Growing Green is just over a week away now: have you signed up yet to the Midlands' busiest (probably!), greenest insight day this spring? For more information about our next big event (taking place at the Bethel Convention Centre in West Bromwich on Thursday 18 March), you can download the latest flyer and itinerary here.
We're hosting the full day of exhibitions, seminars and valuable networking alongside Advantage West Midlands, with sponsors RESCO, Business Link, Sandwell College and the Black Country Chamber of Commerce.
We've lined up speakers from high-profile organisations including Rolls Royce, Westinghouse and the Royal Institute of British Architects, plus world-class exhibitors that include Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Corus, Crown Paints, East End Foods, E.ON, Interserve, Keltruck, National Express and Network Rail.
It promises to be a landmark day for Midlands businesses and its flourishing 'green' supply chain, with real and significant work opportunities available (especially for construction firms and architects).
And the opening speeches at 9:30am in the impressive auditorium are going to be fantastic. They are being compèred by Sky News presenter Marverine Cole and will include a rousing talk on the Midlands' tradition of innovation by celebrity historian Professor Carl Chinn MBE, plus keynote speeches from:
* Roger Allonby (Advantage West Midlands' director of infrastructure)
* John O'Connor of the Warwick Manufacturing Group
* Jim Gale from West Bromwich-based Weatherite Manufacturing Ltd.
Councillor Ann Shackleton (Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's cabinet member for employment, skills and partnerships) will welcome delegates.
After the speeches, Marverine will pose a series of questions to the panel, a 'magnificent seven' which will include the four speakers plus Tony Lear (president of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, Sandwell), a representative from Business Link and Adrian Bull from Westinghouse.
So is there something you'd like to ask?
To prompt some ideas, how about ...
* How do I access the funding that's available for green initiatives?
* What is the future for green technology in our region?
* What are local authorities doing to drive the green agenda or promote innovation?
* How are agencies encouraging designers to source and specify locally and in an environmentally friendly manner? And what happens further down the supply chain?
Marverine won't have a chance to take questions from the floor, so if you'd like to ask something, now is the time! Simply email your question to Stephanie Ashley at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce: stephanieashley@blackcountrychamber.co.uk.
[Question mark image: Svilen001.]