Beyond the Sport 2027
Location
About
Beyond the Sport 2027
In February 2026, the Centre for the New Midlands brought more than 250 leaders together from sport, business, infrastructure and public policy at Edgbaston Stadium for Connections for Prosperity: Beyond the Sport.
The question then was one of opportunity. Could the Midlands use its sporting assets - its clubs, stadiums, events, facilities and sporting heritage, as catalysts for a new generation of regeneration, investment, jobs, skills and growth?
The answer was clear: the opportunity is significant.
Across the region, major sporting projects were beginning to reshape the investment landscape. The proposed Birmingham Sports Quarter was emerging as a potential £3–4 billion development; Aston Villa was advancing its plans around Villa Park; Edgbaston was embarking on a major redevelopment; Coventry was demonstrating the longer-term potential of a multi-purpose sporting destination; and major events, elite facilities and community sport were creating new opportunities across the region.
But that was the opportunity. One year on, what has changed? What are the key emerging themes in 2027? Have we seen the benefits of sports led regeneration across the region? What new developments are emerging to enhance the region’s sporting infrastructure? Are we on track to deliver the benefits we spoke of in 2026? These are the questions at the heart of Beyond the Sport 2027.
This conference has been generously sponsored by E.ON and Gleeds. We have just 3 other sponsorship opportunities available, starting from £6k plus VAT. Contact Chris Smith (Founder and CEO, Centre for the New Midlands) to discuss via email - chris@thenewmidlands.org.uk
Our charity partner for this event is Sport 4 Life UK. Sport 4 Life UK is a youth employability charity that uses the power of sport to empower young people to reach their potential - by providing the skills, qualifications and support needed to find work and shape successful futures.
When and where is the conference?
The conference will be held at The Lower Grounds, Villa Park in Birmingham on Thursday 11th March, from 9.30am - 4.30pm. Registration will open at 9am and following the conference, our delegates are invited to join us for a Drinks Reception in the concourse of the stadium, providing views of the pitch and the North Stand redevelopment project.
Who is this conference for?
This conference will bring together 250 of the people who plan, finance, deliver, scrutinise and experience sports-led regeneration: sporting organisations and clubs; local and regional government; developers, investors and infrastructure providers; business and professional services; universities and researchers; community and voluntary organisations; and, critically, people and organisations representing the communities in which these developments are taking place.
By putting these perspectives together under the one roof, we want to build new connections, share evidence and ideas, challenge conventional thinking and identify practical actions that can ensure sport delivers more than great venues and memorable events — that it helps create better places, stronger communities and a more prosperous Midlands.
What does the Centre for the New Midlands (CNM) hope to achieve through this conference?
As the only independent, not for profit think tank dedicated to the Midlands, CNM has a distinctive role to play in this conversation. We are not here to promote individual projects or celebrate investment for its own sake.
Our role is to bring together the evidence, challenge assumptions, connect different perspectives and ask whether the decisions being made today will deliver the greatest possible long-term benefit for the region.
Beyond the Sport 2027 will create a space for an honest, informed and forward-looking assessment of sports-led regeneration; celebrating progress where it is deserved, identifying where more needs to be done, and helping shape the thinking that will determine what happens next.
When will the conference programme be announced?
As with all CNM conferences, the day’s programme will be created and approved by a Steering Group. This group will be comprised of CNM advisory board members, event sponsors and other key invited stakeholders from across the West Midlands. We intend for this year’s programme to include several panel discussions, but with a broader range of session delivery throughout the day.
Our full conference programme will be published on 23rd November 2026.
How much are tickets and when will they go on sale?
- Full Reimagining the Region members receive two complimentary passes to attend (Associate Members receive one complimentary pass) – to be claimed by 11th January 2027. To claim your members' complimentary tickets, please use the discount code RTR100OFF at the checkout
- Early bird tickets are on sale NOW and available until 11th January 2027: £125 + VAT (for all ticket types)
- From 12th January, rates increase to £150 + VAT for third sector organisations (including universitieis) and £200 + VAT for the private sector
Who spoke at last year's conference and what themes were explored?
Richard Parker (Mayor of the West Midlands), Stuart Cain (Chief Executive, Warwickshire County Cricket Club), Nicola Ibbetson (Chief Business Officer, Coventry City FC), Jeremy Dale (Chief Executive, Birmingham City FC), Neil Rami (Chief Executive, West Midlands Growth Company), Ben Hatton (Chief Operating Officer, Aston Villa FC), Nick Smith (Head of Infrastructure, Birmingham City FC), Richard Lawrence (Executive Director - Place, Prosperity & Sustainability, Birmingham City Council), Sandeep Shingadia (Executive Director, Transport for West Midlands) to name just a few.
Our panels explored:
- Sports led Regeneration in the region: Why now and how big is the prize?
- Winning Formulas: The Dos and Don’t of Sports-Led Regeneration
- Driving sporting excellence and investment as the catalysts for regeneration in the West Midlands
- Job Creation and Skills: Do the numbers really add up?
- Political Leadership in Driving Sports-Led Regeneration
- Winning the Mega Events: Is the West Midlands ready to consistently win the big prizes?
- Sports Quarter - Reshaping a Region
- The Life Changing Impact of Sport
