This year sees Birmingham Forward celebrate 20 years as the independent membership organisation for Business & Professional Services (BPS) in the city. The germ of the idea to form a specialist BPS organisation came about following the 1988 Highbury Conference convened to consider the future of Birmingham as a core city in the post industrial landscape.
Two key findings, one structural and another economic came from the conference. The latter was the realisation that Birmingham’s future success needed a new economic driver – ‘business and professional services’. It was this that led the late Roger Dickens along with Peter Carter, Bob Gilbert, Ian Hunter, John James, David Maxwell, Robert Moore, Richard Samuda, Ian Wade and Peter Williams to establish City 2000 on the 27th April 1990 after a year of debate and soundings around the city.
Despite starting in a recession the organisation immediately captured the imagination of the BPS community and has gone from strength to strength over the ensuing two decades.
1999 saw the organisation rename itself Birmingham Forward to more accurately reflect the role we felt our members play in the continued development of the city.
Birmingham Forwad celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a very special keynote lunch, where they welcomed Sir David Bell who is currently non executive director of the Economist, chairman of Sadlers Wells, the University of Roehampton, Crisis, Common Purpose, the London Transport Museum, the Media Standards Trust, the Transformation Trust , the Institute of War and Peace Reporting and the Walpole Committee. In his speech Sir David shared his thoughts on:
• What he was doing 20 years ago
• Potential challenges we may face over the next 20 years
• What he wishes he’d known 20 years ago
• what BPS are doing right and what needs improving
• His involvement with Crisis and the importance of looking at a city’s reputation holistically.
188 businessmen and women attended, click here to see a photo of guests at the Perkins Slade table. From left to right back row - David Slade (Perkins Slade), Nick tamblyn (Perkins Slade), Mark Anslow (BDO), Ian Flavell (Metalrax). From left to right middle row - Ann Benzimra (Hill Hofstetter), Sally Del Prinicipe (Perkins Slade), John Smith (Caparo). From left to right front row - Tim Foster (Hill Hofstetter), Lynn Richards-Cole (Perkins Slade).
