West Midlands Growth Company

In case you missed it, history was made last week as the first-ever Kabaddi World Cup took place outside of Asia, right here in the West Midlands! 🏆 To commemorate this exciting event, we are proud to unveil a specially crafted advert that aired across India during the tournament. The video beautifully captured the West Midlands' vibrant culture, rich diversity, and the unforgettable experiences that make our region such a unique and welcoming destination. Video produced by Zedmill Carl Woods Digbeth Dining Club Opheem Melita Berg Peter Forson Wintage Garments Shababs Balti Birmingham The New Art Gallery Walsall Walsall Leather Museum Black Country Living Museum Coventry Cathedral Godiva Festival Mela Festival Walsall Council City of Wolverhampton Council Dudley Council Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Coventry City Council Sandwell Council Birmingham City Council

What a week! I’ve just returned from an incredible trip to China with the Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker, as part of the UK’s largest-ever civic delegation, visiting Shenzhen, Chongqing, and Shanghai. Our mission was to showcase the UK as a world-class investment destination and strengthen areas of trade that align with our national interests. Led by Richard, the delegation included Mayors, Deputy Mayors and representatives from London, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, South Yorkshire, and the West of England. We were also joined by London & Partners’ Grow London Global delegation, which featured two of our standout businesses, Agilyx Group and School Of Code. We had many productive engagements including with the Mayors of Shenzhen and Chongqing; JLR China, one of our most important West Midlands headquartered companies; Changan Automobile, GEELY London EV Company (LEVC) and Tencent - our long-standing investors in the West Midlands. We also had the opportunity to tour and learn from some of China’s most innovative companies, such as BYD, Chongqing Machinery & Electric Co Ltd, HONOR, Mindray and Hutchison Ports Yantian. On a personal note, over the past few months, I’ve been supporting Shenzhen-based EcoFlow —a tech unicorn in portable power products, solar technology, and smart home energy solutions— in establishing their UK HQ in Birmingham’s Knowledge Quarter. I’m thrilled to have been part of announcing EcoFlow’s investment during this visit. #ItStartsHere A big thank you to the Department for Business and Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for supporting this visit. I’d also like to express my gratitude to Lewis Neal (倪乐思), Sarah Mann, Tony Preston, Matt Burney, CMG, John Edwards, Trevor Lewis, Raj Maan, Carenza Gibson —without whom this visit wouldn’t have been possible. Howard Dawber Nadine Peatfield Bingbing Zhao Lan Feng Jasmine Baker, MBE Nicole Strickland (樂樂) Yunyang Xia Mi Tang Richard McGuckin Vicky Hincks Rachel Clark Richard Lowe (卢礼卓) Kiran Patel （朱俊博） Ben Rotheram Mark Clayton FCMA CGMA FMAAT MSc Corrine Wang Sherry (Yang) Pan Aminda Tang Victoria Sun

The West Midlands' visitor economy is set for a boost over the next year with a share of an additional £1.35 million to help attract more tourism and investment to the region. The extra funding comes as part of the Destination Development Partnerships (DDP). This regional pilot programme currently runs in the West Midlands and North East, and focuses on growing the visitor economy by attracting more investment in attractions, hotels, and connectivity, creating jobs and by marketing regions outside the capital as destinations in their own right. Since the launch of the DDP pilot delivered by the West Midlands Growth Company in 2023, our region's visitor economy has: Increased by 15% to a value of £16.3bn Supported 143,988 jobs Generated £10 million through attracting business conferences and Nearly £4 million from major sporting events All of which are a testament to the growing strength of our visitor economy. Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, commented: "Tourism is big business in the West Midlands – with record visitor numbers driving growth and creating good jobs for local people. The government is backing my plan to keep investing in our cultural and creative industries and improving transport links so even more people come to enjoy the sights and hear the stories we have to tell." For the full announcement: https://lnkd.in/e--3Sb5s #WestMidlands #Tourism #VisitorEconomy VisitBritain Visit Birmingham & West Midlands Becky Frall Rabia Raza

The best venues, experiences and events from across the West Midlands visitor economy have been honoured at the 2025 West Midlands Tourism Awards, with 15 winners crowned at the annual celebration of the sector at Edgbaston Stadium. Taking place on 18 March, during English Tourism Week, a nationwide initiative to highlight tourism’s importance to local communities and economies, the awards brought together tourism businesses from across the region to celebrate and promote one of England's largest and most valuable sectors. Sharon Thompson, Deputy Mayor of the West Midlands, the keynote speaker at the ceremony, has commented: "This is an important evening in the West Midlands’ events calendar to pay tribute to the wonderful tourism champions who have a direct impact on the positive way that the region is perceived. “More than 145 million people visit the West Midlands each year, enjoying our magical cultural attractions, fantastic culinary settings and memorable business and sporting events offer. Crucially, too, tourism supports more than 143,000 jobs, offering inclusive growth and development opportunities for those who work hard to succeed." For the full announcement and all the winners: https://lnkd.in/exAPP8V8 #WMTA25 #Tourism #WestMidlands

