e-bulletin - August 2007 | Birmingham Forward

News & Events

Business Improvement District (BID)

Our Better Business Climate Committee (BBCC) have moved a long way forward in preparing the way for us to plan and promote a Professional Quarter Bid covering the business district around Colmore Row. A lot of preparatory work has been completed, an outline timetable prepared, and support secured from our good friends at City Centre Partnership.

As we move into the Autumn you will be hearing a lot more about this exciting prospect as we start to engage both with our members and the wider business and residential community of the area. If you want to be involved in this exciting project please let Richard Brennan, our CEO, know and he will put you in touch with the appropriate people.

Passport to Birmingham

This idea, which we first floated late last year, is scheduled to happen in the forthcoming academic year. The concept is to build on the excellent work we do, through Birmingham Future, with graduates and move back to engage with first year students as they first arrive at our various universities. We have already secured the support of some 8 firms to participate in this exciting exercise, which will be a pilot this year – with a full rollout in 2008/09 once the concept is proven and refined.

If you have already signed up we will be in contact shortly. If your firm has not come forward and you might be interested please call Richard Brennan on 0121 632 2200 who will provide you with more information. Ideally we would benefit from 3 or 4 more participants.

Minister for Science and Innovation to address Birmingham Forward members
Midland MP and newly appointed Minister for Science and Innovation Ian Pearson MP will be the guest speaker at forthcoming keynote lunch being held on October 15th at the Copthorne Hotel in Birmingham.

During his address to guests at the lunch the Minister will talk about his own role within the newly created Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and how science and innovation plays an important role in business.

The event is kindly being sponsored by Hammonds, one of the city’s foremost law firms. To reserve you place please e-mail martina@birminghamforward.co.uk or call 0121 632 2200.

Gala Dinner - AWM announced as main sponsor

We are pleased to announce Advantage West Midlands will be the main sponsor of this year’s Chairman’s Gala Dinner. The event, one of the highlights of the Birmingham Forward calendar, will take place on November 9th at The ICC.

This year Guest Speaker is former MP and high profile political columnist Matthew Parris.

Birmingham Forward Chairman Diane Benussi commenting on the announcement of the event sponsor said: “I am delighted that AWM will be the main sponsor of the Gala Dinner this year. Forward works closely with AWM on a wide range of projects and so it is particularly relevant that they should be involved with one of our biggest events of the year. I am also looking forward to hearing Matthew Parris give his unique perspective on modern day politics.”
To secure your place for this event, you can click here to book on-line or e-mail isabel@birminghamforward.co.uk

Recent events…

Contemporary Italian Restaurant Filini played host to the Meet & Eat lunch held in July. Guest Speaker Kathrine Ohm-Thomas, General Manager of the Radisson SAS hotel provided members with an insight into how she had built up her impressive and dedicated team since the hotel opened in 2006 and the ups and down of choosing everything from furniture to bedlinen and cutlery!

Trade mission to Mumbia

The India Pakistan Trade Unit is arranging the second trade visit to Mumbia between 10th-17th November. Small and medium sized companies from the West Midlands are invited to join the mission to market and represent the business and professional services.

The objective of the visit is to research the market place, obtain new clients and to develop partner relationships, ultimatetly to increase revenue to the UK through business and professional services.

The mission is subsidised by the UKTI, with 13-15 places available and is on a first come first served basis. For further information please click here or email Steven Cunnane or call 0121 450 4205.

Will your company be FSA compliant in Nov?

With more and more businesses transactions taking place over the phone, the rise in regulatory laws governing the phone based contracts and selling has dramatically increased. The UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) announced that from 1st November 2007, all legal & financial firms will be required to record telephone lines used for voice conversations that involve the receipt of orders.
To ensure your organisation is compliant by November 2007, Interactive (Telecoms Ltd) are holding a seminar workshop in the IOD, One Victoria Square on Tuesday 25th September to demonstrate solutions to meet this new regulation and how to save costs on your business calls. For more information and to reserve your place please contact alison.moore@interactiveIT.com or call 0121 260 2616.

Firms to save thousands off annual training budgets reveals charity offer!

Crimson, a West Midlands based national training firm, is set to offer a highly sought after management training programme to companies at a third of market cost. They will absorb costs of running the popular course with any profits being donated to the Birmingham Foundation. Only those signing up via the charity will benefit from this heavy discount.

Derek Inman, chief executive of the Birmingham Foundation said: "Not only will this exclusive offer save firms thousands of pounds on their training budgets, it will also bring much needed funds to the Birmingham and Black Country Foundation and as the amount payable is actually a donation it is subject to the usual charitable tax breaks too..."

For more information and to take advantage of the special rate please contact the Birmingham & Black Country Foundation on 0121 214 2080 or e-mail derek.inman@btinternet.com

Little steps for a better future…!

How many of us sit at our desks and in a daydreaming moment think about how we might change the world or even our futures? Each month we will feature two new suggestions and do our bit. Here are the next two for you to consider and make just that bit of difference!

ACTION 24 - Make a coffee for someone busier than you. If we all did this the workplace would feel like it was all pulling together. There would be a happier environment, and almost certainly create productivity as a side effect. Plus, the workaholics in the place would be twitching and gibbering from caffeine over-stimulation. So, no change there!
ACTION 25 - Share a bath with someone you love Obviously our favourite action yet - you can tie it in with World Water Week, which starts this Sunday, 19 August. Save water and have fun. A bath full of hot bubbly water is too good not to share. And when you consider an average bath uses 65 litres of water you'll not only feel good in the bath but feel good afterwards too. Just make sure you get out before everything gets wrinkly!

In association with The Birmingham Post's Thrive! page and we are what we do, a new movement inspiring people to use their everyday actions to change the world.

Birmingham… Did you know?

Bullring (specifically the Selfridges’s building) was recently voted the third most photogenic British Landmark, behind the London Eye and Big Ben!
There are an estimated 62,000 burials under and around St Philips Cathedral in the City Centre.

Welcome new members

We would like to welcome the following new members who hav joined Birmingham Forward in July.

New Affiliate - Channel Punjab (UK) Ltd Under the umbrella of Derewal Group “Channel Punjab UK Ltd., is promoting “CHANNEL PUNJAB”. A true Punjabi family entertainment television channel which was launched in the United Kingdom on the 5th September 2006 at the International Convention Center, Birmingham. With the overwhelming response to Channel Punjab and the public demanded for Channel Punjab to be made available in EUROPE.
New Associate member - Lord Mayor Cllr Randal Brew OBE. On leaving school he took articles with a Birmingham firm of chartered accountants and qualified in 1968. In 1992 he branched out on his own and 'Randal Brew & Co' has been happily practising from the Jewellery Quarter since then. Cllr Brew was introduced to politics in 1974 and was appointed Lord Mayor of Birmingham on 22nd May. Cllr Brew is a Brummie through and through and says there can be no greater honour than having the opportunity to promote Birmingham, its people, industry and culture as Lord Mayor. qualified in 1992 he took the decision to branch out on his own. “Randal Brew & Co.” has been very happily practising from the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham since then.
New Forward member - Technology Services Group (TSG) is the largest independent UK supplier of IT software, hardware, consultancy, training and proactive network support to small and medium sized businesses. Holding the highest accreditations for Sage, Microsoft, Pegasus and HP, TSG has the unique ability to manage your entire IT infrastructure on one fully-comprehensive contract.

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