Northern Powerhouse Partnership chief executive Henri Murison will be the guest of honour at a two-day Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce event in March.

The event begins with an informal drinks reception and networking opportunity on Thursday, March 30, at the Manx Museum. The next morning there will be a workshop at the Comis Hotel, followed by lunch.

Mr Murison will be speaking at the workshop about the huge potential that the Northern Powerhouse Partnership offers to facilitate greater collaboration between the Isle of Man and northern England.

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan MHK will attend to say how that collaboration can contribute to government’s economic growth strategy.

The full guest list is yet to be confirmed but it is expected that the British and Irish Trading Alliance (BITA); several Chambers of Commerce from across northern England, and some UK-based businesses will all be represented. Attendees will have the chance to engage in roundtable discussions with businesses and industry leaders from the north west, and take part in sector specific workshops.

All the events on March 30 and 31 are open to Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce Members, the wider Manx business community, and UK delegates.

The lunch on March 31 at The Comis Hotel is the only ticketed event – but all attendees are asked to register in advance for all three events. To register your interest go to Eventbrite.com.

Chamber chief executive officer Rebecca George said: ‘It will be a privilege to welcome Henri to the island for what will be a valuable opportunity for Chamber members to learn more about the huge advantages the island could gain by increasing collaboration via NPP.

‘We hope that this will be the first step in developing strong and mutually beneficial partnerships between businesses in the Isle of Man and the north of England.

‘Our members are also seeing this as a chance to invite existing and potential business partners as guests, to showcase what their business and the island has to offer. In the weeks ahead we will be working on adding to the three events confirmed so far, to make the most of Henri’s two-day visit.’

NPP says its ‘mission’ is ‘to realise the untapped economic potential of northern England which is home to 15 million people. By leading the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” the partnership says that its ultimate ambition is to transform the region’s economy by unlocking up to £100 billion by 2050 and creating 850,000 more jobs’.

Mr Murison, who is a former Labour Party national secretary and campaigns officer, became chief executive officer of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership in July last year.

Mr Murison joined NPP as a director in April 2017. In September last year he was a guest speaker at the inaugural Isle of Man Government Conference at the Villa Marina.

The Peel Group is sponsoring the event.