01 August 2023
On the 14th July 2023, the Humber Freeport Board, government representatives, local and national stakeholders, and media gathered at the Pump House on Hull’s Alexandra Dock to learn more about the Humber Freeport’s unique opportunities.
The event brought together political leaders, investors, business leaders. dignitaries and media stakeholders to officially launch Humber Freeport and discuss the opportunities and challenges ahead. Future Humber worked in partnership with ABP to make this event happen and run smoothly for all involved. We rose to the challenge of delivering this VIP event at such an exclusive venue, and it was a pleasure to work with the ABP team to deliver an event fitting of the announcement of the launch of Humber Freeport.
The doors opened at noon to allow local and national businesses and organisations to network and connect - these included RWE, Make UK and Phillips 66 and many more. The buffet lunch, which included a good selection of local seafood, was very well received. Credit to The Mill Covenham for not only providing delicious food but also for doing it in a venue not originally designed with catered events in mind!
Christina Waldock, local cellist, set the ambience for the networking.
The main session commenced with Humber Freeport Chair Simon Bird, Humber Director at ABP, welcoming our guests and officially launching the Humber Freeport as a fully incorporated company, up and running and ready for further business. Simon spoke of the unique opportunity presented by Humber Freeport in job creation and economic growth.
Michael Green, Head of Freeports at the Department for Business and Trade added a national perspective on freeports, and talked about the advantages of geography, industry and manufacturing excellence that the Humber presents.
Jo Barnes, Managing Director at Sewell Estates, a key partner in the Yorkshire Energy Park, talked about the benefits of partnership working which are inherent in the Humber Freeports project, and of a raised profile for the Humber region.
A Q&A session followed with the panel of speakers, which included Humber Freeport Interim CEO Simon Green. Questions raised included what success for Humber Freeport would look like and how it could be measured, what the impact could be for local businesses, and whether the current timescales are a good fit.
The venue was chosen for its heritage – The Pump House having played such a significant role in the ports complex of the past now sits next to the Siemens Gamesa plant, a symbol of the Humber’s present and future. As is often the case with such a historic building, there were some logistical challenges to overcome, but we did, and it was worth the effort to create an event so well received and attended at such a landmark location
The success of the event was dependent on a host of different variables:, engaging and inviting speakers, creating guests lists and invitations, and ensuring that all key information is shared in advance. This was matched by finely tuned preparation of the venue, facilities and resources.
The attending media contacts were provided with all the up-to-date information for the Humber Freeport enabling them to promote the Humber Freeport accurately. Additionally, we worked with a photographer and videographer to provide images and film footage of the launch to use for our ongoing digital promotion. Checklists are key! Great work by the team at Meehan Media & Comms for enabling the media to do their work effectively.
Business Live Humber and ITV Calendar were both in attendance to capture this important moment for Humber Freeport. The media suite available in this lovely old building did a fine job of enabling important media coverage and provided a fine backdrop for the requisite group photos.
The role of Future Humber for our Freeport is to work in partnership with businesses and organisations, both national and regional, to provide support for effective communications and place marketing for this game-changing opportunity for our region. This regional launch, following the national launch at Westminster earlier in the year, provided the opportunity to engage with many of the partners of the Humber Freeport of the future – and we look forward to these partnerships growing year on year.
Thank you to everyone who came, listened to the proposals and opportunities, raised important questions, and provided their perspective on what is sure to be an interesting time ahead for the Humber region.
The Future Humber team
Media Coverage
You can read David Laister’s article on the launch event at Humber Freeport opens for business with ambition to attract industrial investment creating 7,000 jobs
You can read more on the Humber Freeports website at Humber Freeport launches with ambition to generate huge investment and over 7,000 jobs
ReNews - UK freeport eyes renewables opportunities
Read our event round up at Humber Freeport Launch event
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