E VE N TS
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Mayor hails power of positivity
at magazine launch
ore than 300 Tees business leaders attended
one of the region’s biggest ever networking
events as Ben Houchen welcomed a new
magazine promoting the region.
The Tees Valley mayor says This Is Tees
Valley – produced by Tees Business publishers
Resolution – has set the template for optimism and
positivity.
A new publication aimed at endorsing businesses,
investment opportunities, skills, lifestyle, people,
tourist and living destinations in the area, This Is Tees
Valley was launched at Teesside International Airport.
Supported by Tees Valley Combined Authority, the
magazine will be distributed nationally and carried on
all Eastern Airways flights to and from Teesside for
the next year.
At an event held before the Covid-19 outbreak,
mayor Houchen was on a five-strong panel for a
question-and-answer session at the relaunched
airport, alongside Eastern Airways managing director
Tony Burgess, Bill Scott OBE, chief executive of Wilton
Engineering, Middlesbrough College principal Zoe
Lewis and Frans Calje, the chief executive of PD Ports.
And in his opening address to businessmen and
women, movers and shakers from the Tees region,
mayor Houchen said the new publication – which
has an initial 10,000-print run – sends out the right
messages from an area that’s sometimes guilty of
being reluctant to sing from the rooftops about its
abilities and achievements.
He said: “Because I am an optimist, I am absolutely
adamant about only speaking positively about the
Tees Valley and our region because there are a lot of
people out there who seem to take a lot of pride and
energy talking down this amazing area.
“That is not to play down the significant challenges
we face, but I only want to talk about the positive
stuff.
“Dave Allan and Martin Walker (Resolution directors)
were the first to talk about ‘Talking Up Teesside’ and
we have started to own that phrase.
“What is really impressive about this publication is
that it carries a positive message and I want you all to
carry that message to everybody in the region, and
beyond, and start talking about all the fantastic things
people in the region are doing.
“I don’t see why a region
should be any different to a
business. You wouldn’t go into
a meeting and talk about all
the negative things and difficulties in your business.
You would go out to sell it. Why should we be any
different as a region?
“If we don’t see ourselves in a positive light and what
we can offer from our big industries, our IT services,
our creative industries and everyone else in between,
no one else is going to do it for us.
“In the last few years, I think Dave and Martin have
led the charge to change the negativity and make sure
we speak more positively about ourselves.”
Resolution co-director Martin Walker said: “We’re
incredibly proud of This Is Tees Valley, with many
months of hard work coming to fruition.
“It was fantastic to see so many people join us
for the launch event, the positivity in the room was
palpable and the response on social media during and
after the event has been brilliant.
“We’re now working hard to get the magazine
circulated to the right areas and getting it under the
noses of the right people across the whole of the UK.”
And Dave Allan added: “We’re investing a lot of
money in the circulation of This Is Tees Valley, including
investing in a national mailing list of investment
companies, pension investment funds and commercial
property agents around the country, showing them
what the region has to offer.”
The launch event was sponsored
by The Endeavour Partnership.
Packed – more than 300 people crammed
into a newly opened conference facility for
the event at Teesside Airport.
You can read This Is Tees Valley on teesbusiness.co.uk,
or search for it on Google.
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rest of the UK abo
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Published by Resolutio
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Media & Publishin
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