Coming Up

October is a busy month for Birmingham Future, with plenty for all interests to get involved with.  Below is a short list of some of the events that the blog hopes to cover, and that should you want to, you can attend.

• Meet & Mix Lunch – 1st October –  Peter Rees-Steer, talks about how young leaders can, and are making a difference in the city.  The meet & mix lunches are one of the most popular events run by Future, and with the Birmingham Young Inspiring Leader speaking, its sure to be a sell out.
• New Graduates Welcome Event – 8th October – A chance for this year’s new graduates across the city and from all areas of the professional services sector, to meet, network and be welcomed into the city. 
• Speed Networking – 9th October – Its like speed dating for your business.  3 minutes, some drinks, some canapes.  Held at Bluu on Summer Row.
• Birmingham Half Marathon – 26th October – Birmingham Future’s team are deep into training for the city’s first half marathon, all in aid of the Birmingham Foundation.  If you don’t want to run, then come along and support.  You can donate to the Future Team here.

As you can see, its another month of fantastic networking opportunities with Birmingham Future.  If you want to know more about becoming a member, or you want to attend one of the events, then you can contact the office by calling 0121 632 2200 or by email:  info@birminghamforward.co.uk.

Birmingham Future Welcomes The City’s New Recruits

For the second year running, Birmingham Future will be hosting a “Welcome to Birmingham” event for this year’s fresh graduates joining the City’s Professional and Financial Services community.

“Welcome to Birmingham” will take place at the Council House in Victoria Square on Wednesday 8th October 2008. At the reception graduates will be joined by members of the Birmingham Forward Board and Birmingham Future Leadership Team and will have the opportunity to meet and network with their contempories joining the Professional Services sector in the City. This year’s event is supported by Locate in Birmingham.

Peter Rees-Steer, Birmingham Future’s Inspiring Leader 2008, and Anthony McCourt, Birmingham Young Professional of the Year 2008, will be providing a formal welcome to this year’s graduates. They will also be sharing their personal experiences and inspirations of living and working within the City of Birmingham.

Graduates will also benefit from a brief session hosted by Sarah Gee, former Chairman of Birmingham Future, on the importance of networking and building business relations. She will be revealing tips on how to get the most out of networking opportunities and how it plays a vital part in business success.

In addition, continuing Birmingham Future’s core theme of developing personal social responsibility among the city’s young professionals, “Welcome to Birmingham” will once again join forces with Thrive!, Birmingham’s Corporate Social Responsibility Forum, to demonstrate all the different ways graduate professionals can get involved with volunteer work and fundraising programmes within the City and beyond.

St Mary’s Hospice, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Birmingham Foundation will be taking exhibition space at the event to encourage engagement and support to their organisations.

Matt Taylor, Chairman of Birmingham Future, is delighted to be hosting the second annual “Welcome to Birmingham” reception.

“Last year’s inaugural event saw the Council House Banqueting Suite full to bursting with the city’s newest graduates embarking on their careers. It was a fantastic atmosphere. Birmingham Future, as the representative body for young professionals in the city, believes that is important that we officially mark the migration of the hundreds of graduates who have decided to start their lives in the professional services sector in this city.

“Young professionals play a significant part in the vibrancy and prosperity of the sector and we want all of them to know how thrilled we are they have chosen Birmingham as the launch pad for their careers.”