Place event: Impact of Media City

Introducing an independent full-day conference examining the effect that the landmark development by Peel Media could have on the region. High-profile speakers including Shadow Culture Secretary Ivan Lewis will explore the economic, cultural and property potential of Media City.

Much has been spoken about the relocation of five BBC departments to Media City UK but the broader context about the potential of the likely success – or otherwise – of the ambition to create a major and credible regional media hub outside London and the ramifications that this substantial inward investment will have on the region have hitherto not been adequately aired.

There has been plenty of talk in the national media about the pitfalls of relocating 1,800 BBC staff to the barren North while, here in the North West, the talk has primarily related to the impact on house prices in south Manchester, the staff shortages that companies may experience in the short term and the gridlock drivers will face on a wet autumn evening when Man Utd are playing at home.

The full impact of the BBC investment alone – excluding ITV, SIS, Telegraph Media Group and the growing list of relocating companies – will result in cumulative spending of well in excess of £1bn in the coming years and this authoritative full day conference will evaluate the implications and commercial opportunities that will increasingly arise in the coming years.

To help us deliver this ambitious and wide-ranging conference, we have drawn together a number of leading national and regional speakers drawn from politics, the media industry, property, finance and investment who will address the conference. Many of our speakers have not addressed business events in the North West before.

The conference on 20 June will be chaired by the leading broadcaster Rob McLoughlin and confirmed speakers include:

• Ivan Lewis MP (Bury South) Shadow Culture Secretary
• Alice Webb, project director, BBC North
• Jaimie Ferguson, Urban Design Director, Building Design Partnership
• Malcolm Allan, Director, and David Geddes, Principal Associate, Locum Destination Consulting
• Paul Newman, Director, Peel Media
• Graham Russell, Partner Director, Amion Consulting
• David Holdgate, Chief Executive, Satellite Information Services
• Darren Minshall, talent and development director, McCann Manchester (formerly head of HR at Lime Pictures)

Topics and themes to be addressed on the day

• Is the talent pool actually here?
• Is the supply chain here?
• Is there sufficient finance here?
• How does the brand sit regionally/nationally/internationally?
• What is the perception regionally/nationally?
• What is the proposition and size of the market?
• How does the media industry it feel about Media City UK?
• What is the size of the market in property and business terms and the likely additional future investment potential/impact?
• Where will the actual and emerging commercial opportunities arise?

This major full day conference was devised in conjunction with Manchester Business School, and will be hosted jointly by Place North West and How-Do, our sister publication.

Who should attend?

The scale and content of this high-level conference is expected to attract a significant number of senior figures and decision makers from the regional and national property and media worlds together with those interested in planning, investment, finance, related support services and personnel. The conference should specifically be of interest to:

• Owners and managers of media, creative and marketing services companies
• Suppliers of services to the media and marketing services industries
• Property and business consultants
• Telecoms and business service providers
• Economic and business consultants
• Professional advisers and financiers
• Educational organisations and regional trade bodies

Conference schedule

The morning of the conference will focus on the physical and economic aspects of Media City, analysing the size and strength of other creative and media hubs in the UK and internationally and will include in-depth research about specific 'media cities' such as Dubai, Helsinki and Singapore.

There will also be examination of the size and economic output of the current creative and media sector in the North West together with forecasts on the potential impact the development of MCUK is likely to have in coming years, and indeed, one of the key objectives of this conference, will be to set out various benchmarks that can be used to measure the progress and development of Media City in relation to other significant 'media centres'.

In the afternoon, the focus will be more on people and the actual creative output and we'll be looking at the supply chain, finance and HR/talent issues.

The morning and afternoon sessions will each close with a Q&A panel featuring the sessions' respective speakers.

Conference detail and ticket information

Venue: One First Street, Manchester, M1 5DE

Date: Monday 20 June

Timing: 9am to 4.30pm

Ticket prices:

• Half day: Morning or afternoon tickets are available including lunch, £85+VAT
• Full day: Includes lunch, £145+VAT.

To book a ticket(s), please click here .

For information about the conference, please dunstan@how-do.co.uk or call How-Do/Place North West at 0161 834 9487.