Mayor starts recruitment drive for Night-Time Economy Commission

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has called on industry leaders to help him draw up a plan to protect and revitalise the region’s important night-time economy.

The Mayor is recruiting members for a Night-Time Economy Commission to help him explore the challenges facing pubs, music venues, cinemas, restaurants, street food stalls, and gyms, and identify what support the sector needs to thrive.

The night-time Economy is a big employer in the region, making up around a third of the entire West Midlands workforce with 120,000 working in hospitality.

It has been a difficult time for the sector which was hit hard by lockdowns and restrictions during the Covid pandemic and whose recovery is being slowed by changing consumer behaviours linked to cost-of-living pressures, alongside issues such as changes to licensing and regulation, public transport, safety, and staffing issues.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Our night-time economy is a crucial part of what makes the West Midlands a vibrant place to live, work, and visit. That’s why I’m going to be working side by side with industry leaders, businesses, and communities to help this sector not just survive, but thrive.

“That means valuing the jobs it creates, backing the businesses that keep our region buzzing after dark, and ensuring everyone feels safe, supported, and confident, whether you’re working behind a bar, meeting friends, a nurse on the night shift, or driving a taxi.”

The Mayor’s Night-Time Economy Commission will run for six months and be manged for the Mayor by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

It will be made up of up to eight private sector representatives from every part of the sector with successful candidates expected to attend in-person and online meetings and help draw up a set of recommendations to secure the future of the night-time economy.

Interested candidates will be asked to complete a short online application form outlining the skills and experience they can bring to the voluntary role, and those who are shortlisted may be invited to take part in an informal conversation to explore their suitability in more detail.

Applications will close on Wednesday, 24 September.

Supporting the night-time economy to thrive is part of a wider package set out in the West Midlands Growth Plan for the ‘everyday economy’.

They provide the essential goods and services that people depend on daily such as health and care staff, school workers, and people working in construction, transport, logistics, retail, hospitality, tourism, leisure, the arts, and the night-time economy.

This support builds on the Mayor’s backing for SMEs with funding to help them grow and cut energy costs, through Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM).

Earlier this year the Mayor approved plans to take buses back into public control to set routes, timetables and fares, as well as employing new Safer Travel Officers and supporting initiatives to tackle sexual harassment.

Apply to join the Mayoral Night-time Economy Commission on the WMCA website.