Organisation Membership: BE Group

BE Group is a planning and regeneration consultancy based in Warrington and working across the UK.

For BE Group, Organisation Membership of the Institute of Economic Development (iED) provides both a valuable professional affiliation and a practical resource for keeping staff informed and up to date with developments across the sector.

The relationship between BE Group and the iED has developed over many years, built on longstanding professional connections and shared interests in economic development. “We’ve known Nigel Wilcock (Executive Director) for quite a long time and have worked with Mickledore as an organisation,” explained Anthony Meulman, Associate Director Planning & Regeneration at BE Group. “I’ve been here for 11 years, and BE Group and Mickledore have worked together for longer than I’ve been here. So, we already had that relationship, and through Nigel we discovered more about the iED.”

When considering professional membership options, the iED was viewed as the natural affiliation for the organisation’s multidisciplinary team. “It seemed like the best fit for us as an organisation,” he said. “We have economists, geographers, town planners and people with property backgrounds. One of my colleagues is RTPI-qualified, and we’ve had staff involved in other professional organisations too.”

A key factor in joining the iED was the range of learning opportunities available through Organisation Membership.

“When we looked at the range of courses and webinars offered by the iED, they seemed particularly useful for knowledge sharing and professional development, especially for our graduate staff,” Anthony revealed. “The webinars support both individual learning and wider team development, helping staff to stay informed about emerging issues, best practice and sector trends. Personally, I use membership mainly to keep my knowledge up to date. I regularly look through the webinar programme and find the topics useful.”

While some members of the team have attended sessions that contribute towards the iED’s Certificate and Advanced Certificate in Economic Development, BE Group’s focus has primarily been on wider development activity. “Colleagues have attended sessions that would count towards those qualifications, but such is the flexibility of the iED’s training they have done so for their own learning rather than working towards the certificates,” he added.

The organisation has also engaged with the iED’s support for early-career professionals. “One of our consultants has been involved with the Early Career Network,” Anthony noted. “It’s definitely something we would like to explore further.”

Looking ahead, Anthony believes there are more opportunities to make even greater use of membership benefits, particularly around networking and connecting with other professionals across the economic development community. “However, there is value simply in being able to say we’re members of the iED – that is reflected on our CVs and company profile, and this brings significant benefits in itself,” he concluded.

Case study developed: July 2026