Birmingham is on the way to becoming a leading regional centre in the UK, the city still has a hill to climb in competing with the great business cities of Europe such as Frankfurt and Paris.

Email and high speed internet were cited as having the most impact on business and professional services over the last double decade, with 83% of respondents voting it as the biggest change. In terms of infrastructure, the Bullring shopping centre was given as the largest improvement over the last 20 years with the ICC coming a close second.

Leading independent insurance broker, Perkins Slade, has started 2010 with a double celebration. The Birmingham-based broker has recently been awarded the exclusive title of Chartered Insurance Brokers by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and is also celebrating a landmark birthday.

40 years old this year, Perkins Slade is one of the UK's largest independent brokers, providing expert, impartial advice for UK and international businesses, sport and recreation organisations and private individuals.

To date, less than 100 firms have achieved corporate Chartered status, indicating that this is a highly exclusive award reserved for the leading firms of the broking industry and a clear indicator of professional standing.The CII only awards Chartered status to firms which meet rigorous criteria relating to professionalism and capability. All Chartered Insurance Brokers commit to the CII’s Code of Ethics, reinforcing the highest standards of professional practice in their business dealings.

Damien Doran, Corporate Director, who holds the individual Chartered Insurance Broker title, says that securing Chartered Insurance Brokers status is a significant achievement: “This award acknowledges the integrity and expertise of our staff; it is the result of our continued commitment to professional excellence. We’re delighted to have received this recognition.”

Photo: Damien Doran, Corporate Director of Perkins Slade

Award Success for The PostBox

The PostBox by BridgeStreet Worldwide located in the heart of Birmingham’s Mailbox development form part of the global managed serviced apartment portfolio of BridgeStreet and have been awarded one of the most coveted award accolades of the Business Travel Sector in the EMEA region.

BridgeStreet Worldwide, a leading provider of serviced apartments, announced that it has been recognised as the Best Serviced Apartment Company 2010 at the Business Travel Awards  BridgeStreet received this prestigious recognition in part for its technology and system-led innovations, as well as first class customer service, excellent team work and environmental practices. 

Lee Curtis, President and Chief Executive Officer of BridgeStreet Worldwide said, "We are thrilled to have been selected as the Best Serviced Apartment Company. Our technology innovations and outstanding customer service are a direct result of the valuable feedback we receive from clients and guests. Our culture of continuous improvement allows us to deliver the product and services our customers need."

This year’s Institute of Directors ‘Competitive Edge Conference’ will be packed with interesting speakers like Sir Roy McNulty & Graeme Leach and represents fantastic value for money.  The conference is a halfday on the 16th June from 9:00 until 14:00, with plenty of time for questions. The event finishes with a valuable networking lunch hosted at the delightful Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

For more information or to book please visit the IOD Events Website. Alternatively, you can email Sue Hurrell or telephone 0121 632 2300.

Our incoming Chairman’ Graham Nicoll, wanted to highlight this event which he feels you and a number of your colleagues might find extremely useful.  This event fits in line with his core theme of “Collaboration”, with a particular focus on how individuals working within our firms can add massive value by giving their time as a volunteer to a wide range of community organisations across our great city. 

This event is termed a Thrive Forum and is being held at Birmingham Voluntary Services Council (BVSC) 138 Digbeth, Birmingham, B5 6DR on the 22nd April 2010 starting at 5:30pm. BVSC is one of the largest volunteer centres in England and the session will focus on volunteering at all levels, from voluntary organisation boards/trusteeships to hands-on charity work.

The session will include three keynote presentations from leaders in the volunteering field. You will have a chance to view Birmingham’s Volunteer Centre and meet the staff who run it.

The cost of the event is £10 per person. Full details and a booking form are attached to this E-Bulletin. Booking is directly with BVSC using the form in the attachment.

Graham looks forward to seeing you on 22nd April.

Past Events

To view all our past events, have a look at our website.

March 30th – Breakfast Connections: Vij Randeniya, West Midlands Fire Service

March 24th – Board & Patrons’ Dinner

March 17th – PSMG ‘Selling the Invisible’: Making the Intangible, Real

March 11th - Panel Discussion: Leadership in the City?

Birmingham Forward is delighted to welcome the following new members:

Quadrant Visual Solutions Ltd - Quadrant Visual Solutions are the home of Creative Audio Visual Solutions for business, public sector, health care and education. They are a leading UK Audio Visual company, offering a wide range of services and products for the fixed AV install, conference and live event markets. To find out more, have a look at the Quadrant Visual Solutions website.

Comtec Translations - With more than 25 years’ of experience, Comtec provides a range of specialist language services including translation, interpreting and transcription in over 200 languages. All of the linguists are selected based on a rigorous assessment process. They work only with their native language and must have a specialist understanding of particular sectors. You can find out more about Comtec on the their website.