More than 130 representatives from companies across Manor Royal Business District packed Crawley’s Sandman Signature Hotel on 7 November for a business conference organised by the Prowse team on behalf of the Manor Royal Business Improvement District (BID).

Fiona Wright, a Director of British BIDS, chaired the conference which included sessions on plans to improve Manor Royal Business District to make it a more attractive location for people to work. A new BID business plan was launched at the event by Trevor Williams, Director of Thales and Chairman of the Manor Royal BID and Steve Sawyer, Executive Director.

Then, Simon Quin, a visiting Professor from the Institute of Place in Manchester, spoke about the need for organisations to create spaces that their staff will want to work in if they want to attract the best talent. This was followed by a presentation from Ciaran Gunne-Jones of Lichfields UK, a leading UK planning and development consultancy, previewed a new Economic Impact Study for Manor Royal Business District, concluding that Manor Royal is the “powerhouse of the Gatwick Diamond”. His research has shown that floorspace on Manor Royal has grown by 18% since 2010 and the number of companies located there has also grown by more than 5%.

The conference was deemed a success and a great opportunity for businesses to discover more about current BID activities and plans for the future on Manor Royal Business District in Crawley.