10 March 2008
The Mersey Partnership secures International Waterfront
Conference for Liverpool
The Mersey Partnership (TMP) has confirmed that the world’s
largest conference on waterfront regeneration is heading to
Liverpool.
WaterfrontExpo 2008 will be staged at the new BT Convention Centre
on the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront 3-5 November 2008,
following an agreement between TMP and event organiser
MediaGeneration Ltd.
The official announcement was made at the world’s largest property
summit, MIPIM 2008 (Marché International des Professionels
d’Immobilier), in Cannes.
The three-day WaterfrontExpo is a major coup for Liverpool and
TMP’s Mersey Waterfront programme. It will attract delegates
from across the globe and will see Mersey Waterfront take top
billing alongside major international waterfront cities including
Shanghai and San Francisco.
TMP has been working with MediaGeneration, ACC Liverpool and the
Northwest Regional Development Agency over recent months to bring
together key elements of the project. The Conference
will incorporate major networking opportunities, international case
studies and an exhibition.
WaterfrontExpo 2008 is expected to emulate the success of last
year’s event in the Portugese capital Lisbon, which welcomed more
than 530 people from 72 waterfront cities including Toronto, Hong
Kong, Saint Petersburg and Wellington.
TMP Board Member and Chair of Mersey Waterfront, Sara Wilde,
said:
“Waterfront Expo 08 is a prime opportunity to showcase our
diverse 145km coastline to an influential audience of designers,
planners and developers from across the world.
“The event will put our coastline at the heart of international
waterfront regeneration, holding up the Mersey Waterfront programme
as an example of good practice and creating a lasting impact and
legacy through potential new networking and investment
opportunities.
She adds: “Given Liverpool’s maritime heritage, it’s also timely
that the eyes of the regeneration world will be looking to Mersey
Waterfront as Liverpool takes centre-stage for European Capital of
Culture year.”
Project Director for WaterfrontExpo, Mark Beaumont, commented:
“We’ve been working with Mersey Waterfront on
WaterfrontExpo 2008 for some time. The success of the event
depends largely on the relationship with local partners and we’re
glad to say they’re proving to be highly enthusiastic and
dynamic. Last year’s event in Lisbon ended on a record high
and I’m convinced Liverpool can repeat that success."
In March 2007 a £91million investment in the coastline 2007–2010
was unveiled for Mersey Waterfront’s second phase. The funding
includes £10.9 million from the NWDA and £6.9million from the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Peter Mearns, Executive Director of Marketing at NWDA, said:
“Major regeneration projects are making a real difference on
Mersey Waterfront, improving the visitor experience and maximising
the contribution the coastline makes to the Northwest
economy.
“As the city is also celebrating being the European Capital of
Culture for 2008 there can be no better place than Liverpool’s
world famous waterfront for this prestigious exhibition. This is a
huge international event which will highlight Liverpool's assets
and bring economic benefits.”
Jacquie Rogers, General Manager of the BT Convention Centre,
added:
“This is a superb event to be coming to Liverpool and joins an
array of other prestigious conferences we will be hosting in
2008.”
Further details about WaterfrontExpo are available at: www.waterfrontexpo.com
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Mersey Waterfront is a far reaching programme set up to
regenerate the City Region's 145km (90 mile) coastline. It connects
the waterfront's communities and assets across the districts of
Sefton, Wirral, Liverpool and Halton, and aims to create an
internationally acclaimed waterfront to compete with cities like
Sydney and Toronto. Mersey Waterfront is funded through the
Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF), and is hosted by The Mersey Partnership -
a unique alliance representing more than 480 organisations across
the Liverpool City Region. For further information visit: www.merseywaterfront.com
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) leads the economic
development and regeneration of England's Northwest and is
responsible for:
• Supporting business growth and encouraging investment
• Matching skills provision to employer needs
• Creating the conditions for economic growth
• Connecting the region through effective transport and
communication infrastructure
• Promoting the region’s outstanding quality of life
The European Union designated Merseyside as an Objective One area
for a second time in 2000 as the area’s economic performance – as
measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per head – was below 75
per cent of the EU average. Being classified as an Objective One
area means that between 2000 and 2008 Merseyside will benefit from
a £2billion investment programme – £910 million from the European
Union, matched by £910 million from the UK Government and a further
£400 million from the private sector. Draft figures published in
January 2005 by the EU’s statistical agency, Eurostat, revealed
that Merseyside has bridged the performance gap – by 2002 local GDP
stood at 76.13 per cent of the European average. When the 10 recent
entrants to the EU were included in calculations, Merseyside GDP
reaches 83.44 per cent. www.euandmerseyside.org
For further information please contact:
Heather Sewell, The Mersey Partnership
Tel: 0151 237 3910 / heather.sewell@merseyside.org.uk