Big Beasts and Birthday Celebrations at the BCC Conference

After months of careful planning and preparation, the British Chambers or Commerce (BCC) held its Annual Conference yesterday. BAFTA in Central London proved to be an impressive venue and many leaders from the Chamber network - including the Chairman and Chief Executive from Cornwall -  attended alongside policymakers from Westminster, the media and academia.

Guests in the Princess Anne Theatre – and those watching online on BCC TV – were able to hear a stellar line up of speakers, ranging from Dr Andrew Sentance of the Monetary Policy Committee to Stephen Hester, Chief Executive of RBS, talking about the state of the economy and how to help British business grow.

Lord Mandelson and Ken Clarke provided the audience with plenty of food for thought as they clashed over spending cuts and tax rises – and they even took a few side swipes at each other over who had more experience in politics! A really good running blog of the debate can be found on the Guardian online.

The event ended with the first screening of the special video to mark the BCC 150th birthday celebrations. To see it click here.

Commenting on the event Richard Glover, Chief Executive of the Cornwall Chamber, said: "The quality of speakers and the ensuing debates showed that the British Chambers are influencing thinking at the very highest levels. We all know that, whoever wins the election, there are significant changes to come. The BCC is doing a great job of setting the agenda on issues that really affect small-to-medium sized businesses; that's why we value our membership so much".

Posted 19th Mar 2010  by member Cornwall Chamber of Commerce & Industry