Networking and lobbying group Downtown in Business hosted 250 people at ACC Liverpool in what it says was the first COVID-safe major business networking event to be hosted in the UK

Around 250 business leaders joined Downtown in Business (DIB) for their annual Livercool event at the Liverpool’s convention centre. 

DIB claims it was the first major business networking event to be hosted in the UK since lockdowns began back in March. Liverpool chairman David Wade Smith described the event as “historic”.

The organisation implemented a mandatory COVID-testing programme for all those who were attending and dispensed with the usual revelry associated with big business gatherings.

However, DIB chief executive Frank McKenna says that meeting the additional challenges and making the event a more low-key affair was worth the effort. He added: “We have to start to demonstrate to people what we can do rather than constantly talking about what we can’t do.

“We have proved that, done in the right way, you can host a major event. You can continue to bring people together to discuss the important issues that are impacting on our economy. We can celebrate success ‘live’ rather than via Zoom.

“I hope this event acts as a catalyst for others within the business networking and events space to have some confidence going into 2021. We need to move the dial as far as the conversation is concerned.

“Let us start seeing the guidelines as a positive set of rules to work within, rather than a series of barriers that are too hard to overcome. We must begin to get our economy moving forward, protect jobs and allow people to start to rebuild their businesses.”

The delegates heard from the chief executive of Liverpool City Council Tony Reeves, who talked about the city’s economic recovery and investment plan. The chief executive of the ACC M&S Arena Bob Prattey and the managing director of Livercool 2020 headline sponsor the Sedulo Group Paul Cheetham.