Liverpool to host world's biggest waterfront conference

Mar 10 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL will play host to the world’s largest waterfront regeneration conference later this year, the Daily Post can reveal.

WaterfrontExpo 2008 will be staged at the new BT Convention Centre from November 3-5, following an agreement between The Mersey Partnership (TMP) and the event organiser, MediaGeneration Ltd.

The official announcement will be made tomorrow at the world’s largest property summit, MIPIM (Marché International des Professionels d’Immobilier), in Cannes on the French Riviera.

The three-day WaterfrontExpo is a major coup for Liverpool and TMP’s Mersey Waterfront programme – which aims to use the Mersey as a driver of the area’s economy.

It will attract delegates from across the globe and will see Mersey waterfront take top billing alongside major international waterfront cities including Shanghai and San Francisco.

TMP has been working with MediaGeneration, ACC Liverpool and the Northwest Regional Development Agency over recent months to bring together key elements of the project.

The conference will show international case studies, an exhibition, and provide networking opportunities for those attending.

WaterfrontExpo 2008 is expected to emulate the success of last year’s event in the Portugese capital Lisbon, which welcomed more than 530 people from 72 waterfront cities including Torontog and Wellington.

TMP board member and chairman of Mersey Waterfront, Sara Wilde, said: “Waterfront Expo 08 is a prime opportunity to showcase our diverse 145km coastline to an influential audience of designers, planners and developers from across the world. The event will put our coastline at the heart of internat- ional waterfront regeneration, holding up the Mersey Waterfront programme as an example of good practice and creating a lasting impact and legacy through potential new networking and investment opportunities.

“Given Liverpool’s maritime heritage, it’s also timely that the eyes of the regeneration world will be looking to Mersey Waterfront as Liverpool takes centre-stage for European Capital of Culture year.”

Project director for WaterfrontExpo Mark Beaumont said the event was being brought to the city because the local partners were “highly enthusiastic and dynamic”.

davidbartlett