Liverpool Embassy’s future secured

Date: 21 March 2011

The ‘Embassy’ to promote Liverpool to London investors has secured further private sector sponsorship, guaranteeing its future until July.

Since its opening on January 21st the “Liverpool Embassy” based in the heart of London’s financial district has become a hub for investors interested in the city.

So far more than 40 meetings have been held at the building, helping to raise the profile of Liverpool in London and potentially leading to significant investment for the city.

The Embassy is an initiative by business leaders, politicians and public sector organisations to promote the city as a business friendly environment for investment.

City Council Leader, Joe Anderson said: “The Embassy has been all we could have hoped for, it’s essentially about putting Liverpool on the map in London and we’ve attracted a lot of interest as a place to invest and do business.  Some of the meetings that have been held at the embassy could lead to some exciting developments, creating jobs and regeneration.”

He added: “It’s great to see Liverpool businesses getting behind this initiative and offering their financial support so we can extend the lease on the Embassy building by a further three months.”

The latest businesses who have pledged their support are The Flanagan Group, Enterprise PLC, Downing, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital Trust (RHBUHT), Health@Work, PH Creative, Ernst & Young, Sutcliffe, NSG UK Ltd, Castlewood Property Management and Merepark.

Max Steinberg, Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision, which, along with Downtown Liverpool in Business, is partnering the City Council to deliver the Embassy project, said: “During its first two months of operation the Embassy has been able to engage with a number of high profile individuals from London, including investment advisors, managers of investment funds and senior MPs. 

“Our team is working hard to ensure the right meetings continue to be set up with the right people and I am confident that this hard work will inevitably bring dividends to the city. We’ve made important contacts with high net individuals in the Middle East and China, which could lead to some exciting developments in Liverpool.

“We also have a number of significant events in the pipeline, for example we are meeting with Grosevnor and some of the UK’s major investment banks at the Embassy later in the week, while significant events for the creative and green industries are being held during the coming months.”

Guy Wallis, co-founder of law firm DWF and the man credited for coming up with the idea, said: “The Embassy is successfully taking our city to “The City,” and helping to tell investors and decision-makers all about the good things that are happening in Liverpool.” 

He added: “When David Cameron took office he committed his government to rebalancing the UK economy in favour of the regions, in order to establish broader foundations for growth.  In the same way, the Embassy is our initiative to rebalance the local economy in favour of a stronger and more diverse private sector as the driver for new jobs and prosperity.”

The Embassy is based at New Broad Street House close to Liverpool Street and the financial district in London.

It is the latest major initiative of the city's 'One Plan', a new vision for the city, which aims to draw on the strengths, resources and expertise of the public and private sector to sell the city nationally and internationally.

Further information from:

Jonathan Caswell on 0151 600 2946 or 07515 999 422

Paul Owen at Kenyon Fraser on 0151 706 9968 / 07841 595400

Info about the Liverpool Embassy:

The Liverpool Embassy highlights the city’s economic strengths; its property investment opportunities; its infrastructure and position as gateway to the UK and the world; and its digital, creative and research offer.

The Embassy also features: 

• A private and comfortable reception area
• A suite of two small business meeting rooms and a  boardroom
• Exhibition and seminar space
• Video-conferencing facilities and full 2D and 3D projection capabilities for presentations
• Hi-tech, interactive touch-screen walls, offering conversion into sponsor branding

FACTS about Liverpool:

Liverpool is the UK’s fastest growing economy outside London, Source: ONS 2010

Liverpool is the UK’s second largest wealth management centre, Source: ComPeer 2010 (Companies in the city, eg, Coutts, Deutsche Bank, Rathbones, Rensburg Sheppards manage assets in excess of £12bn)

Liverpool is Europe’s most successful ever Capital of Culture, Source: Jose Manuel Barroso 2009

Liverpool has three world class universities which are internationally recognised, Source: Financial Times 2008

Environmental Technology is one of Liverpool’s fastest-growing sectors, Source: ARUP, 2010

Liverpool is one of the UK’s top three biomedical centres, Source: TMP 2008

Liverpool has the UK’s fastest growing airport, Source: RDC Aviation 2010

Liverpool is in the Premier League of UK retail centres, Source: CACI 2010 (ranked 5th)

Liverpool is one the top visitor destinations in the UK, Source: Conde Nast Awards, 2010 (voted in top 5 UK city break destinations for the second successive year)

The Port of Liverpool is the largest Freeport zone in the UK, Source: Dept of Transport, 2009

Liverpool is a major European centre for advanced manufacturing, Source: Financial Times, 2008 (calibre of companies it attracts, eg: Jaguar/Landrover, Novartis)

Liverpool is the least expensive UK city for office occupancy costs, Source: DTZ, 2008 (20-30% lower than major competitors)

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