West Midlands

When the G8 summit came to Birmingham in 1998, with Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and other heads of the world's most powerful countries, it helped generate an estimated £12m for the city's economy.

But, as Terry Grimley of The Birmingham Post remembers, it was also generating interest in a city, so often ridiculed as second-rate:

World leaders came to Birmingham for the G8.

"I think the fact that Birmingham was chosen at that time was an endorsement of the progress that had been made…

"I remember Tony Blair saying this is just the sort of impression we want to give of Britain."

With the Eurovision Song Contest having taken place just six days prior to the G8 summit, Birmingham’s bars, restaurants and hotels were already full.

But, it wasn’t just about business.

Feel the buzz

Marge Potter was an ordinary Brummie who felt the buzz when, along with a number of other local people, she was chosen to appear on posters promoting events in the city that summer.

Marge felt the buzz in 1998.

"It gave you a completely different outlook to life." she says, " You suddenly think Birmingham is a good place after all. We have got something going for us."

But while Birmingham had it all in 1998, has the city got such a high profile today?

Not according to some.

Lagging behind

People like Terry Grimley say that Birmingham’s failure to guarantee projects like The National Stadium have left it lagging behind.

For many, the biggest disappointment was losing the battle to become the 2008 European Capital of Culture, to Liverpool. 

Birmingham lost out to Liverpool.

Claire McColgan, of The Liverpool Culture Company, is convinced the title has helped to improve her city:

"I think in terms of just the confidence of the city and people’s belief in themselves, I think that’s really changed by being Capital of Culture"

Ian Taylor of Marketing Birmingham, however, believes Birmingham’s still got a lot to be optimistic about, despite missing out on the culture crown

Changing the city

Redevelopment of the city centre for one, "The Capital of Culture is the right to call yourself something and nothing else.

"I think £17bn of planned, or underway, infrastructure rivals anywhere in Europe actually and the cultural programme in Birmingham attracts people from across the globe on a regular basis."

So Birmingham does have things to be optimistic about and Terry Grimley says the city has to keep working on its image.

"You just have to change the city so it becomes well-known as a liveable, exciting city and people want to know what’s going on here."

So Birmingham is making progress, but how many years will it be until the city's able to show itself off on an international platform, like it did in 1998?