Last month WSP, one of the world's leading professional services firms and Partners West Midlands member, unveiled its new brand identity and officially began a unique celebration of iconic projects. Several worldwide WSP projects were illuminated in red to mark the occasion, symbolising their renewed identity whilst also highlighting their thinking, expertise and know-how. Projects in New Zealand, Montreal, Finland, Denmark, Scotland, England, and the US, all featured as part of the celebrations. For more: https://lnkd.in/eyqe_V5z #PartnersWestMidlands #WSP #WestMidlands

It was fantastic to be at the 2025 Kabaddi World Cup opening day in Wolverhampton, the first-ever Kabaddi World Cup to be hosted outside of Asia! Our Chief Executive, Neil Rami, was proud to welcome this global tournament to the West Midlands, a region that truly lives and breathes sport. Over the next week, we’ll witness world-class men’s and women’s matches, inspiring the next generation of kabaddi stars and showcasing the vibrant South Asian communities that are such an integral part of our region. As players, fans, and teams from around the world explore and enjoy the West Midlands, we look forward to delivering a tournament that creates a lasting legacy. One that sparks curiosity and encourages young people, boys and girls alike, to give kabaddi a go! Let’s enjoy this truly unique and memorable Kabaddi World Cup. 🌍 Photo L-R: Cllr Stephen Simkins Leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, Ashok Das President of World Kabaddi, Neil Rami Chief Executive WMGC. #KabaddiWorldCup #WestMidlands #HeartOfSport #Wolverhampton City of Wolverhampton Council Birmingham City Council Walsall Council Coventry City Council

Wrapping up a fantastic #MIPIM for the West Midlands. The delegation brought enthusiasm and a strong sense of momentum, with key discussions showcasing the region’s investment opportunities and growth potential. 🏙 Birmingham is booming – Record completions in residential and student housing in 2024 signal a city on the rise. The development pipeline is ambitious, and HS2 will be a game-changer. Joanne Roney CBE shared insights into her priorities, reinforcing Birmingham’s scale of opportunity. Investors in attendance echoed their commitment to doing more in the city. 🏡 Strong fundamentals underpin residential development – Despite market challenges, the West Midlands continues to attract investment. A panel featuring Julie Nugent, Maggie Grogan, Helen Collins, and Stuart Penn, chaired by Melanie Williams, spotlighted transformational projects like Arden Cross and Coventry City Centre South, emphasizing the power of partnerships like the English Cities Fund. 💡 Innovation is driving economic growth – The HS2 corridor is unlocking new opportunities, connecting world-class institutions such as Imperial College, the University of Warwick, and Aston University, supporting innovation-led real estate development. The West Midlands offers some of Europe’s largest and best-connected investment opportunities. Seeing the region come together to showcase its strengths in Cannes was inspiring. #RealEstate #Investment #WestMidlands #Ardencross #HS2 Grace Kneafsey Andrew Dunbar Harry Belshaw

Partners West Midlands member Lendlease has secured approval for a landmark mixed-use building at Smithfield Birmingham. Designed by Bell Phillips and local practice Intervention Architecture, the building will overlook Manor Square and provide 408 high-quality build-to-rent homes. As the first residential element of Smithfield Birmingham’s regeneration, it will also feature a health and wellbeing-inspired leisure facility, along with a mix of shops, bars and restaurants for the public to enjoy. Outline plans for the 17-hectare Smithfield Birmingham site were unanimously approved by Birmingham City Council in June last year. As well as over 3,000 homes the exciting plans will also provide cultural and leisure attractions as well as new workspace for businesses. Birmingham’s historic Bull Ring Markets will remain at the heart of these plans and will be housed in two new buildings. For the full announcement: https://lnkd.in/erPtQCK9 #Birmingham #Smithfield #PartnersWestMidlands #Lendlease

Innovation took centre stage for the West Midlands at #MIPIM yesterday. The pivotal role of universities in driving economic growth was a key theme, with Greg Clark, now Executive Chair of Warwick Innovation District, emphasising the power of academic collaboration in shaping the UK’s Industrial Strategy. This was explored further in the panel discussion "Leveraging UK Innovation: Major Investment Opportunities in the new London-Birmingham Corridor." Greg was joined by Rob Valentine (Bruntwood), Maggie Grogan (Muse), and Alice Sewell (Imperial College London) - each representing the enormous potential around HS2 stations. Together, they highlighted how this new rail link is anchoring an innovation corridor of European significance. Joanne Roney CBE (Birmingham City Council) reinforced the scale of opportunity, stating that Birmingham’s development pipeline is unlike anything she has seen in her career. Chaired by Simon Marks (Arcadis), the panel sent a clear message to investors: the time to engage in transformational schemes along the HS2 line is now. With ambitious plans for Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, Arden Cross, and the WestTech Corridor on display, the conversation underscored the unprecedented investment potential in the region. #MIPIM #WestMidlands #Innovation #HS2 #InvestmentOpportunities

📢 The West Midlands springs into a magical March of sport! With world-class tournaments in badminton, kabaddi, and esports, our region is gearing up to welcome over 50,000 fans and a global TV audience of hundreds of millions. The YONEX All England Open, Paddy Power Kabaddi World Cup, and RLCS 2025 Major Birmingham will not only showcase our passion for sport but also deliver a £5.8M boost to our economy. From Birmingham to Wolverhampton, Coventry to Solihull, the West Midlands is proving once again that it is a world-class host for international sporting events. 🌍🔥 📰 Read more about how the region's making March one to remember: https://lnkd.in/eHht_z4e