NORTH East business leaders have hailed the success of a popular business event, with hundreds of people attending sessions across Sunderland.
Sunderland Business Week, which returned for a sixth year, ran from October 12 – 16, with headline speakers including entrepreneur and TV personality Spencer Matthews and Paralympic gold medallist and NatWest ambassador Jonnie Peacock. The pair took part in fire-side chats, discussing their lives and careers at SunFest, a one-day conference that formed part of the week, on Thursday, October 15.
The week-long event included expert presentations, panel discussions, fireside chats, networking, workshops and more.
Councillor Chris Eynon, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “Sunderland is a city that’s open for business and a place where companies can thrive. Sunderland Business Week shone a spotlight on the fantastic opportunities there are here for growth and the major part Sunderland can play in the regional and national economy. It was a celebration of business and entrepreneurialism right here in our city and a great chance for people and businesses to connect and collaborate.”
The week was organised by Sunderland Business Partnership, a collective of organisations – large and small – all with an interest in the city’s development, creating opportunities for members to collaborate and grow, which in turn helps Sunderland to be a more dynamic destination for business.
Rob Lawson OBE, chair of Sunderland Business Partnership, said: “Sunderland is a brilliant, dynamic place for enterprise and innovation and we are delighted to have been able to deliver another successful Business Week.
“It was truly inspirational and I’d like to thank all our wonderful speakers, sponsors and venues who made the event so enjoyable.”
The week’s flagship event, SunFest, was a full day event at The Fire Station and Culture House Sunderland, where Spencer and Jonnie were joined by senior representatives from organisations including the Bank of England, North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, Hays Travel, NatWest and the North East Chamber of Commerce for a day of inspiring talks, workshops and networking.
There were sessions on the national and regional economy, AI, confidence in leadership and employee wellness.
Paul McEldon, outgoing CEO at North East BIC, said: Sunderland is home to many successful businesses of all sizes and events like Sunderland Business Week offer the chance for them to build connections, spark ideas and collaborate. It was a great week that highlighted everything the city has to offer for entrepreneurs and businesses.”
Sunderland Business Week was sponsored by Sunderland City Council, North East BIC, University of Sunderland, NatWest, Robson Laidler, Ward Hadaway, Sunderland College, FutureReady, Gentoo, Creo Comms, Sunderland AFC, Sunderland Culture, Procure Smart and Sunderland BIDs.
Craig Shields, Managing Director of Procure Smart, said: “SunFest 2026 was another fantastic event as part of Sunderland Business Week. We were delighted to return as sponsors for a second consecutive year. As a proud Sunderland-based business, it’s rewarding to connect with so many local organisations, professionals and future talent in one place.
“Throughout the day, our team had some incredibly positive conversations with attendees about the challenges and opportunities facing businesses today.
“We were able to share insights, showcase our services and technology, and explore ways we can help organisations reduce costs, improve efficiency and plan for the future. We’re confident many of the relationships formed during the day will lead to beneficial outcomes for everyone involved.”
To learn more about the Sunderland Business Partnership, visit the website www.sunderlandbusinesspartnership.co.uk
