Humber Place Forum
Register for event
Mark the morning of 19 October 2026 in your diary for Humber’s first Place Brand Forum. It’s one to be part of.
Join leaders and influencers from across the region for Humber’s inaugural place conference, exploring the power of place and how a stronger shared story can support investment, talent, visitors and pride in place.
Led by place-brand pioneer Deb Oxley OBE, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding and Chair of CatZero, the forum will welcome a range of speakers discussing the importance of place-making and its impact.
And there’s more to come. Further details will be released soon.
This event is now sold out, to secure your place on the waiting list, please contact: communications@futurehumber.com.
08:30 | Arrival, networking and place activations
Start the morning by connecting with leaders from across Humber and experiencing place in a slightly different way.
09:00 | Welcome
Deb Oxley OBE
Chair, CatZero and Deputy Lord Lieutenant,
Director, Future Humber
09:10 | Why Place Branding Matters More Than Ever
Clare Dewhirst
Founder & Director, City Nation Place
Why are cities and regions around the world investing in their identities? Clare will explore the changing role of place branding and why reputation increasingly matters for attracting investment, people and opportunity.
09:30 | Beyond the City: Building a Regional Place Brand
Mark Mobbs
Assistant Director, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
What happens when a place brand has to represent more than one city or community? Mark will share learning from South Yorkshire and explore the opportunities and challenges of building a regional proposition.
09:50 | One Place. Shared Purpose. - sponsored by ABP
Hosted by Deb Oxley OBE, a strategic conversation exploring the leadership behind successful places and how place, investment and talent need to work together to create prosperous regions.
Clare Dewhirst
Mark Mobbs
Greg Lacey
Robert Allen
10:10 | Networking
A chance to continue the conversation and connect with organisations from across the region.
Leadership Forums
At the heart of the morning will be three focused conversations, giving delegates the opportunity to explore the issues shaping Humber’s future.
Investing in Place - sponsored by Pagabo
How do we turn investment into lasting regional prosperity?
How can major investment create long-term value for businesses, communities and future generations, and how does the reputation of a place influence investment decisions?
Experiencing Place
How do culture, heritage and creativity shape Humber’s identity?
From culture and tourism to sport, heritage and storytelling, this conversation will explore how the experiences associated with Humber influence visitors, investment, talent attraction and pride in place.
Choosing Place
How do we become the region people choose to build their future?
A conversation about attracting, retaining and inspiring talent, and what employers, education providers and regional leaders can collectively do to make Humber somewhere people actively choose.
Facilitated by Communications Consultant, David Laister
Facilitated by award-winning record producer, composer, and performer, Nigel Kobby Taylor
Facilitated by Professor Tom Lawson, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Hull
11:15 | From Conversation to Action
The morning comes back together for a fast-paced closing conversation.
We’ll hear the strongest ideas emerging from across the Forum and focus on what happens next: the commitments, collaborations and practical actions that can help strengthen Humber’s story.
Because building a successful place brand isn’t the responsibility of one organisation.
It belongs to all of us.