West Midlands businesses invited to the networking event with a difference at the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution

Businesses across the West Midlands are invited to a networking event with a difference later this month, as the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (IGMT) holds its second Business Bridge event of 2022.

Taking place on Wednesday 27th April at the Trust’s trendy cafe and restaurant the Furnace Kitchen in Coalbrookdale, the event will give businesses the opportunity to connect and network with others in the area.

Starting at 8am, with introductions, networking and breakfast, the Trust will be welcoming guest speaker Brandi Hall-Crossgrove, the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site Coordinator for Telford and Wrekin Council. 

This year marks 50 years since the World Heritage Convention was established and as UNESCO gets ready to commemorate the anniversary later this year Brandi will be sharing her insights on the global significance of the designation for Ironbridge and the wider county. Brandi will also talk through the governance for the site and how she came to the role as a World Heritage Management expert through her academic career and her work with the International Council on Monuments and Sites.

Having been unable to run the Business Bridge events through the pandemic, organiser Adam Siviter, Fundraising Manager at IGMT is thrilled to have the events up and running again, as he explains: “After two years of video calls and remote working, It’s fantastic to be able to welcome business back to Coalbrookdale to connect in person.

“Overlooking Abraham Derby I’s original blast furnace, a site with such a strong history of innovation, the Furnace Kitchen offers the perfect location for local businesses to gather, discuss ideas and collaborate. We’re delighted to welcome this month's guest speaker Brandi Hall-Crossgrove, who will be sharing her fascinating insights into what it really means for the Ironbridge Gorge to be listed alongside some of the world's most iconic sites like the Pyramids, the Great Barrier Reef and Timbuktu.

“As well as offering brilliant networking opportunities for businesses, the Business Bridge events also give businesses the opportunity to give back as proceeds raised through ticket sales go straight back into the Trust’s ongoing heritage conservation and education projects. This funding is vital to ensure that we can preserve our ten museums, 36 listed buildings and numerous historic monuments across the Ironbridge Gorge for future generations.”