A Coventry and Warwickshire business network will invite key figures to reflect on the last decade and discuss the region's future at a special anniversary celebration.
Coventry and Warwickshire Champions and Place Board, part of Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), will welcome more than 150 business representatives from across the region to the Coventry Building Society Arena on Wednesday, September 14 for its 10th Anniversary Breakfast Meeting.
The celebration event, running from 7.30am until 10am, will feature keynote speeches from Jon Dutton, Chief Executive of the Rugby League World Cup; John Latham, Vice-Chancellor & CEO of The Coventry University Group; Martin Reeves, Chief Executive of Coventry City Council; and Rebecca Battman, Founder & Managing Director of rbl Brand Agency.
Les Ratcliffe MBE, Chair of Coventry and Warwickshire Champions and Place Board, said: “We are looking forward to hearing from our fantastic line-up of speakers in our keynote and panel sessions, as well as new and familiar faces joining us for 10th anniversary Champions event at the Arena.
“We are extremely proud to have reached this milestone as it represents not only an effort of a handful of people, but a shared, community achievement.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to bring the region together to celebrate the successes of the last decade, but ultimately to start building towards an even better business future across Coventry and Warwickshire.”
Jon Dutton, who is the Chief Executive of the Rugby League World Cup 2021 (postponed until 2022), has been involved in the project since its inception in late 2015 having successfully led the bid for the tournament.
Before this role, Jon was the Director of Projects & People for the Rugby Football League. He is a sports management graduate with over 27 years’ experience in the sports industry.
John Latham is Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the Coventry University Group and has guided the university to its highest rankings while driving its growth at home and abroad.
He is a board member at CWLEP, and will be bringing Champions members up to speed on recent developments and plans for the university – but also looking forward a decade to give an insight to its longer-term future.
Martin Reeves has been Chief Executive of Coventry City Council since April 2009 and was the driver in forming the Coventry and Warwickshire Place Board and Champions a decade ago. He has had many leading national Governmental roles and recently was once again included in the top 50 of the Local Government Chronicle’s most influential people in local government.
Martin will – with reference to recent times – be giving his insight on how he expects Coventry and Warwickshire to develop over the next 10 years, assessing where its opportunities lie, and what hurdles it might have to overcome to continue its success.
Rebecca Battman, Founder and Managing Director at Leamington-based rbl Brand Agency, has seen the company undertake three major contracts which have played a huge part in changing perceptions of the region during the summer.
Rebecca has spent most of the past 30 years helping complex organisations build powerful brands with bold ambitions.
Sarah Windrum, Chair of CWLEP, will also join Martin Reeves and John Latham as part of a panel session to discuss the future of the region.
To book your place visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/coventry-and-warwickshire-champions-10th-anniversary-breakfast-meeting-tickets-387967460117
Caption: Coventry and Warwickshire Champions at the Coventry Building Society Arena in 2021