Marketing Derby thanks event partner Smith Partnership

Marketing Derby would like to extend a special thanks to Smith Partnership – this year’s London Embassy event partner.

With its main base in Derby – and with other offices in the Midlands region – the firm’s team provides a full range of legal services to business clients, including household name companies and to individual private clients.

Explaining why the firm became a partner for the Derby Embassy event, Kevin McGrath, managing partner of Smith Partnership, said: “Being at the Embassy as a business from Derby was a really proud moment.

“There we were in Lancaster House, an extremely grand building at the end of Pall Mall, all coming together from the city to celebrate the successes of Marketing Derby and looking forward to exciting plans for the city’s future.

“The work Marketing Derby do to promote and bring investment into the city centre is really important to us and we are very much aligned to their values and priorities to regenerate Derby.

“We are passionate advocates for the city centre. When we decided to relocate four years ago, all the usual options to move out of the city and go to one of the industrial or retail parks were available – but we wanted to stay here, to be part of the city centre, and we opened our offices in Friar Gate.

“Now we have more than 100 staff here who also enjoy the cafes and shops in the city centre.

“When you are attracting staff from out of the city to work for you, a successful package is not just about the salary, it’s the lifestyle that goes with working in a vibrant city centre.”

As well as being an advocate of Derby, Smith Partnership is a company that is keen to make a difference in the community it operates in.

Kevin said: “We are committed to helping the city thrive and are keen supporters of organisations and charities who share those aims.

“We work very closely with YMCA Derbyshire, with staff taking part in activities like their Community Kitchen.

“We are also supporting the Down to Earth Derby project, which is looking to regreen the city.

“We provide legal advice to help them achieve their goals, including community outreach work, which will be great for our city.”

As for the future, Kevin believes exciting times lie ahead for Derby.

He said: “I think there are very good reasons to be optimistic about Derby’s future.

“I have lived in the city for 30 years and, while we know there are problems, I think the city’s future is very positive.

“The work that has been done in the Cathedral Quarter shows what can be achieved and the work planned for Becketwell is really exciting.

“What defines a city is its cultural offering and the plans for Derby’s are fantastic – and just five minutes from our offices.

“The regeneration of that area of the city will bring people in at weekends and evenings and that will flow into restaurants and other venues.”