Talking Up Teesside – when the nation talks us down

We explore the reputational challenges facing the region and ask what role the business community can play in changing the narrative. The region’s businesspeople are urged to sign up for the forthcoming Tees Business Live as Middlesbrough mayor Chris Cooke leads a timely debate exploring the reputational challenges facing the town and the wider Tees Valley. Mayor Cooke will be joined by Gary Potts, vice principal: business, innovation and community partnerships at Middlesbrough College, Tom Roberton, CEO of IT specialists Circle Cloud, and Amy Wanless, corporate partner at law firm Square One, the event sponsor. Taking place at Acklam Hall, Middlesbrough, on Tuesday October 13, Talking Up Teesside – When the Nation Talks Us Down will ask what damaging national headlines – and positive coverage around The Turner Prize - mean for businesses trying to invest, grow, recruit and attract talent here. Crucially, the panel will explore what the region’s business community can do to help change the narrative. Over recent weeks, Middlesbrough and the wider Tees region have attracted national headlines around organised crime, violence and tragedy, with stories reaching millions of people across the UK and beyond. But this discussion isn't about policing or politics. It's about business, reputation and confidence. Bringing perspectives from local government, education, technology and the legal sector, the panel will consider how perceptions of Middlesbrough and Teesside can affect the region economically. Do negative headlines influence investment decisions? Do they make it more difficult for businesses to recruit talented people from outside the area? And what happens when customers, clients, colleagues or potential employees ask: "What's going on in Teesside?" The discussion will also tackle some potentially uncomfortable questions. Has the national media fairly represented Middlesbrough and Teesside? Are we sometimes too quick to complain about negative coverage rather than acknowledge genuine challenges? And, equally, are the region's successes, opportunities and ambitions receiving anything like the same national attention? Most importantly, the conversation will look forward and ask what can be done. What role should businesses play as ambassadors for Teesside? How can employers, organisations and individuals do more to showcase the innovation, investment, opportunity and success stories happening here every day? And how can we prevent a relatively small number of negative stories from coming to define an entire region? And the discussion won't focus solely on the downside of national attention. It will also explore the opportunities created when Teesside finds itself in the national spotlight for all the right reasons. Teesside University's Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) is currently hosting the prestigious Turner Prize, bringing national and international media attention to Middlesbrough and putting the town at the centre of Britain's cultural conversation. The panel will consider how the region can capitalise on positive moments such as this to challenge perceptions, build confidence and tell a broader, more compelling story about modern Teesside. Talking Up Teesside – When the Nation Talks Us Down will be an open, constructive and solutions-focused conversation involving the panel and an audience of local business leaders, entrepreneurs and decision-makers. Network, connect and join the conversation Tees Business LIVE isn't just about listening to the panel. There will be plenty of opportunity to meet and connect with fellow members of the Teesside business community, share views and build new relationships in the impressive surroundings of Middlesbrough's only Grade I listed building, Acklam Hall. The event runs from 11am to 1pm on Tuesday October 13, with networking opportunities over refreshments and canapés from Acklam Hall's new Brasserie. Tees Business LIVE is held in association with Square One and series associate the North East Chamber of Commerce. Join us at Acklam Hall as we confront the reputational challenges facing our region, celebrate what's going right and ask what businesses can do to ensure Teesside tells its own story. And keeps Talking Up Teesside.