On Thursday 9 September, our Managing Director Sam and I went, in person, to a real life networking event!
After plenty of time spent networking but all via Zoom, Teams etc due to the pandemic, the we headed to The Box in Leeds City Centre to spend the evening at the All in. Leeds reboot.
The event was a bit of a refresher and restart from the group that was originally formed as a steering group and a way of bringing the agency world in Leeds together in a bid to encourage Channel 4 to move up t’ north (said with a strong Yorkshire accent) when the broadcaster was looking for a place to locate its new HQ outside of London.
It was a coming together of agencies unlike anything ever seen in the city, with companies putting aside ego and competition for the good of the city to show just how much support there was for the move and just the sheer range of talent available in Leeds.
With the group’s origins being based around bringing Channel 4 to Leeds, it felt quite appropriate that the first in-person networking event took place on the week that the new HQ for the channel was officially opened.
Since the announcement of Channel 4 coming to the city, the group has moved on to focus on a whole range of other topics and issues for the agency landscape in Leeds, and they have some pretty lofty ambitions going forward.
After listening to a number of the people behind the group talk during the evening – whether it was James Hickman welcoming us at the start of the evening – or just general conversations throughout the night, we left in no doubt that All in. Leeds will be achieving those goals.
For the actual night itself, the vibe was that of celebration. After 18+ months of not being able to see so many people face to face, the chance to chat, laugh and drink with like minded people from across agencies in Leeds felt like something of a gift. It was probably also helped by the free food and beer, kindly provided by the sponsors of the event.
It was brilliant being able to catch up with former colleagues, speak to a supplier of ours in person and learn more about other agencies and what is going on across the city. Hearing some of the great work that is being done, alongside some of the opportunities available, was a real motivator for both Sam and I.
Another highlight of the night was the shuffleboard tournament. The Box benefits from having two, full length shuffleboard tables and both were put to good use during the evening. A bottle of Moet was on offer to the winning team and despite an almost Cinderella-like run to the semi-finals, we were unfortunate to not make it to the final.
All in all, All in. Leeds Reboot was a great night and something we were proud to be a part of. We can’t wait for the next one.
