Working with the CIPR to support Sheffield’s growing comms industry
Last week, Evergreen PR was lucky enough to host the CIPR Yorkshire and Lincolnshire ‘Learning from Leaders Roundtable’ event from our offices at Sheffield Technology Parks.
The event was co-chaired by the agency’s founder, Leigh Greenwood, who sits on the CIPR Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Committee.
Bringing together the great and the (very!) good of Sheffield’s impressive communications industry, the roundtable tackled the issue of how the CIPR and PR professionals themselves can better support the industry within the city and increase its recognition nationally.
You see, Sheffield’s communications industry is something of a sleeping giant and has, too often, allowed itself to be out-shouted by our cousins from Manchester and Leeds. Out-shouted perhaps, but not out-performed.
An increasing number of national and international brands are bringing their marketing and communications requirements to be tackled by consultancies in the UK’s fourth largest city and there appears to be a particularly high proportion of CIPR qualified and Chartered practitioners here too.
At the roundtable event we discussed a range of things including:
The media’s move to the North and how easy-access to BBC and Channel 4 is increasing our influence
The fact that record numbers of professionals are leaving London for the North, with Sheffield the destination of choice (published in The Guardian this month)
The fantastic access to talent that we have coming through our two world class universities, many of whom settle here
The need for all of us - as Sheffield’s PR industry - to disregard our city’s propensity for modesty and instead shout about the exceptional work being done
The benefits of building stronger connections within Sheffield’s PR, marketing and business communities for mutual benefit
Since the event, word has quickly spread across the city, with a large number of PR professionals, marketing experts and business leaders getting in touch to find out more about how they can get involved.
It’s a real honour to be leading the CIPR Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Committee’s activity in Sheffield, which will include:
Introducing a timetable of regular networking and learning events to PR professionals in the city
Working together as an industry to amplify conversations about what makes Sheffield - recently commended in the European City of the Year Awards - such a great place to do business
From Evergreen PR’s perspective, we’re delighted to have set up shop in this fast-growing, independent, intelligent and friendly city. And we’re looking forward to working alongside the CIPR Committee for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, and others within the city, to help Sheffield’s exceptional communications community to grow even further.
If you’d like to get involved or just be kept informed, contact Leigh here. Otherwise, watch this space!