GENSOCIAL
Two networking bodies in Birmingham are merging to create a new unified group for the city’s business community which will also see two prestigious award ceremonies combined.
Future Faces, which is the young professionals’ arm of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, is joining forces with BPS Birmingham from tomorrow.
The move will bring all the BPS brands, including Birmingham Aspire, Birmingham Future and Birmingham Leaders, into Future Faces.
This will be supported by the chamber funding free Future Faces memberships for members of Aspire and Future, BPS’ own young professionals’ divisions, for 12 months.
It will also see two awards – Future Faces and Birmingham Young Professional of the Year – come together in 2021 for a joint celebration of under-35s professional talent.
Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the chamber has held its 2020 awards online but Birmingham Young Professional of the Year was cancelled completely.
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Chamber chief executive Paul Faulkner said: “The chamber and BPS are two organisations always looking to add value and increase networks and opportunities for our members.
“This unified approach, under the umbrella of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce group, will do just that.
“The integration of Birmingham Aspire and Birmingham Future into the Future Faces brand is particularly exciting for the region’s young professionals, with an expanded network and contacts, adding to what is already an extremely popular and vibrant offering.”
Anna Assinder, senior marketing manager at the chamber and Future Faces manager, added: “We’re extremely excited by this opportunity to unite these organisations in order to further strengthen the offering to professionals across our region.
“Future Faces has more than doubled in size over the past three years and welcoming Birmingham Aspire and Birmingham Future into our community allows us to unite these great networks together.
“Members of all three organisations will continue to receive the same benefits with an even broader and larger multi-sector network and professional development package as well as an even bigger awards event to recognise their talents and achievements.
“This merger comes at a time when the future leaders and talent of our businesses are going to need to unite and be stronger than ever before.”
Ian Barnes, chairman of BPS Birmingham, said: “Now more than ever it is essential that the regional business community comes together to build opportunity across our economy.
“This unified approach means we will be able to provide more support for members while still ensuring that the region’s business professional services sector has its own national and international voice.”
