Forward eBulletin - January 2010

You are already aware that this is a special year for us and we are now delighted to share with you  the special logo we will be using to promote our 20th anniversary and the 10th BYPY awards. The combination of these anniversaries and the slight (very slight)  economic upturn mean that we expect many members to use this as an opportunity to partner with us on a variety of events. The big one to consider is our 20th anniversary lunch happening on 27th April where we have secured the services of Sir David Bell, Chairman of the FT, as our guest speaker.

Do talk to Isabel Drabble, our events manager, if you want to be an active participant in this or any of our other special 2010 events.  Isabel can be contacted on 0121 632 2204 or by email.

BYPY celebrates its 10th Anniversary in 2010 and is inviting all young professionals to be a part of this notable awards ceremony.  The BYPY awards are open to all those under 35 who work in a professional services capacity in the Birmingham postal code area. Entries can be submitted directly by individuals who wish to enter, or by colleagues/clients wishing to nominate an individual. Applicants do not need to be members of Future or working for Forward member firms.

Nominations are invited for each of the following 6 categories:

• COMMUNICATIONS
• ENTREPRENEURIAL
• FINANCIAL SERVICES
• INSPIRING LEADER
• LEGAL
• PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION
• RECRUITMENT & TRAINING

Full details can be found at the special BYPY site:

Birmingham Forward has been fortunate to succeed in successfully bidding for a pot of regional funding to set up the Business & Professional Services (BPS) Market Development Hub. This is a 30 month project to promote and develop new and innovative practice right across the BPS community in the West Midlands.

The award was made on Christmas Eve after a more than 12 month application process and we are now formalising contracts and starting to recruit the core team of a project director and project manager. Details of these appointments have been sent to key contacts in case you know any suitable candidates or may be interested in seconding someone from your organisation.

This project has been developed to enhance the competitiveness of BPS businesses across the West Midlands region. There is a clear need to support the sector through the current economic downturn to ensure that it is in a strong position to compete when conditions improve. There is also a strong expectation that these high value added, knowledge based firms will be in the forefront of driving the recovery. 
 

Sincere thanks to our Deputy Chairman, Graham Nicoll, his fellow director Sid Muir, Birmingham Future member and Chair of the Talent, Retention and Development Committee, Jason Norris and the events team of Isabel Drabble and Claire Hawkins for a great event earlier this month to 'kick-start' our 2010 Events Programme.

The event gave over 50 members the chance to learn more about our programme for 2010 and how they might become more actively involved. All present received a detailed handout about these opportunities and if you would like a copy please contact Isabel Drabble at the Birmingham Forward office.
 

The Conservatives seem intent on introducing elected mayors if they win the general election. Although we are broadly supportive we feel there is a lack of clear definition of the powers of any new mayors. We wondered if the membership thought a debate on the merits or otherwise of this approach would be worthwhile. Please share your views with our CEO Richard Brennan richard@birminghamforward.co.uk  

Good news... Birmingham Forward has now set up a LinkedIn group for its member companies.  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 .

The group is growing and we are keen to see some activity and interesting topics of conversation so please take the opportunity to follow this link and join us online now.

The Graduate Apprentice is a totally unique concept where each year one recent graduate is given the opportunity, over twelve months, to experience three diverse and salaried work placements in the professional and business services sector in Birmingham. 

The scheme is aimed at recent graduates that may be unsure of their career path after leaving university but who are seeking a genuine challenge, have serious drive and the ability to achieve results, have excellent people skills and would relish the chance to take on early responsibility.  It is run by Birmingham Future’s Talent Retention and Development (TRaD) committee in conjunction with Graduate Advantage.

Now entering its 5th year Birmingham Future are looking for companies to support the scheme by offering a 16 week placement in one of the three slots Sept-Dec 2010, Jan-Apr 2011, May-Aug 2011.   There are many advantages for the employer offering the graduate a placement not least they have a high calibre graduate to work in their organisation but also there are numerous publicity opportunities. 

If you would like to know more, please check the Birmingham Future / Graduate Apprentice websites or contact Ben Evans on 07766 766125 or ben@fleetmilne.co.uk

For details of all our forthcoming events please click here.

Snapshot of February Events

Tuesday February 2nd - Beyond the Recession : Oliver Nyumbu, Chief Executive of the Leadership firm Caret, will consider how senior managers can minimise the risk of haemorrhaging good talent at a forthcoming Birmingham Forward lunch event.  He will also explore sustainable strategies for developing an engaged and energised workforce.  More......

Thursday February 4th - City Leader's Breakfast : an invitation only event for selected members to hear from the Leader of the Council, Mike Whitby in a Chatham House environment.

Wednesdy February 10th - 'Primus Inter Pares' the Nisus Consulting FTSE 250 Report : The results of Nisus Consulting’s FTSE 250 Report 2009 are fascinating and the research clearly shows what a firm has to do to position itself to gain competitive advantage.
This year they researched prospective spend, panel sizes, billing mechanisms, the move to fixed fees and best practice billing.   The core of the research was what makes the best firms stand out from the rest. More.....

Wednesday February 17th - The Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham's Gem Uncovered : Dating back over 250 years, a designated conservation area and proposed World Heritage Site, the Jewellery Quarter has something to offer for all. A gem of restaurants, galleries, listed buildings, shops, apartments and museums to name a few but of course the main attraction is Jewellery. More.....

Wednesday February 17th - Board & Patrons' Dinner : an invitation only event for key contacts of Birmingham Forward Patron companies and Birmingham Forward Board Directors.  These dinners are held within Chatham House rules.  This month we are pleased to welcome Ken Gregor, Chief Financial Officer of Jaguar Land Rover.

Wednesday February 24th - The new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham : With less than 6 months until the official handover Sir Albert Bore, Chairman of University Hospitals Birmingham, Morag Jackson, New HospitalsProjects Director and Roger Frost, Balfour Beatty Project Director invite you to join them and fellow Birmingham Forward members, for an update on the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.  More.....

January 29th - Meet & Eat lunch with Arti Halai

January 27th - Board & Patron's Dinner with Stephen Hughes, Chief Executive Birmingham City Council

January 20th - PSMG - Sleeping with the Enemy, overcoming the obstacles of dealing with procurement

January 19th - Maximising your membership of Birmingham Forward