Following its successful appearance at the International Festival of Business in Liverpool last Summer the North West Energy Squared (NWE2) Model has started its tour of the rest of the Region. It is a 3.5 x 1.5 metre physical, interactive model of the North West which includes a video with a voice over commentary explaining its objectives to examine the possibility of building connected tidal gateways throughout the region.

The Model is due to be located at RBS, Spinningfields in Manchester from 2nd March to 20th March when it is open for viewing by the public. There will be a number of VIP viewings organised for interested parties.

This meeting will include a preview of the NWBLT’s proposed “Business Manifesto for England’s North West”, which we plan to publish prior to the General Election, and also a presentation on “How franchising can help grow the North West’s economy” by Robert Dancy.  The latter will be given by Robert Dancy, a senior business and franchise consultant with nxo Ltd – Rob has worked in a wide range of business and franchise roles across the UK, both as franchisor and franchisee, and believes franchising to be a viable growth option across a wide variety of business services.

The Forum takes place at 5pm for 5.30pm and should be of particular interest to those involved with economic development strategies here in the North West.

Chief Executive Geoffrey Piper’s Annual Report for 2014 features highlights of another busy year for NWBLT speaking for major businesses throughout the North West.

To download Geoffrey’s 2014 Annual Report click through to the full article.

The first Forum meeting of the New Year will be taking place at United Utilities, Haweswater Conference Centre, Lingley Mere, Warrington  at 5.00 for 5.30pm on Wednesday 14 January 2015 when the speakers will be Philip Cox, CEO of the Cheshire and Warrington Enterprise Partnership, and Carmel Booth , Interim Executive Director of the Atlantic Gateway Partnership.

NWBLT members bosses swapped the boardroom for the stage, performing poetry, drama, music and dance in a bid to be crowned the winner of The eXec-Factor. The event was part of Contact and the North West Business Leadership Team celebrating a year of working together, following Contact winning the NWBLT’s Lever Prize 2014.

The competitors were Juergen Maier, chief executive of Siemens, UK; Charles Lauder, joint-managing director of Talawa Consulting and chair of the Contact Board; Geoffrey Piper, chief executive of North West Business Leadership Team; Jonathan Collins, corporate social responsibility manager at Electricity North West and the Loose Covers, the band fronted by Rod Coombs, deputy president and deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Manchester.