Birmingham has
been chosen as the first UK destination to host international manufacturing and
engineering conference, Mainstream.
The summit,
which brings together more than 300 delegates from manufacturing, utilities, transport,
oil and gas, will take place on 21 October at central Birmingham venue
Millennium Point.
For the
last three decades, the engineering conference has been held in Australia, New
Zealand and the USA. The West Midlands was chosen for its UK debut due to Birmingham’s
‘strategic position at the heart of the UK’s manufacturing sector’, said Mainstream’s
chief growth officer, Steve Morris.
“The city provides unparalleled access to the engineering
and production businesses that form the backbone of British industry, while its
rich industrial legacy and commitment to innovation create the perfect
environment for our expansion,” he added.
The West
Midlands remains a powerhouse of productivity. The region has the UK’s largest
manufacturing cluster, generating £10.4 billion GVA per annum, and a
211,000-strong manufacturing workforce accounting for 10.6% of all local
employment, more than the national average of 7.8%. It is at the centre of the
UK’s largest automotive, rail and aerospace clusters.
Katie
Trout, director of destination, marketing & insight and deputy CEO at the West
Midlands Growth Company, which made the bid for the event, said: “This summit
will provide an ideal opportunity to welcome industry experts from all over the
world to our ambitious region, which takes innovation, skills development and
best practice seriously.”
The Mainstream
UK summit will feature a high-profile speaker line-up including international
experts from IDCON, Mars Inc, NASA and Toyota and UK industry leaders from
companies such as Airbus, Bentley Motors and BMW.
Delegates
will also be invited to attend workshops and tutorials, and an exhibition from 33
partners throughout the day.
Millennium
Point’s commercial director, Rebecca Delmore, said: “Hosting the first Mainstream
UK summit at Millennium Point is a fantastic opportunity, not just for us as a
venue but for Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. This region has always
been a hub for making and engineering, and bringing 300 global leaders here
puts that strength on the international stage.”
