What value do festivals such as Leeds Digital Festival have for agencies in Yorkshire?

Yorkshire’s creative reputation continues to survive and thrive, despite tough economic conditions. Whilst the entire industry suffers from post-recession slump, it must be said that Yorkshire’s fruits of creativity continue to grow. The region remains the home of some of the industry’s most innovative creative work and partnerships.

The Drum spoke to a cross-section of Yorkshire creative businesses to discover the mood of the creative landscape in the region, asking:What value do festivals such as Leeds Digital Festival have for agencies in the region?Simon Bollon, director, Boutique Media:Collaboration makes us stronger. Sharing knowledge, educating employees and enticing the best graduates into the industry will aid business growth and improve the competitiveness of the agencies involved. If that is the focus of festivals and events then the more the better!Jo Swann, Managing director, Chocolate PR: These kind of things help raise the profile of the sector however are limited in the same respect, dealing in isolation with a world that is so interconnected to the rest of the marketing disciplines. They can also be quite insular and we need to find ways to bring clients and brands more into these worlds, rather than just agency back-slapping. What I’d like to see are more wider industryevents that bring together the different disciplines that have real value to both agency and client side. A big creative love fest – let’s drink to that!Ian Winterbottom, director, Our Agency:Any organisation promoting our industry cannot be a bad thing, there’s strength in numbers.Graham Congreve, director, Evolution Print:Vital to the local economy, and in particular for all of us involved in any form of communications, for example the MADE festival recently held in SheffieldRob Colley, managing director, Plump Digital:They’re a great way to learn from other professionals at the top of their game and share ideas on how to attract more business from in and outside the region. The more we can share experiences and learn from each other, the better our proposition as a creative region will become.Alf Lombardi, managing director, Shrewdd Marketing:They provide an excellent environment for not only developing relationships, exchanging ideas, but also meeting new partners and potential customersJason Madeley, founder, Hatch Communications:Anything that raises the profile of national and international work delivered from the region can only be a good thing for future prosperity. Mark Bower, managing director, Coolpink: Digital Festivals give agencies the opportunity to engage with a wider audience, and educate on the possibilities of the sector, whilst putting the region on the map. They are also an opportunity to promote to potential employees and clients. Often they also provide the platform for creative challenges offering scope for agencies to push the boundaries and see what could be done in an ideal world – there’s always room for more of this! Sponsored by