Businesses in Cardiff are being given the opportunity to take part in ‘The Cardiff Conversation,’ and have their say on issues affecting the city’s economy.
On Thursday, January 6 at City Hall, Deputy Leader for Cardiff Council, Cllr Neil McEvoy will officially launch the Cardiff Conversation to seek the views of business people in the Welsh capital.
Over the past ten years Cardiff has experienced a period of economic growth, particularly in the private sector, with many new businesses opening. The city is now one of the most economically competitive and culturally vibrant in the United Kingdom and it has grown into its role as the political, commercial and cultural capital of Wales.
However, we have entered a new economic era. Pressure on public, private and consumer spending may cause businesses to struggle, with knock-on effects throughout the city’s economy.
The Council’s Business Development team are looking at how best to respond, and want to hear the views of businesses large and small on which business support initiatives can continue to help drive prosperity in the city and the wider region.
A short film featuring interviews with a range of businesses in the city will be shown. The event will also feature contributions from Adrian Clark, CEO of Legal and General in Cardiff and Chair of the Cardiff Business Partnership, and Greg Clarke, the internationally renowned expert on economic development.
Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Economic Development, Cllr Neil McEvoy, commented “2010 was a tough year for business across the whole of the UK, and in Wales in particular. If Wales is to become a competitive economy again, then Cardiff needs to lead the way. We’ve got a lot of the raw materials – now we’ve got to make it happen.
‘We know that we need to design new economic development policies and initiatives that fit the new economic reality, and support the growth businesses of the 21st Century. That’s what the Cardiff Conversation is all about – listening to business, so that we can best serve the needs of business and develop a thriving and prosperous capital city.’
