March will see the next instalment of Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram’s Good Business Festival take place in Liverpool city region with key speakers revealed. Tony McDonough reports
Speakers for the next instalment of the Liverpool city region Good Business Festival have been revealed with a focus on practical advice for businesses looking to address consumer and employee demand.
An online version of the festival first took place in October 2020. This was followed by an in-person event in April 2021 with the theme of Change Business for Good. It was held at ACC Liverpool as part of the Government’s science-led Events and Research Programme.
Taking place from March 22 to 24 in 2022, the next instalment will see six showcase events held across three days. They will comprise presentations, panel discussions, workshops and knowledge sessions. They will take place in Sefton, St Helens, Halton, Wirral, Liverpool city centre and Knowsley.
Leaders such as Emilie Stephenson, Force for Good at Innocent Drinks and Hannah Cockcroft, Paralympian and small business advocate will showcase invaluable insights on what social changes are coming and how businesses of all shapes and sizes can respond.
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Kick-starting with a focus on action, day one will take audiences to Liverpool city region venues, such as The British Music Experience and Liverpool Town Hall, to take a deep dive into what needs to be done to tackle the climate crisis, reduce inequalities and create sustainable cities and communities.
Among the sessions will be three futurologists from The British Academy, Deloitte and Nesta predicting the trends of tomorrow and forecasting the societal direction of the next five years, while Torus and Peel L&P will address responsible regeneration as part of Places with Purpose.
Health, sports, music and energy will take centre stage for a third day finale at CONTENT and Hillsong. Big Pharma will explore how working together during the pandemic has helped meet global needs in record time and examine how these lessons can be transferred to solve other global problems from the climate crisis to income inequality.
The final day will also take a look at the status of the music industry and what progress is being made in the energy sector, as well as showcasing the trailblazers of tomorrow, who’ve designed state-of-the-art systems to solve a problem in the world today.
Mr Rotheram said: “I’m working to make the Liverpool city region the country’s fairest, most inclusive place. Values-driven, community-focused businesses are the backbone of our city region’s economy – and will be the drivers of our recovery.
“We want to ensure that local people really feel the benefit from investment, with good-quality jobs, fair wages and opportunities to succeed. Our success as a city region and its reputation in the global market are guided by the principles of how we do business.
“The Good Business Festival has been on quite a journey since it was first announced in 2020 – transforming from a one-off gathering into a programme of virtual and in-person events lasting more than two years.
The full social schedule will be unveiled next week. For more information about the line-up for The Good Business Festival, including the social programme, or to register for tickets visit www.thegoodbusinessfestival.com