The man leading the project to boost the economy of the Midlands told LEP Business Live in October that Greater Lincolnshire must think globally if it is to succeed in the future.

Sir John Peace, Chair of the Midlands Engine, was the keynote speaker at our annual conference and networking event at the Lincolnshire Showground, where the theme was ‘raising the bar’ in Greater Lincolnshire.

He said Greater Lincolnshire now competes globally, not regionally, and he urged business leaders to make sure that the area has a voice and a presence in the global marketplace.

“To be successful the UK must focus more on the regions and reduce its reliance on London and the south-east,” he said.

“We have to equip our regions to make sure we can be competitive on the global stage. The Midlands must seize the opportunity to turn itself into a national powerhouse strategically located in the heart of the country.

"It's time for the Midlands to speak with one voice on key issues. One loud roar is more likely to be heard than a thousand whispers."

Our second speaker was Steve Smith, current holder of the British high jump record and winner of a bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, who drew on his experience as a sporting champion to explain how businesses can achieve success.

He also used the example of Dick Fosbury, who revolutionised the high jump technique by pioneering the so-called 'Fosbury Flop' and thereby broke the mould of the sport.

He said disruptive pioneers like Uber and AirBnB are doing the same thing in business, and he urged Greater Lincolnshire's business leaders to innovate and not to be afraid of failure.

Around 300 business people attended the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s annual conference, which combined talks by business leaders with networking opportunities and a trade exhibition.

Other attractions included a full-size combine harvester simulator demonstrated by Bishop Burton's Riseholme College Showground Campus, two FreshLinc produce trucks decorated with local landscapes as part of the Transported community arts project, the UKTI Export Hub truck and the Visit Lincoln tour bus.

“It was fantastic to see so many business people coming together and creating a real buzz at our annual summit,” said Ursula Lidbetter MBE, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP.

“Our speakers were all inspiring in their different ways and our priority sectors were all well represented in our exhibitor zones.

“The emphasis this year was on how Greater Lincolnshire can raise the bar, and we certainly achieved this by staging an event that was bigger and better than ever before!”