Lord Mayor Nuala McAllister Leads Business Mission To London

Eight Belfast companies are joining Belfast Lord Mayor Nuala McAllister on a business mission to London.

The delegation will attend a networking reception and buyer forum at the Mansion House this evening - one of the first events to be hosted by the new Lord Mayor of the City of London, Charles Bowman.

Hosted by Belfast Partners, the event will give the Belfast delegation the opportunity to showcase the city to 150 influential leaders from the London business community, to highlight investment opportunities, and market Belfast as a leading city in which to live, work and do business.

Speaking ahead of the event, Councillor McAllister said: "Coming on the heels of yesterday's announcement from the Chancellor around negotiations for a City Deal for the Belfast region, this event underpins the importance of building connections with key decision-makers and influencers, and opening up those lines of communication for the benefit of not just Belfast, but the entire economy of Northern Ireland.

"It is crucial that we connect with other international cities if we are to compete on a global stage, and this will be a fantastic opportunity to meet with decision-makers face to face and sell our city, as it were."

Belfast City Council Chief Executive Suzanne Wylie added: "Our Belfast Agenda sets out clear ambitions to create 50,000 new jobs by 2035 , continue our excellent track record of foreign direct investment, and to attract £1 billion investment towards real estate and regeneration projects to transform the city and create vibrant communities and neighbourhoods over the next four years.

"The Belfast Partners initiative gives us an opportunity to market Belfast and make important connections which will help to deliver real results for Belfast and the surrounding region."

The audience at the London event will be mainly drawn from the financial, fintech and cyber security sectors.

Belfast Partners is a business networking initiative that connects Belfast with other fast-growth international cities. It provides opportunities for Belfast's city executive leaders and its companies to tap into new business potential and for investors to quickly access information on property investment and job creation.

Building on the robust links that have been established between Belfast and London, the Partners initiative will launch in Dublin next spring, with plans also underway for Berlin.

(MH)