Branding Birmingham: Future Ambitions and an Evolving Identity

Join us with former West Midlands Mayor, Sir Andy Street CBE and other thought leaders, local stakeholders, creatives and policymakers to analyse the challenges and explore the strategies for branding Birmingham in a way that reflects its evolving identity and future ambitions.

Birmingham is a city with a rich industrial heritage, vibrant cultural scene and a diverse population. In 2026, there is a unique opportunity to redefine and elevate Birmingham’s brand, positioning it as a leading destination for innovation, creativity and inclusive growth.

We’ll explore and discuss:

• Birmingham’s unique strengths and assets that can be leveraged in branding efforts.

• How we can foster collaboration between public, private and community sectors to shape the city’s narrative.

• Successful branding initiatives from other cities and regions as inspiration.

• Actionable recommendations for Birmingham’s brand strategy in 2026.

Our Speakers

Sir Andy Street CBE is the founder and Co-Chair of Prosper UK, a new organisation working to restore pragmatic, solutions-focused politics in Britain. Prior to launching Prosper UK, Sir Andy served as the first Mayor of the West Midlands from 2017 to 2024, helping to establish the West Midlands Combined Authority and oversee a huge influx of public and private investment into his home region. He was also the managing director of John Lewis for nearly 10 years (having started his career there as a graduate trainee), guiding the employee-owned business to one of the most successful spells in its history – culminating in the department store chain being named the most trusted brand in Britain. A proud Brummie, he currently chairs Birmingham Repertory Theatre and previously chaired the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership. He has also served as the lead non-executive director for the Department for Communities and Local Government, and as a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group. He was awarded a CBE in 2015 for services to economic growth and was knighted in 2025 for services to public service.

Professor Tahir Abbas FRSA FAcSS is Professor of Criminology and Global Justice in the Department of Society and Politics and Director of the Centre on Radicalisation, Inclusion, and Social Equity (RISE) at the School of Law and Social Sciences, Aston University. His research programme examines the intersection of political alienation, institutional trust, and identity-based marginalisation in contemporary democracies, with particular emphasis on how cultural narratives reshape state-citizen relationships beyond material interest.

Prior to his current appointment, Professor Abbas held the Chair of Radicalisation Studies at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University, The Hague, where he directed comparative research on pathways to political violence and institutional disengagement across European contexts. He has served as Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), London, contributing policy analysis on community resilience and counter-radicalisation to UK and international security institutions; Professor of Sociology at Istanbul University; and Reader in Sociology and founding Director of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Culture at the University of Birmingham. He was Scientific Coordinator of the European Commission H2020 DRIVE project (Determining multi-level led causes and testing intervention designs to reduce radicalisation, extremism and political violence in north-western Europe through social inclusion), a €3 million multi-site investigation into the structural and psychological determinants of radicalisation.

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