ALLIANCE Boots and UK Regeneration have announced they will be boosting the Team Nottingham line-up when it showcases the city at MIPIM, the international property event, next month.
A dozen businesses and organisations from across the Nottinghamshire property sector will be leading Team Nottingham at MIPIM in Cannes in March, an event that attracts thousands of investors and developers from across the globe.
Another first for 2013's Team Nottingham effort is the collaboration with D2N2, the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Private sector firms have committed £30,000 to the event. The Invest in Nottingham Club is making a contribution to support the attendance of Nottingham City Council.
Director of Innes England Tim Garratt, who has played a key role in organising Nottingham's presence, said: "This is the strongest and most exciting Team Nottingham we have had since the private sector began representing the city at MIPIM. For the third year running, we have had a number of private firms across Nottingham and the county who are keen to maintain the city's prominence at MIPIM.
"Over the past few years, Nottingham has succeeded in establishing a recognisable presence there – and it is vital that we keep this momentum going.
"We are delighted to see three new members for 2013 – the international pharmacy-led health and beauty group, Alliance Boots, whose Nottingham site is the home of Boots UK, and UK Regeneration – which is developing a pilot 'village' scheme in the city. Also joining the team is Nottingham PR and communications firm Cartwright Communications, which has supported Team Nottingham in previous years, helping it raise its profile nationally and internationally.
"That Nottinghamshire is partnering Derby and Derbyshire this year, with the LEP and the attendance of Peter Richardson at Cannes, strengthens our efforts even further and shows a united, regional approach to our efforts.
"The private sector partners involved in this year's delegation to MIPIM had no difficulty making a business case for being there.
"We have opportunities to market, requirements to compete for and we wanted to make sure that the Team Nottingham brand was out there and visible at the biggest event on Europe's property and investment calendar.
"We are pleased to be taking Invest in Nottingham, which won't be making a financial contribution – but we felt we needed their expertise and knowledge."
Mark Chivers, director of the enterprise zone at Alliance Boots, said: "Alliance Boots recognises the importance of MIPIM in terms of inward investment to the city. The Nottingham Enterprise Zone is high on the city's agenda and MIPIM will be the ideal environment to talk to investors about its massive potential as a centre for innovation and product development in the health, beauty and wellness sphere.
"The reality is that Nottingham has to compete for future inward investment. We are in competition with locations such as Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield – and it is vital that we attend MIPIM to showcase exactly what is possible in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, particularly to attract further interest in our enterprise zone opportunities."
Jackie Sadek, chief executive of UK Regeneration, said : "Nottingham is where we plan to build our pilot development, 'sandfields' in Lenton, which will be the template for our nationwide regeneration programme.
"We have been attending MIPIM for over 15 years but this year we are thrilled to be part of Team Nottingham. As inward investors to the city, we have met with a hugely warm and supportive response. Part of the attraction for UKR is the way that Nottingham can harness all its resources into one coherent team, and we would recommend the approach to other British cities."
Stuart Knight, director for strategic asset and property management at Nottingham City Council, said: "I'm delighted to be part of Team Nottingham at MIPIM this year. There is an unprecedented amount of development and investment activity in the city either already happening or about to begin and I'm confident this will be our best MIPIM ever.
"We have a fantastic team of public and private sector professionals representing Nottingham and we already have events and meetings in the MIPIM diary to promote the raft of opportunities, and we will be launching our new incentive packages to attract further interest."
Peter Richardson, chairman of D2N2, said: ''I'm very proud to be supporting Team Nottingham at MIPIM in March. We can showcase the Enterprise Zone to a broad international audience as well as making a very strong representation on behalf of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire that I consider to be the jewel in the UK crown for business potential.
"Team Nottingham is part of a co-ordinated mission from the D2N2 local enterprise partnership to maximise job-creating investment into Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire."
Team Nottingham will comprise representatives of Alliance Boots, UK Regeneration, Innes England, Gleeds, Geldards, Morgan Tucker, Rizk McCay, Cartwright Communications, Couch Perry & Wilkes, CPMG Architects, Miller Birch and Invest in Nottingham.