The meeting was an opportunity for businesspeople to discuss how they are faring in the current economic climate, with attendees raising issues around skills, rising costs and general confidence.

They were also asked to feedback on a range of questions set by Beverley Nielsen who is working with the Chamber to help develop a manifesto to set out the strategic economic aims for Coventry and Warwickshire for the next three years.

The meeting heard that Coventry and Warwickshire’s economy has been resilient to the challenges of the past decade but must set out its priorities for the coming years to ensure it continues to grow.

Businesses were asked to rank priorities on a range of topics – from net zero through to training the future workforce – and their answers, along with research carried out across the whole of the region, will feed into the manifesto that will be launched later this year.

Corin Crane, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “For the past decade, it feels like we’ve had to react – time and again – to the latest issues as they’ve arisen and businesses across this patch have continued to show incredible resilience.

“This manifesto will help us to set an agenda for our regional economy that outlines our priorities, taking into account businesses’ concerns but, also, their aspirations for the future.

“There is a really strong sense that we have something very special in Coventry and Warwickshire and, if we can harness that in the right way, we can boost growth and prosperity for everyone.”

Larry Coltman, the chair of the Chamber’s South Warwickshire Local Business Forum, added: “It was a great opportunity to hear from our members locally about the current economic climate to ensure that we can voice all of their issues to decision-makers at all levels.

“But it was also a chance to look forward and discuss how businesses, through the Chamber’s manifesto, can help to shape the future.”