Greatest Birmingham Chambers Awards

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce flood the ICC with the group’s biggest Awards Dinner ever. Jas Sansi set sail for a celebration of the best in Business. 

CEO Paul Faulkner welcomed over 1300 guests at last night’s Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Awards Dinner. He shared a little insight with the hall; it was the second ever largest awards dinner in Birmingham, overshadowed only by Slimmers World. 

The Slimmers World event can only get bigger by shedding pounds, and the Chambers can only grow by gaining pounds. So there’s a challenge for regional business next year; make more pounds, book more seats and lets be the biggest.  We’ll have better desserts as well. 

I spotted Laura Shoaf, MD of Transport for West Midlands. Standing here with the recently appointed High Sheriff of the West Midlands, Chris Loughran. 

Chamber President Paul Kehoe CBE wore the full office medal for this picture but opted for the smaller blue one when delivering his speech. Paul who recently stepped down as CEO of Birmingham Airport told me his hobby of flying is an expensive one, adding the best two days of owning a plane is the day you buy it and the day you sell it! 

The evening was wonderfully hosted by Stephen Mangan, an actor who amongst other roles provided the voice for Postman Pat; The Movie. I mention that because my son was a huge fan of Postman Pat and I have fond memories of watching it together. He’s now into Grime, which is not something we’ve ever shared any time listening to. 

Great to see Deborah Cadman OBE in attendance. Here with Stephen. Deborah is CEO of the West Midlands Combined Authority and one of the most powerful women in the region. 

There were many inspirational women in the room. The President’s Award went to The Ice Maidens, a British Army unit of six female soldiers who crossed the Antarctic via the South Pole, by foot.

I met the Ice Maidens before their mission and learned they were given a weight gain diet to prepare for Arctic conditions; White Wine, Chocolate and Ice Cream. All of these were available at the Chamber Awards Dinner though I suspect no one walked home via the South Pole.

 

Lots of familiar faces across all divisions of the Chamber which recently expanded to create the Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce. This is an exciting venture in the build up to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022. 

Katie Hale from Plott Creative attended her first Chamber Awards as President of Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce. Looking forward to hearing great things about Sutton Chamber under Katie’s leadership. 

The Awards dinner is more than business, there is representation from all fields. Here’s Professor Julian Beer from BCU and MP Liam Byrne representing politics. Brexit was mentioned in Paul Faulkner’s welcome speech with the Chamber recently publishing a Brexit Toolkit. And no, it doesn’t contain a hammer to smash over Nigel Farage’s head. 

Here’s Paul Reeves and Mandeep Rajput from @HelloB, a brand new digital banking service that helps you manage your money. Mandeep purchased this signed Messi shirt in aid of Acorns Hospice, the designated charity for the evening. 

Aston Performing Arts smashed it with a tribute to Motown which got the front row VIP tables to their feet. Tru Powell may be back on this very stage next month as a Marketing & Communications winner at BYPY. Good luck Tru. 

And how about the awards themselves? Well in true Noah’s Ark style, the winners came in two by two. Millennium Point headed up by LoveBrum Trustee Judith Armstrong won two awards, Addfield won two and Curium won two included Business of the Year. 

Let’s take a look at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce 2018 winners:  

Excellence in Training & Education – Millennium Point

Excellence in International Business – Addfield Environmental Systems

Excellence in Contributing to the Community – Acorns Childrens Hospice

Excellence in Customer Service – CV Library

Excellence in Hospitality Award – Millennium Point

Excellence in Technology & Innovation – Crown Highways

Excellence in People Development – Curium Solutions

Excellence in Manufacturing – Addfield Environmental Systems

Excellence in Sales & Marketing – Selfridges

Greater Birmingham Business of the Year – Curium Solutions

Congratulations to all the winners and well done to all the finalists. Huge thanks to the sponsors without whom, events like these simply would not be possible. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone back next year. Consider putting your business up for nomination for next year’s awards. The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce event is a powerful vehicle to showcase all that is great about your company. 

Congratulations to Acorns Children’s Hospice on winning the Excellence in Contributing to the Community Award. A great way to celebrate their 30th anniversary. A huge thank you to everyone who helped raise £5100 to support the incredibly important work Acorns provide. 

Business is a bridge to reach others in a world where walls and boundaries get too many headlines. Business creates employment, opportunities and a way to channel talent for the benefit of all. Business generates the tax receipts that keep the country’s heart beating.

