Tasty business

By Paul Fulford on May 9, 09 09:55 AM

In these credit-crunched times,businesses will be looking (with rather more rigour than MPs) at how they spend money.

Which posed a dilemma the organisers of Taste of Birmingham for corporate hospitality has been a major source of revenue for the event and has helped bolster attendances.

Fear not, businesses.You won't have to miss out on the first night fun at the festival at Cannon Hill Park on July 9.

Log on to taste.visitbirmingham.com/tasteofbusiness to find out how you can get free tickets for the first night's Taste of Business, being billed as the city's biggest business networking event.

On Thursday night I was at Brindleyplace's swish and impressive new Eleven building when the initiative was officially launched and I reckon it will be a winner.

And a bit of fun, too, since there'll be an open mic so this city's movers and shakers can show off their musical talents.

I doubt, though, any will be as good as Debbie Hodgson, a press officer at the NEC who is also carving out a growing reputation as a singer.

She sang at the launch event on Thursday and has one of the sweetest voices I've heard for a while....think (showing my age here) Joan Baez meets Emmylou Harris meets Joni Mitchell.

It's always been said that spin doctors should never be in the headlines. But I'd make an exception for Debbie. With a voice like that, who wouldn't?