Liverpool believes its SMEs can benefit from the world’s biggest business event, reports Alex Turner

LIVERPOOL is changing its message for next year’s World Expo, to make it more attractive to the region’s businesses.

The city has been planning for more than two years for the Shanghai event, which is now only six months away.

It has now shifted its focus to persuading small firms (SMEs) that the Expo is a valuable opportunity not just for the city, but for individual firms of all sizes as well.

Mike Taylor, director of enterprise and investment at Liverpool Vision and also the creative director of Liverpool’s pavilion, acknowledged that the previous strategy needed to evolve.

“I think we spooked a few of the SMEs with the numbers and made them think ‘it’s a bit too difficult’,” he said.

“We focused on the size of the opportunity – we realise we have to distill this down.”

There are some very big numbers involved – more than 200 countries will be represented at the 184-day exhibition, which is preparing to attract 70m visitors to the site.

Liverpool’s pavilion in the Urban Best Practice Pavilion is expecting to welcome 1m people – up to 6,000 a day – which for any business looking to get in front of the right people could seem like trying to find a needle in a 5.3 sq km haystack.

An appreciation of this dissonance between the potential offered by the Expo and an SME’s capability to harness it has seen a lot of work go into making it a more manageable and attractive proposition.

Although the lead sponsorship package cost £100,000 – and was snapped up by Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Mersey Docks owner Peel Holdings – companies can be part of Liverpool’s presence for less than one-tenth of that sum.

Mr Taylor said: “We are not shy in saying the economic climate is difficult but we are finding businesses that realise that if they want to grow in the future they have to understand how to operate in the emerging markets.

“People are increasingly realising it’s a long-term proposition. It’s the easiest way to start dealing in these markets.”

Stressing the global nature of the event, rather than Liverpool’s strong links to the host location, is the second way in which the message has changed.

He said: “Perhaps we didn’t get it absolutely right when we focused on the Liverpool-Shanghai connection. It’s the relationship that allowed us to be there but it diminished the fact that it’s the World Expo which will have 200 countries.

“There’s a growing interest because we have changed the message.

“We are not selling a dream any more, we are selling the harsh realities of the world economy. Businesses need to go global or they will shrink.

“We can connect people with those new markets. It’s got to be better than stumbling around in the dark on their own – we are putting the lights on.”

The assistance includes providing an overseas market intelligence report and assisting with targeted meetings in China, as well as practical help including providing an interpreter for meetings, getting multi-entry business visas, meeting venues and funding support.

Mr Taylor added: “We can offer £1,500 to pay for air fares and hotel costs for every SME. We have negotiated rates, so for the £1,500 you can get out there and back for free.”

The public sector has backed Liverpool’s presence – with £1.25m from the Northwest Development Agency, £300,000 from Liverpool City Council and £18,000 each from Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral councils – but the private sector has been slower to put pen to paper in support.

Smaller packages have been taken by accountants Grant Thornton and power engineering firm EA Technology, while three of the planned six main sponsor slots are expected to be signed for imminently.

Mr Taylor said: “We are pleased with some of the progress and we are much more focused on the fundraising side.

“We have got excellent companies involved and excellent people involved in preparing the message.

“But to maximise the GVA growth it’s about getting the private sector on board.”

The GVA growth – gross value added, a measure of the borough’s economic output – that is forecast from the Expo could be hugely significant.

Liverpool has targeted four areas, backed by an independent report by international consultants Scott Wilson, where they expect to reap tangible rewards.

Increases have been forecast in the number of Chinese tourists and students, as well as a rise in exports and additional inward investment.

The report sets out “relatively conservative” forecasts, such as an additional 100 students a year from 2013 and a 0.25% increase in annual regional exports from 2012, peaking after four years.

This would generate benefits of £5.5m.

However, it goes on to say that “using an upside scenario it is possible the benefit or gross value added (GVA) could range between £15.6m to £47.5m” in the 10 years following the Expo.

Liverpool creative firm River Media is creating a series of films to excite visitors about Liverpool’s offer.

Mr Taylor said: “We expect our 1m visitors to be more focused on the urban best practice and so we expect them to be the more knowledgeable, inquisitive people.

“They will be the potential tourists to Liverpool, or the people who want to send their children to Liverpool universities.”

“Beneath this wow factor, there’s a depth and a breadth to what we have.”

alex.turner