Anyone in Brighton asked about the “State of the City” a few weeks ago could have been forgiven for talking about rubbish piling up.
But once a year businessmen and women get together to quiz our civic leaders at an event organised by the Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce.
The event is known as the State of the City debate and every year hundreds attend. This year’s debate takes place tomorrow (Tuesday 9 July).
Why turn out on a summer’s evening to hear politicians and officials take questions and give their spiel?
The event is free, which always helps, although tickets need to be booked in advance.
Another attraction is the chance to hear it from the horse’s mouth.
Council leader Jason Kitcat seems to answer questions wherever he goes, even when it’s just to the shops. But this is one of the most high-profile events at which he makes himself available to people who are trying to run a business.
And this year – as the Chamber celebrates its centenary – the event will be more audience-led than ever.
More than 200 Chamber members and non-members alike have already signed up to attend and many of them have indicated the sort of topics that they would like to hear about.
Transport and parking are perennial favourites. As is the need for good quality and affordable office space.
But other topics include faster broadband speeds, inward investment and ensuring school leavers and graduates are better prepared for the world of work.
The debate will be chaired by former BBC journalist Miranda Birch. And alongside Councillor Kitact, the panel will include Chamber president Julia Chanteray and Gary Peters, the chairman of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership.
All three have run their own businesses as well as having unique insights into the way that Brighton and Hove is run.
Mr Peters said: “When people talk about Brighton, they talk about the weekends, the holidays, the pier and the beach, for example. That’s great and that’s also why I love living here.
“However, if we actually go out and pitch hard about the huge innovation and creativity we have here, across many specialised sectors potentially, we may just bring down some of those bigger employers which we so badly need.
“Not necessarily those that are going to hire a thousand people but satellite offices for the likes of Google or Microsoft, for example.
“That’s where we could strengthen our proposition.
“But to do that we really need to understand where the universities are particularly strong and then we need to find out what the requirements are from the companies that may require these types of skills.
“We can then provide students with the required skills to these companies so that they move down here and we provide more of the higher-paid jobs which we so badly need.
“Digital media is obviously something we shout about very well and that should most definitely continue.
“But there’s also nanotechnology, satellite, space and medical science – areas like that where we may have a value proposition.
“And that’s in addition to the financial services sector that we have and we can expand on. But it’s not just tech, although tech is an obvious one.”
“Wouldn’t it be great if the Brighton Centre was built to a world-class level. Think about how many global brands we could attract to the area.
“What they’ve done so far to refresh it is great but if, as a city, we want to compete on a world-class level, we really need to invest a lot more into venues like this.
“So who are our competitors? The obvious ones are Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. But let’s not get complacent and wait for Portsmouth or Southampton to do something quite exciting before we react.
“We are in a very good position at the moment. My point is not to be complacent so that we can keep moving forward and be at the place where we want to go.
“If we are not careful, other people will catch us out.”
Among the sectors to be represented at the event will be banking and finance, accountancy, law and property, including estate agents and architects.
People working for parking, water and transport companies are also due to attend, along with others in education, digital and creative media, the arts, retail and public relations.
While Councillor Kitcat will represent the council on the panel, the audience will include officials from the local authority and other parts of the public sector.
And it’s not just the debate that attracts a good crowd, but the chance to network before and after the main event.
It won’t be a surprise though to hear one or two mention the state of the city and ask whether the threat of another strike by binmen is really over.
The State of the City at the Sallis Benney Theatre in Grand Parade, Brighton, runs from 6pm to 9pm tomorrow (Tuesday 9 July). Tickets are free from www.businessinbrighton.org.uk/events.
