New business confidence should see region through hard times

Oct 8 2008 by Bill Gleeson, Liverpool Daily Post

OPINIONS are not hard to find in Liverpool. And the business community, like many others across the city, is not slow in coming forwards to offer its view of how the land lies.

In the past week, against the backdrop of continuing mayhem in the money markets, we've seen and heard what seems like more than our fair share of experts offering their views on the state of the economy.

At the Liverpool Summit conference, it was very much the global picture being studied. Before this event was formally under way at the increasingly impressive BT Convention Centre, it was the national picture which took centre stage at a Financial Times Breakfast.

This event, coinciding with the appearance in that day's FT of a supplement all about Liverpool and Merseyside, was a thought provoking affair.

Like so many things connected with Liverpool this year, the perception of the city is changing.

Back in the early days of bidding for Capital of Culture, there were those of the view that to succeed in altering the city's image both at home and abroad was a big enough prize to aim for. Anything above and beyond that goal would be a welcome bonus.

Well, here we are. And have we got news for them.

The positive coverage of Liverpool's year as Capital of Culture has been phenomenal. And during coffee and croissants with the great and the good at the FT Breakfast on Wednesday, there was a discernible confidence about the way the city and wider region had succeeded in altering old and outdated perceptions.

It's hard right now I know, but if you put aside the current financial maelstrom, and ask, as many are, how well positioned our business sector and local economy may be to weather the storms, there are some positive answers.

First of all, let's all be grateful we have an Echo Arena, Liverpool; we have a Liverpool One and we have the new hotels and commercial buildings on the landscape not on the drawing board.

Make no mistake, if we'd hit these uncharted waters a year or two ago, the picture would look very different.

I'm not saying there will not be difficult times ahead. There undoubtedly will be.

But our economy is far more sophisticated than it has been in other tough periods.

It will be tough and there are big challenges ahead.

That was a recurring message throughout all last week's busi- ness gatherings which culmin- ated in the publication of the 2008 Merseyside Economic Review by The Mersey Partnership.

There, caution remained the watchword.

MATT JOHNSON is chairman of Mando Group.