Big Bonus Coming for York Businesses from Big Tent
Leading politicians and policymakers from across the political spectrum will flock to York for the Big Tent Ideas Summit and Festival this month, to be held in the grounds of York Minster, with the support of York BID.
The event, on the 16th and 17th June, focussing on regeneration, is attracting Government Ministers, members of the Shadow frontbench, MPs and Councillors from York and North Yorkshire as well as such influential figures as Greg Dyke, former Director-General of the BBC, Melissa Benn, journalist and campaigner, and Mark Robinson, the Chair of the Government’s High Street Taskforce.
Designed to showcase local innovation as well as the challenges York faces, the Big Tent will look at issues such as reviving the High Street, the role of tourism in driving regeneration and how to develop successful business clusters.
Two events in one, the invite-only Friday Leaders’ Summit is expected to attract up to four hundred local, regional and national leaders from the fields of politics, business, academia and civil society to tell stories from, and learn lessons for, York and North Yorkshire. Keynote Summit speakers include Sir Tim Smit, founder of the Eden Project, Rt Hon Simon Clarke MP, the former Financial Secretary, and Sarah Owen MP, the Shadow Minister for Levelling Up.
The primary purpose of the Big Tent, however, is to get politicians to listen and learn, rather than just talk, so the Summit includes roundtables on a range of topics related to regeneration, giving all the participants the chance to have their say.
And thanks to the York BID, the Summit – which will include tours of York Central and York Riverside – is being opened to all BID members. To register please go here.
In contrast, the Festival, on Saturday 17th June, is open to all and expected to attract up to 2000 people to the centre of York to enjoy political debate, drama, art, a Speakers Corner, and a range of other entertainment and food for thought.
Big Tent even has its very own ‘Pitch Pit’ where pre-selected local entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch for real investment from Big Tent’s own business angels. And for those local businesses that haven’t been selected to pitch, there will be the Big Tent Entrepreneurs Pit Stop with Science Minister George Freeman MP, representatives of York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub and the Big Tent investors, to chat informally about the opportunities and challenges currently faced.
So, whatever your interest, the Big Tent is a big win for York business. Please join us.
Tickets for the Big Tent Ideas Festival are free but must be registered here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-radix-big-tent-ideas-festival-2023-regenerate-registration-474642587757
The Big Tent Leaders Summit and Ideas Festival is partnered by the City of York Council, Aviva, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York Festival of Ideas, the Design Council, York Minster, York BID, the Helmsley Group, the Institute for Social Justice, York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub, Historic England, the Religion Media Centre and NHSA.