Business is a human instinct. Our island nation was forged on the ability to reach out and trade with our neighbours, near and far. Our climate here in the UK means we can’t grow everything but our education system, funded by trade, empowers us to grow the people who can do everything. And that’s something worth celebrating. See you in 2019. 

The full set of images from the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Annual Dinner & Awards 2018: https://www.flickr.com/photos/92331272@N06/sets/72157692706713632

Join the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce: https://www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com

Information about Acorns Children’s Hospice: acorns.org.uk

Jas Sansi is a freelance photographer based in Birmingham, a trustee for LoveBrum and columnist for The Asian Today newspaper.

@jassansi 07930 837 505

 

 

The Future Looks Bright

 

Birmingham Young Professional of the Year announce the finalists for #BYPY18.

LoveBrum trustee Jas Sansi scans the list of nominations and highlights just a few of those to look out for on the night. 

 

Birmingham Young Professional of the Year lights up the city on Thursday 24th May 2018. Expect couture, bling and heels but don’t expect anything less than the city’s finest emerging talent.

Law firm Irwin Mitchell have secured two of the three places in the Legal Category. Chrissi Wolfe and Laura Daly are going to make it difficult to bet against Irwin Mitchell making this category anything but their own.

The Marketing and Communications category is represented by three young professionals who have made a huge impact on the city. Tru Powell, Beth Sadler and Sunny Gill are no strangers to Birmingham’s business network. A tweet shared by these three would hit every significant social media account in Brum.

Gurpreet Bassi from SDL Bigwood has been nominated in Property and Construction. Fresh from success at Signature Awards in February, Gurpreet is one to watch. He has been mentored by Property Guru, Paul Bassi and that’s an education money cannot buy. Good luck Gurpreet.  

For Finance, RBS’s Andy Lee demonstrates if at first you don’t succeed try and try again. BYPY should note Andy will not be taking no for an answer until his name is engraved in BYPY history. Andy’s team recently hosted a visit from CEO, Ross McEwan who addressed a packed Hotel du Vin conference room discussing how the banking group can best serve a diverse city like Birmingham. 

He’s up against some serious competition in Zoe Brown from PwC Midlands. PwC are one of the big four accounting practices and the one, British Prime Ministers are unable to ignore. The Cornwall Street office have hosted both Prime Minister David Cameron and Prime Minister Theresa May in recent years. Zoe Brown is another one to look out for on the 24th.

Best of luck to all finalists on the night. The overall winner of BYPY 2018 receives a £20,000 MBA Scholarship at Aston University Business School. This is an extraordinary legacy prize for one amazing winner. Can I get a woo woo? 

On behalf of the Trustees, Ambassadors, Members and Partners, may I convey a huge thank you to BYPY for supporting LoveBrum as the designated charity for the evening. LoveBrum is the charity for a better Birmingham casting a spotlight on projects across the city. LoveBrum bring these to the attention of members who have the opportunity to steer funding by a process of voting.

BYPY and their parent organisation BPS (Birmingham Professional Services) have the benefit of being under the leadership of Sophie Carlile and Victoria Ball. The BYPY Judging Panel was chaired by West Midlands Combined Authority CEO Deborah Cadman OBE. With this trio of leading ladies, BYPY 2018 will be the best one yet.

The future looks bright, the future looks BYPY. 

Jas Sansi is a freelance photographer based in Birmingham, a trustee for LoveBrum and columnist for The Asian Today newspaper.

@jassansi 07930 837 505

 

 

 

The Ivy Birmingham Launch

Fabulous launch on Tuesday night to ignite the socials for The Ivy Birmingham. Jas Sansi revisits some of the snaps taken at last Tuesday’s unveiling. 

 

The room was cleared ahead of 250 guests arriving for the VIP and Media Reception.

I only photographed the second VIP launch. The events were co-ordinated by ReWired PR who packed the restaurant out on both nights. 

 

Great to see so many familiar faces enjoying the open bar including The Ivy’s signature beer, champagne and canapés.

The Ivy Birmingham had 8000 bookings before they even opened last Wednesday.

The restaurant is in the building previously occupied by Louis Vuitton and Austin Reed. 

There are three floors in total. A private dining room, The Archer Room is on the top floor. This will be available to book from May 2018. 

The Archer Room is  named after the architect, Thomas Archer who designed Birmingham Cathedral which can be seen from The Ivy. 

The Ivy is next door to Fumo and will be getting a new neighbour later this year. ITV This Morning’s Gino D’Acampo.

