Lord Michael Heseltine will address the International Waterfront Forum 2016 (IWF2016) in Liverpool this June, organisers have today announced. The forum, which has previously included representatives from waterfront cities including the likes of New York, Barcelona and Sydney, will this year see speakers from Bordeaux, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Tianjin and Toronto come together at the two-day conference (June 16-17), part of the International Festival for Business 2016, at Exhibition Centre Liverpool.

Now in its third year, IWF2016 will welcome around 500 delegates and invited city representatives from around the world to discuss ‘waterfront cities as economic drivers of national economies’, through a series of presentations, workshops and open discussions. Each of the city speakers will focus on major investment and business opportunities in their respective cities, as well as setting out how they are utilising their waterfront as assets for securing inward investment, focusing trade opportunities and growing business.

As the father of the regeneration movement in the UK, and the driving force behind the regeneration and global repositioning of Liverpool for over four decades, Lord Heseltine’s presence at IWF2016 is even more pertinent.

The Rt Hon. Lord Michael Heseltine CH, said:

“The waterfront has always been and continues to be a key asset for Liverpool. It is very encouraging to see world-renowned cities coming together to share best practice examples of how to harness the waterfront as a driver for growth to the benefit of the city region and the wider national economy.”

 

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, OBE, said:

“Liverpool’s magnificent waterfront embodies the heart of our great city, and we are proud to be on the global platform with other waterfronts, sharing best practice in master planning for growth of our own city’s future. This can only be made possible with private sector involvement and I would like to thank our partners and forum supporters in bringing this high calibre, truly international conference into the IFB calendar of events.”

Max Steinberg, CBE chief executive, Liverpool Vision and chair of IFB2016, added:

“International waterfront cities are driving growth at the heart of the global economy. IFB2016 is about opening up international markets and creating wider collaborations and cross-cultural networks. IWF2016 is a key element of fostering a wider global alliance of waterfront cities that will develop into an ongoing legacy for the International Festival for Business.”

The International Waterfront Forum offers a platform for global waterfront cities and their businesses to come together to discuss common themes and to build stronger international alliances. In an increasingly competitive world, waterfront cities have an opportunity through IWF to share first hand experiences of harnessing their waterfronts as assets for driving forward economic growth and to foster stronger business and trading relationships.

The International Waterfront Forum 2016 takes place at Exhibition Centre Liverpool, June 16-17, as part of International Festival for Business 2016.

To register your interest in this event and for more information, visit http://www.internationalwaterfrontforum.com.