MIPIM 2018: How important is culture to promoting inward investment in UK cities? “It is absolutely crucial,” says Sir Nigel Knowles, chairman of Sheffield City Region LEP.
“Investors do ask about it. First of all you have got to be able to get there, so the transport has to be pretty good, you have got to be perceived to have a future, but you have got to have culture, heritage, a sense of history and purpose.
Speaking at EG’s UK Cities session, Jon Collins, leader of Nottingham City Council, added: “I think the reality is most cities will have a variety of different cultures and you need that differentiation.
“But, fundamentally, the underlying culture has to be about where people want to live and work and what makes people proud about the place they live.
“There are a whole host of things that support that, including cultural venues, but it’s about having a range of opportunities and I believe we need to see culture as an increasingly significant factor in investment.”
There are almost 1,000 city and local authority registered representatives at MIPIM 2018 from around the world.
While Manchester is promoting itself through the attendance of sports-stars-turned-property-developers Gary Neville and Andrew Flintoff, Leeds City Region has hired a “Yorkshire Tea” brass band to draw attention to its stand by playing songs from Leeds’ bands.
Pat Ritchie, chief executive of Newcastle City Council says: “Fundamentally, I think the people of the city create the culture – what makes the place is the way the people are. When you promote a place, it is about the essence of a place.”
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