The restaurant has created 150 jobs and demonstrated a huge injection of confidence in Birmingham. 

Having seen the menu, I’m confident they will do very well here in Brum. I’m looking forward to returning in May for a birthday dinner. 

Huge thanks to the ReWired PR team for the assignment, the Jewellery Quarter based Agency is no stranger to welcoming the big guns to Birmingham. A great team to work with. Details can be found at rewiredpr.com 

See you at The Ivy. 

Full set of images from the launch: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jassansi/sets/72157695539665905

My blog on why Birmingham is attracting so much attention from companies like The Ivy: https://jassansi.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/the-ivy-extends-to-birmingham/

Jas Sansi is a freelance photographer based in Birmingham, a trustee of LoveBrum and columnist for The Asian Today.

@jassansi 07930 837 505

The Ivy Extends to Birmingham

The Ivy unveils a new branch in Birmingham. Jas Sansi powers up his Nikon and charges over to the most anticipated opening of 2018.

 

Unless you frequently walk across the city centre, you may have failed to notice just how hilly Birmingham is. We’re the fourth highest city above sea level, canal boat users negotiate twenty locks to enter Gas Street Basin, the heart of the Midlands Canal Network.

City Bikes zipping around the flat streets of the capital may experience a more challenging terain here in Brum. Little surprise Boris bikes in London have three gears, whilst we are to have seven. That said, I am looking forward to them.

The highest point in the city is home to Birmingham Cathedral. It’s befitting for this magnificent Anglican gem to stand in the heart of the city at the greatest elevation. The Cathedral celebrated it’s 300th anniversary in 2015 with a stunning refurbishment. If you’ve never been, do pop in. 

To enjoy the exterior, stroll across the Cathedral grounds, affectionately known as Pigeon Park. Sit on one of many benches provided and enjoy the  stained glass windows by Birmingham born Edward Burne-Jones. Alternatively you can request a window table at The Ivy.

The Ivy launched this week in Temple Row bringing the Art Deco elegance of this London establishment 119 miles up the motorway. 

To The Ivy, I would like to convey a very warm welcome to Birmingham. We’re the youngest city in Europe with 40% of our citizens under the age of 25.

The Ivy may have taken 101 years to arrive but they find themselves in good company, there’s never been a better time to be in Brum.

…a finely tuned orchestra of colour

HSBC return to their historic home in May 2018 moving their UK headquarters from London Canary Wharf to Birmingham Westside. 

We’re proud of our neighbours, Coventry for winning City of Culture 2021. Coventry will unveil a programme of events in the build up to the Commonwealth Games hosted by Birmingham in 2022.

 

The four years after 2022 see unprecedented development around an integrated and enhanced transport system; an expanded Birmingham Airport, more Metro, cycle lanes and quite possibly driverless cars. 

The forest of cranes across the city’s skyline will give way to a new version of Birmingham. And then we have 2026.

In 2026, London is pulled closer to Birmingham with the arrival of HS2. Londoners who can’t get a table at The Ivy in WC2 can make the 45 minute journey to the group’s Temple Row restaurant. Snooze meals off with the return journey or better still, stay overnight and further enjoy all the city has to offer. 

We’re a city of learning. Along with the biggest public library in Europe, Birmingham can boast more Universities than Florence and more trees than Paris, under which 65,000 students can aspire to become the next Isaac Newton.

The Ivy Birmingham is a finely tuned orchestra of colour. The fabrics, materials and paints test my Nikon’s colour handling ability. Its a challenge the restaurant has posed and the camera company accepted for over a century. Both The Ivy and Nikon began their incredible journeys in 1917. 

The results are here for all to see, and hopefully enjoy. See you at The Ivy.

The full set of images from the VIP launch of The Ivy Birmingham: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jassansi/albums/72157695539665905

 The Ivy Birmingham

@IvyBirmingham   theivybirmingham.com

67-71 Temple Row, Birmingham B2 5LS

0121 725 2110

Jas Sansi is a freelance photographer based in Birmingham, a trustee of LoveBrum and columnist for The Asian Today.

@jassansi 07930 837 505

 

Street Art in Digbeth

Street Art is inherantly transitional. The work is outdoors and exposed to the elements. What the weather fails to corrode, city developers tear down in the march for progress. And without ownership of the walls, other street artists paint over existing pieces introducing new backdrops to the district. 

Street Art is a temporary exhibition but unlike mainstream art which can tour, Street Art, once gone, is gone forever. 

