Celebrate Cheshire event attracted £140k of private sector support

Nov 17 2011 by Barry Ellams, Chester Chronicle

ATTENDED by more than 7,000 people and attracting more than £140,000 of private sector support, Celebrate Cheshire Chester Racecourse provided a major platform to tell the world about Cheshire and Warrington’s world-class business credentials and employment and learning opportunities.

The private sector-led event was backed by more than 60 of Cheshire and Warrington-based blue chip companies and organisations, including M&S Money; Birchwood Park, Warrington; Bentley Motors; Grosvenor Estates; Abode Hotels; Barclays; the Manufacturing Institute; Manchester Airport; Mornflake, RBS and Pochins.

The results from a comprehensive evaluation commissioned by Marketing Cheshire confirmed ‘Business Friday’ attracted 3,000 business delegates with 65% CEO or senior management level, 25% with more than 250 employees and 25% from outside the sub-region.

‘Opportunities Saturday’ attracted 4,500 attendees, with more than 60% falling into the 16-44-year-old working age population whose primary motivation for attending was not only a fun day out but to find out about career opportunities and what Cheshire has to offer.

Marketing Cheshire chief executive Chris Brown said: “Celebrate Cheshire has clearly helped us showcase Cheshire and Warrington as a quality business destination, when asked 82%, of respondents agreed that Cheshire has all the necessary ingredients for further economic growth.

“With a £22bn economy and the potential to out-perform the rest of the North West and other regions of the UK, our work now is to ensure that this successful and high-profile event acts as a real catalyst for investment and growth, regeneration, enterprise and development.

“We have a whole programme of activity to support this.”

Neville Chamberlain, chairman of the Cheshire Business Leaders, said: “We have been delighted by the response following the success of Celebrate Cheshire.

“We want more investors and businesses to take a fresh look at the unique proposition Cheshire offers and this event has provided the ideal platform to do that – spreading our message.”

Exhibitor Lara Da Rocha-Faria, of Pochin’s, said: “We cultivated some good relationships with partners and other key organisations.”