Investment in the Creative Industries: our 2025 Big Creative UK Summits

Creative UK is kicking off 2025 as we mean to go on – by talking about the vital importance of investment.

We will be leading this conversation in our Big Creative UK Summits: which this year, for the first time, span, four regional events culminating in a national moment, taking place on 4 March in Kings Place, London.

The Summits offer investors a chance to see first-hand the benefits and opportunities that exist within the creative sector.

Through networking, showcasing and bold conversations – creative businesses, thought leaders, policy makers and investors will come together to celebrate the extraordinary regional and national growth which comes from investing in our world-leading Creative Industries.

Read on for details of the below events: 

• North East: DCMS Creative Industries Growth Summit, featuring an afternoon with Creative UK, 17 January, Gateshead
• Investment in the West Midlands, 30 January 2024, Birmingham
• Investment in West Yorkshire, 6 February, Bradford
• Investment in Cornwall and Devon, 7 February, Plymouth
• The Big Creative UK Summit: Investment For Growth, 4 March, London

The four regional events will combine days of pitching and networking with a celebration of the DCMS Create Growth Programmes that we have been so proud to support and which have been vital in helping early-stage creative companies to become investment-ready. The national summit, Investment For Growth, that takes place on 4 March in Kings Place, London will be the culmination of these regional events, taking a lens to the UK’s Creative Industries and asking what more we and industry can do to further bolster the growth of our fantastic creative sector. Featuring a keynote speech from Robert Peston, Political Editor of ITV and an agenda that covers topics from the benefits of backing creativity to the question of how public investment can leverage private finance, this landmark event promises to be a vital day for investors and companies from our Creative Industries.

North East: Creative UK will be featured as part of the DCMS Creative Industries Growth Summit on Friday 17 January to host an afternoon of bold conversations with industry-leading speakers and an exhibition of creative companies. Afternoon attendees will have the chance to be part of conversations around how we can help unlock the enormous potential of the Creative Industries to the UK’s economy – ensuring that the benefits of our Creative Industries are felt in communities all over the country, and creating opportunities for the next generation. There will be the chance to network and engage with the innovative businesses supported by Creative UK as part of the exhibition along the vibrant Glasshouse concourse. If you are interested in attending please email events@wearecreative.uk.

Taking place at The Bond, Birmingham on 30 January 2025, the Investment in the West Midlands Summit will be both a showcase of the West Midland’s Creative Industries and a celebration of the Create Growth Programme. Join us for a day filled with vital talks from industry-leading speakers, exhibition of the creative companies and, of course, networking. For more details and to register for your free ticket, visit: https://investment.wearecreative.uk/west-midlands

This event takes place on 6 February in Bradford and will convene sector leaders from the West Yorkshire region. The agenda includes pitching, plentiful networking opportunities and an exhibition showcasing some of the most exciting creative companies that Creative UK has supported in this area. To find out more and register for your free place, visit: https://investment.wearecreative.uk/west-yorkshire

The final of our regional summits is the Big Creative UK Summit: Investment in Cornwall & Devon taking place on 7 February in Plymouth. This invite only event is a celebration of the Create Growth Programme and a showcase of the region’s Creative Industries at the University of Plymouth & Arts University, Plymouth. The day’s itinerary features bold conversations with industry-leading speakers, dynamic pitching, an exhibition of the creative companies supported by Creative UK, and insightful networking. The event is invite only, to find out more, contact suzie.west@wearecreative.uk.

Our national investment summit will take place on 4 March in Kings Place, London. The Big Creative UK Summit: Investment for Growth is a landmark event, showcasing the extraordinary power of the UK’s creative sector to supercharge economic growth through gaming, film, TV, media, fashion, design, publishing, CreaTech, heritage, culture and more.

Investors, creatives, entrepreneurs and policy makers are invited to join us for a day of bold conversations, dynamic pitching, and insightful networking. Find out more and get your ticket here: https://investment.wearecreative.uk/