There’s no doubt, as Birmingham develops, the underground nature of Street Art will be displaced by gentrified districts. No successful city is exempt from this change. The edginess Street Art brings to a space attracts developers, transport infrastructure, start ups and professionals. 

These images were captured in Digbeth, Birmingham’s creative quarter. Street Art defines the area.

Street Art is not Graffiti. It’s an early part of an Artist’s journey before transition to the mainstream and with it the opportunity to carve out a living, perhaps raise a family on the very streets their work once occupied.  

Street Art gives voice to emerging artists who have something to say. They say it in colour and occasionally with humour. 

It’s hard to imagine how long Digbeth will be home to these paintings. The Street Art in Digbeth is peppered across Eastside where HS2 is reshaping the local landscape. 

Some of these images have long vanished from the streets of Digbeth. Others can still be enjoyed. For now.

If you’ve never experienced the Street Art in Digbeth, pop down and take a look. The Custard Factory, The Old Crown, and Ghetto Golf are all on hand to ensure your visit is a good one. The Street Art will ensure it is one you’ll never forget.

 

 

 

Jas Sansi is a freelance photographer based in Birmingham.

@jassansi 07930 837 505

Choice for President; Easy as ABCC

The Executive Board of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce will elect a new President this week. Will it be the fourth male President in a row or are we about to see something amazing? Jas Sansi spent the Easter weekend thinking about cracking options for leadership.

The Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABBC) celebrated it’s 30th anniversary last November. The evening was a celebration of achievement across three decades. 

For me, it was the tenth year as a member and looking back at those ten years, I take pride in witnessing the organisation shake off its reputation as an Old Boys Club. If the ABCC failed to embrace diversity with female representation and attracting younger leaders, there was little hope for growth and a future. 

The Asian Business Chamber events are not just for people of Asian origin, the countless photographs captured across the years are testimony to the diversity of our region. The name has less to do with the demographics of membership and more to the aspiration of being a bridge between Asian businesses and everyone else. 

I’ve had the pleasure of working with remarkable individuals both on the Executive Committee and as a member. Many of these have become good friends, how could they not be?; regular contact, social media and a joint opportunity to represent Birmingham and the Midlands nationally and globally forged a close alliance. 

And friendship does not mean we agree on all things. The EU referendum saw ABCC members on both sides of the argument. We all gave our best to fight our corners but ultimately only one side could prevail. The different sides slowly came back together after the vote. 

No organisation is perfect. In my decade as a member, there has never been a female President of the ABCC and this is a blemish on an otherwise good record. There have been three male Presidents in the past ten years; Arun Bajaj, Nasir Awan MBE and Saqib Bhatti.

Saqib was the youngest President to be elected and demonstrated the ABCC valued young voices. The appointment of a fourth male President in a row would be a lost opportunity. 

One of the most popular ABCC annual events is the International Women’s Day celebration. We recently hosted the third one at Edgbaston Stadium where a Diversity on Boards Pledge was launched under the leadership of ABCC Vice President Manjit Kang. 

ABCC International Women’s Day speakers have included Suzanne Virdee, Noreen Khan, Anita Bhalla OBE, Farzana Baduel and Ren Kapur. They have each shared inspirational stories in their journeys to success. 

Having championed International Women’s Day in recent years, it is time for the ABCC to produce a legacy from these successful events and elect a female President. There are a number of strong contenders for the role but I would like to advocate Manjit Kang. 

Manjit Kang is Real Estate Finance Manager at Natwest, Diversity Ambassador for the bank and Board Director for ART Business Loans. Her many accomplishments include:

• Vice President of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce
• Won outstanding Business Woman at the ABCC Awards Dinner 2014
• Won the Signature Diversity Award 2015 
• RBS Global Sapphire Award 2015
• Established the ABCC Diversity Pledge 2018
• Launched the RBS Sikh Network in 2018 

As a member of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, Asian Business Chamber of Commerce and Diversity Trustee for LoveBrum, I believe the opportunity to appoint Manjit Kang as the first female President since 2005 will communicate the organisation’s commitment to equality and diversity. 

These are qualities the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce encourage across the region and it is essential they lead by example. 

To the Executive Committee of the ABCC who alone elect the President, start your tenure by doing something amazing, elect Manjit Kang.

 

Jas Sansi is a freelance photographer based in Birmingham, a trustee of LoveBrum and columnist for The Asian Today.