In March, WP Thompson welcomed members of the IR Global networking group from around the world to a regional meeting right here in Liverpool. Delegates included corporate service providers, legal advisors and intellectual property specialists from Ireland to the United States, who were treated to some of the best of what the city can offer. The Beatles Story, the Royal Liver Building tour, Shiverpool and the inimitable Philharmonic Dining Rooms gave our guests a flavour of the sights, sounds (and screams) of our home.
Around the sightseeing opportunities, presentations covered the history of Liverpool and its current place in the world of professional services (with thanks to Phil Adams for a fantastic talk from Professional Liverpool), as well as different aspects of intellectual property management. This gave delegates the chance to learn more about the city and its people, as well as stimulating discussions with one another on the nature of our work and the potential for building business collaborations and relationships in Liverpool and further afield.
In much the same way as Professional Liverpool events bring local businesses together, the IR Global network helps foster national and international relationships. The importance of such events for the businesses involved cannot be understated. Delegates from different fields get to meet like-minded service providers and explore collaborative opportunities that might not otherwise have been identified without the chance for that all-important conversation “around the water cooler”. Simply giving ourselves the opportunity to talk to one another can yield so much potential for both us and our clients, whose needs are, of course, paramount.
The feedback from delegates about the city and its people was also glowing, which goes a long way in developing the reputation of our home, a crucial aspect of drawing business into the city, as identified by Phil. The more chances we can create for people to visit Liverpool and see what business opportunities are available, and the more we “Come Together” as a city to talk, collaborate, and explore avenues for growth with one another, the more we can continue to develop Liverpool’s status on the national and global professional services stage.