CHAMBER PATRONS BIRMINGHAM CHAMBER’S LEADING SUPPORTERS


Entertainment market on the up


The UK entertainment and media market is set to be worth an astonishing £66.6bn by 2019, according to a new report. According to PwC’s latest Global


Entertainment & Media Outlook 2015-2019, the UK entertainment and media (E&M) market is expected to grow by 3.2 per cent between 2014-2019 to £66.6bn in 2019. In 2014, the UK had the second


largest E&M market across Europe, the Middle East and Africa at £56.9bn, behind Germany, and will maintain this position until 2019. Phil Stokes, UK entertainment and


media leader at PwC, said: “Revenues from digital look set to reach a 50/50 share with non-digital in 2020, with the biggest revenue generators in digital being internet access and internet advertising, and the fastest growing digital sectors being TV advertising, out-of-home advertising and book publishing.


‘it’s clear that consumers see no significant divide between digital and traditional media’


“Increasingly, though, it’s clear that consumers see no significant divide between digital and traditional media – what they want is more flexibility, freedom and convenience in when, where and how they interact with their preferred content.” One of the casualties of the


digital age is traditional printed newspapers, which seem set to continue to decline. Over the period 2014–2019, print


advertising is forecast to fall by £290m in stark contrast to digital ad spend, which is expected to grow by £71m. With capability of digital apps


continuing to evolve and people’s appetite for online news showing no signs of abating, PwC anticipates online news subscriptions growing by 82 per cent. Another growth area will be e-


books, which are forecast to grow over the next five years from £466m (26 per cent of total consumer book revenues) in 2014 to reach revenues of £1.2bn (57 per cent of the total) in 2019. In 2014, e-books accounted for 22 per cent of total books revenue and this will rise to 47 per cent by 2019.


16 CHAMBERLINK JULY/AUGUST 2015


has become the first major company in its sector to pay its employees the living wage. The company says that the


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decision will mean that National Express will become the West Midlands’ largest accredited living wage employer. National Express’s largest UK


business, its bus division based in Bordesley, will lead the way and become the first to be an accredited living wage employer, from January 2016. The UK coach and rail businesses will follow by the end of 2017. Some 340 employees in the


bus division will be affected by the policy, mainly cleaning and auxiliary staff. Anthony Vigor, National


Express director of policy and external affairs, said: “Paying the living wage is simply the right thing to do. All of our staff do a great job helping hundreds of thousands of people get to work and school and to see their friends and family every day. Our commitment to pay the living wage testifies to our determination to be the best possible employer to all our employees.” The company’s pledge to ensure that all members


of staff earn a living wage has been welcomed by a number of senior politicians, including Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin.


Just the ticket: Staff at National Express celebrate the firm’s commitment to paying its employees a living wage


He said: “This important step will have a real


impact and demonstrates the success of our transport sector. National Express plays a vital role in helping people go about their daily business." The living wage is promoted by the Living Wage


Foundation, which offers accreditation to employers that pay it. It is currently £9.15 an hour in London and £7.85


an hour across the rest of the UK, compared to the national minimum wage of £6.50.


Birmingham at the heart of HS2


Birmingham will be at the centre of the transformational changes that will be brought by the HS2 rail link, leading business figures were told. Kate Hall, development director


of HS2 Ltd, was speaking at a patrons’ lunch organised by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and hosted by Deutsche Bank in Brindleyplace. She outlined how work to


develop the links between London, Birmingham and Manchester was progressing as the UK sought to catch up with other countries, like Spain, France and China, who were already operating high speed links successfully. Guests were welcomed by the


head of Deutsche Bank Birmingham, Paul Anderson.


ransport giant National Express - Birmingham’s biggest bus operator -


CONTACT: Stephanie Wall T: 0121 607 1783


National Express hops on the living wage bus


Kate Hall with Paul Faulkner (left), incoming chief executive at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, and Paul Anderson, head of Deutsche Bank Birmingham


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