The festival, launched as part of the School’s wider commitment to regional engagement, offers a platform for businesses across York and North Yorkshire to connect, upskill, and share ideas. This year’s programme promises an expanded schedule of networking events, panel discussions, skills workshops, and sector-specific forums, all designed to foster sustainable growth and innovation.
A Regional Platform with National Ambitions
The 2025 edition will reflect York Business School’s evolving role as a regional leader in enterprise education and innovation. Since its launch in 2018, the School has rapidly grown to encompass nearly one-third of York St John University’s student body, and it has forged strong partnerships with SMEs, multinationals, social enterprises, and public bodies alike.
This year’s festival will include close collaboration with key partners, including The Press and the York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. The 2024 programme drew hundreds of attendees and featured speakers from sectors as diverse as tech, tourism, law, the creative industries, and sustainability.
Themes for 2025
The upcoming festival will spotlight themes that matter most to regional businesses:
- Future Workforce & Skills Development
- Sustainable Business Practices
- Digital Transformation & Innovation
- Creative Industry Growth
- Entrepreneurship and Scale-Up Support
A Festival Rooted in Practical Impact
York Business School’s mission is not only to educate future leaders, but to create real-world impact through partnerships, applied research, and enterprise support. Programmes like the Business Clinic, Law Clinic, and Enterprise Centre have made direct contributions to over 30 local organisations in the past year alone. The Business Festival builds on this practical ethos—connecting ideas with action. The festival is about making introductions, sparking ideas, and turning potential into progress.
Find Out More
The full festival programme and speaker list will be released soon. Businesses and individuals interested in attending, sponsoring, or speaking at the event can find more information at: https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/events/york-business-festival/
As York Business School continues to grow its influence and deepen its roots in the regional economy, the return of the York Business Festival is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when education, enterprise, and community come together. With collaboration at its core, the festival promises to be one of the standout events of the region’s business calendar this autumn.
