Seven Deadly Wins of Business News?

Earlier this week, The University of Warwick held an event to debate the future of business news. Sparked by consultation on the future of the Birmingham Post as a daily or weekly title, the speakers included the University’s Chancellor – Richard Lambert – and Post editor Marc Reeves.  

The event has already been reported in the Post and you will soon be able to see footage on the Warwick website.

A decision on the future of the Post is expected very soon whilst Marc Reeves will expand on his strong argument for profit-driven business journalism and developing a new model for today’s newspaper titles as strong brands and communities in his own pages next week.

As DG of the CBI and former editor of the FT, Richard Lambert knows a thing or two about business news. His seven principles are worthy of highlighting:

1. Keep it Lean
2. Make sure it is Trusted
3. People are looking for Judgement
4. All business is International and the FT’s success today is, in part, due to its investment in printing worldwide and a global  network of correspondents
5. The value lies in Premium services, available at all times across all channels
6. Newspapers are not just about scoops, they also need to be about Ideas
7. The web is not just a networked repository of data, but an Interactive platform for genuine engagement.

As new models emerge for providing local and business news and as media converges, Lambert’s seven point guide provides a pretty good checklist for what consumers want from their news media, particularly in respect of business journalism.

Hippodrome Hits the Headlines

Urban has been working behind the scenes with the Hippodrome’s executive team to generate regional as well as national interest in the theatre’s goal to become an internationally recognised Cultural Enterprise and an International Centre of Dance. The recent 2009-2012 Prospectus, project managed by Urban and designed by Soda Design, has generated great interest from the media, including the Birmingham Post and The Stage .

And the winner is…

Suzie Branch, Client Services Director of BHMG Marketing, has been crowned BYPY 2009 at the award ceremy on Thursday 4th June at the ICC.  Alongside the announcement of this year’s BYPY, Alan Chathan of Birmingham Development Company won Inspiring Leader of the Year 2009.  Urban provides communications services to Birmingham Future, including media relations and speechwriting services.  Please click here for further information.

Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Awards 2009

Birmingham Future will be hosting its 9th annual BYPY awards 2009 on Thursday 4th June at the ICC Birmingham.  The annual event celebrates the wealth of talent in our city’s professional, financial and creative services sectors and the black tie dinner will be hosted by British design guru Wayne Hemmingway, founder of fashion brand Red or Dead.  On the night, there will be five award categories in which the city’s young professionals will battle it out in: Legal, Communications, Property and Construction, Financial and Entrepreneurial.  In addition, the overall Birmingham Professional of the Year 2009 will be announced.