Humber backs shared identity to win global investment and talent

Centred on the theme “One Region. One Story. Shared Opportunity.”, the Forum explored how a globally recognised Humber identity can unlock investment, attract talent and create lasting opportunity for Humber.

Bringing together voices from business, local government, education, culture and tourism, the Forum highlighted a growing confidence in what Humber has to offer, including its industrial expertise, strategic connectivity, and its culture, creativity and communities.  Discussions at the event focused on how the region can move from recognising its potential to championing its strengths, building a network of advocates to shape Humber's reputation and drive shared ambition into meaningful economic and social opportunity.

Event host Deb Oxley OBE – Future Humber Director, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding, and CatZero Chair – said: “The strength of Humber’s collective ambition is clear with our region’s first-ever Place Forum selling out in a matter of weeks. Today’s event was more than a conference. It marks a significant milestone in Humber’s transformative Place Brand. Place is a uniquely unifying force, and when we combine pride in place with genuine passion, we unlock incredible potential. 

“Now our collective focus is on how we can ensure Humber’s Real, Resourceful, Remarkable, and Revolutionary strengths are better understood on a national and global stage. We can all use our personal and organisational influence to play an important role in that, helping deliver long-term economic growth.

“Our people are our most powerful advocates. Humber’s story belongs to all of us and we all have the power to help elevate our region’s profile on the global stage. By uniting around our shared ambition and working collaboratively, we can unlock Humber’s potential and realise the full scale of our region’s opportunity.”

The forum featured insights on the importance of placemaking and its impact. Leading voices in place branding and regional development demonstrated how a strong reputation acts as a driver of investment and economic growth, including Clare Dewhirst, Founder and Director, City Nation Place.

Clare said: “A place brand is essentially what springs to mind when a place is mentioned, and how a place is perceived has a direct impact on its economy. It goes far beyond marketing. It’s about building deep recognition of distinctive assets to enhance competitive advantage. Great place branding happens when all stakeholders are involved in embedding an inclusive and unifying narrative. Seeing so many leaders here demonstrates the strength of this momentum and the massive opportunity for Humber.”

Leadership panels focused on three core themes to drive regional prosperity: unlocking investment; culture and creativity; and talent attraction and retention.

Professor Tom Lawson, Vice-Chancellor, University of Hull, chaired the event’s talent attraction and retention panel.

He said: “The Humber Place Forum was a timely reminder of what can be achieved when people come together around a shared ambition for our region. There were some really engaging and thought-provoking discussions, reflecting both the scale of the opportunity in front of us and the collective commitment to making the most of it. 

 “When we’re talking about place as a driver of talent retention and inward mobility, people need to be able to see how access to education, employment, networks or support connects to real opportunities. Ultimately, people choose places where they can see a future for themselves, where they can pursue their ambitions and where they feel those ambitions can be realised. The Humber already has a huge amount to offer, with strengths in industry, innovation, culture, community, education and quality of life. Our opportunity is to make those strengths more visible and better connected, so that more people can see a future for themselves here and a pathway to achieving it. 

“What came through strongly from the forum was a shared determination to work together to make that happen. The more joined-up we are in how we collaborate and how we talk about the region, the stronger our offer becomes.  

“As a university, we have a responsibility not only to support talent and ambition, but to help translate that ambition into opportunity. We are committed to working with partners across the region to strengthen pathways, create those opportunities and ensure more people can see the Humber as a place where they can fulfil their potential and build their future.” 

Deb concluded: “People choose somewhere to build a life, with careers sitting alongside culture, food, sport, events and community. Those experiences create an emotional connection and give people reasons to come here and stay here. A shared Humber story enables the strengths of our individual cities and towns to carry greater weight internationally.”

Humber's inaugural Place Forum concluded with a focus on turning shared ambition into action, highlighting the importance of stronger regional advocacy, greater collaboration and using individual and organisational influence to champion Humber's strengths. Delegates were encouraged to identify practical steps they could take to strengthen the region's reputation and help unlock opportunities for its people, businesses and communities. 

The event took place in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hull’s newly opened Horizon facility which has been created in response to the growing demand for high-quality event spaces in Hull and the wider Yorkshire region.

Bringing together regional leaders, from the public and private sector, Future Humber creates a united voice that influences decisions, attracts investment and unlocks opportunities for long-term growth and prosperity across the region. The organisation stewards Humber’s Place Brand, connecting ambition to opportunity across areas including energy security, skills and inward investment, and enabling collaboration at scale across sectors, geographies and institutions. The Future Humber team provide practical support for organisations wanting to deepen their understanding of Humber’s Place narrative and how to implement it, including toolkits and Place Brand sessions. To find out more, contact Leahann.Barnes@futurehumber.com 

For further information on Humber’s Place Brand, visit www.futurehumber.com/about