Reflecting on the 2024 ATCM Cities Conference

One Week On

On this day last week, nearly 130 delegates convened in Manchester for the ATCM Cities Conference, 'City Centre Management in the 21st Century'. The event, hosted by CityCo, took place at the Stoller Music Hall.

The conference examined the issues being faced by cities across the UK with and explored how BIDs, and others, are responding to these challenges. The issues included:

Place-making
Sustainability
Crime reduction

The first panel was 'The Importance of Place', with contributions from Carolyn Brownell, Executive Director of FOR Cardiff, Roddy Smith, Chief Executive of Essential Edinburgh and Kate Hart, CEO of EC BID. The session was chaired Ben Stephenson, Chief Executive of Angel Islington BID.

Following on from the 2024 Summer School on sustainability, the panel 'Building a Climate Resilient City' featured contributions from Stefan Gurney (Executive Director) and Michael Yates (Sustainability Project Officer) from Norwich BID, Alexa Volker, BID Manager for Reading Central & Abbey Quarter BIDs and Nadia Broccardo, CEO of Team London Bridge (winners of the inaugural ATCM Climate Action Award). This was chaired by Lisa Carlson, Chair of ATCM and CEO of Canterbury BID.

The second afternoon session included a panel on 'Building a Resilient Crime Free City' with Stephen Manion, Executive Director of Go Southampton!, Simon Jenner, Director of BID Leicester and Allison Herbet, CEO of Bath BID. This was chaired by Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID.

'Emerging Threats and Managing Protests' explored wide ranging issues including the impact of social media and urban explorers and rising tensions in the Middle East on high streets with Alexandra King-Byatt, Managing Director, CityCo Manchester and Superintendent Phil Spurgeon, Greater Manchester Police. This was chaired by Vaughan Allen, Chief Executive, CityCo Manchester and Manchester BID.

The event included more policy orientated sessions with a one-on-one interview between the ATCM CEO, Ojay McDonald, and the UK Government’s Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell MP, and a panel on ‘The Future of BIDs’ which included contributions from The BID Foundation and British BIDs.

ATCM CEO, Ojay McDonald, conducted an one-on-one interview with the UK Government's Leader of House, Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central. This covered the direction of travel for cities and the devolution of powers under the new Labour Government.

Nic Durston, Chair of British BIDs, discussed the make up of the BIDs industry, assessing the number of BIDs in the UK, their financial contribution and the sectors they support as part of a talk to understand where the industry stands at the moment.

Nadia Broccardo, Co-Chair of The BID Foundation talked about the growth of issues which BIDs are taking on, and the impact this has on the governance of BIDs and skills required by the industry to thrive.

Lisa Carlson, the Chair of ATCM, examined the structural challenges within the place management industry around governance and funding and how the industry needs to respond to rectify those weaknesses. This includes partnership between public, private and voluntary interests with a key role for the property industry in shaping the business mix and providing funding for local infrastructure and the public realm.

The Future of BIDs focussed on the relationship with local authorities and challenges around funding and investment. The eroding of ‘additionality’ was continually raised as a concern.

This will be a key theme for ATCM’s next big event, ‘The Place Management Conference 2025: A Crisis in Local Government Finance’. This will take place on the 26th February in Central London. Watch this space for the launch of our next big conference.

With thanks to CityCo, The Stoller Hall, and everyone who contributed to the 2024 Cities Conference.