Matt Johnson: From Big Dig to Big Gig - we need to keep sight of the ’08 prize

Nov 7 2007 by Matt Johnson, Liverpool Daily Post

PEOPLE embarking on home improvements before the start of the festive season populate the aisles of our DIY stores these days.

The desire to spruce up homes before family and friends visit seems to create a mild frenzy among some.

Pick your way round a B&Q or a Homebase this weekend and you are as likely to see trolleys loaded with all manner of DIY paraphernalia as you are with seasonal goods like trees, lights and decorations.

First things first: homes must be decorated before they can be decorated, if you see what I mean.

It struck me following last week's battle cry to the private sector from those with principal responsibility for Liverpool's Capital of Culture, that the whole city itself is in the midst of its own massive spruce-up before family and friends visit – albeit 1.7m of them. From Big Dig to Big Gig.

Next year, lest we forget, offers Liverpool a unique opportunity. And the clear message to business leaders and other stakeholders gathered at FACT for the 08 Countdown Group Conference was that we all have our part to play. Amen to that.

It's been a long time coming but Capital of Culture is almost upon us.

I suspect I am not the only one who's experienced mild, sporadic culture fatigue these last four years since Liverpool scooped the big prize.

But, echoing what was debated at FACT, we should put aside the local difficulties that have at times befallen aspects of the city's preparations and grasp this opportunity with a clear view of the bigger picture – and the bigger prize.

And part of making sure we do that could lie in actually taking a different view of the city.

Living in a place is different to visiting or holidaying in a place. I recently welcomed some first- time visitors to Liverpool.

Their visit was business- related, but they very quickly realised there was far more to the place than they had imagined.

And when you pick your way through the Big Dig, on foot or on road, and step back to consider the sheer scale of what's happening here, don't you begin to sense the buzz about the place?

A colleague also hosted some visitors from the US recently.

For them, from a nation not known for the width of its view on the outside world, our big building site was assuredly a sign of prosperity, regeneration and, perhaps most important of all, confidence.

We may moan, they marvel.

And that's surely the way our businesses must ready themselves for 2008? As the people in charge keep telling us: It's Our Time. It's Our Place.

MATT JOHNSON is chairman of Mando Group