Case Studies
Changing perceptions of York and North Yorkshire at UKREiiF 2026
At UKREiiF 2026, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) set out to change perceptions and position the region as a compelling destination for investment, innovation and growth.
Working closely with the Mayor and YNYCA’s investment and innovation team, we developed a regional narrative to reframe the region as a place “where ideas are born”.
We then brought this proposition to life through pavilion branding, targeted communications and stakeholder engagement, and a programme of 10 thought-provoking events and panel sessions.
Public panels and invitation-only sessions connected investors, developers, government departments and senior decision-makers directly with YNYCA, while the pavilion design attracted curiosity and footfall.
The programme drew 567 unique scanned delegates, with a high proportion of repeat visitors. More than 40 investors and funders attended sessions or met the team directly, strengthening relationships and raising the region’s investment profile.
Building Caddick Group’s profile and partnerships
For the past four years, we have delivered end-to-end management of Caddick Group’s UKREiiF pavilion programme.
Working across the Group, including sister company Moda Living, we have curated agendas, designed pavilion activity, secured high-profile speakers and managed on-the-ground delivery.
In 2024, we partnered with York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to deliver an invitation-only “Meet the Mayor” session featuring newly elected Mayor, David Skaith.
Leveraging our network across the public and private sectors, we secured more than 80 senior representatives and arranged exclusive media interviews that amplified awareness of the Mayor’s vision for the region.
At UKREiiF 2026, we coordinated the announcement of £16m Homes England infrastructure funding for Caddick’s South Village scheme in Leeds, including a ministerial site visit by then-Secretary of State Steve Reed MP in partnership with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
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UKREIIF has been a hugely successful conference for us this year, and I wanted to say a very big thank you to you all on behalf of the RLB team. What a week! So many highlights from standing room only sessions to the hosting of four mayors and welcoming a very VIP guest from Birmingham City FC! Thank you for all the organisation in the lead up, the calibre of speakers you secured, connections made on our behalf, opportunities for Andy Reynolds, and attention throughout the conference, everything was exemplary. You certainly helped us to deliver on our ambition to raise RLB’s profile with the c-suite audience. Social brings together the right combination of professionalism and personality making it a pleasure to work with your team.
Melissa Winsor, Head of Brand & Communications, RLB -
I have been working with the team at Social on helping place their clients on the highest profile panel sessions and into the best private networking opportunities since UKREiiF’s inception in 2022. What comes across is their ability to listen to a brief and then creatively come up with ideas and innovative voices who can give topical discussions that extra edge. Unlike some other marketing and communications agencies, they manage to blend advocacy, persistence and professionalism perfectly – this has been demonstrated through being retained by some of UKREiiF’s biggest clients, right from the very beginning. Team members like Beth and Yasmine possess the ability to pick up the phone to decision makers within our business and find quick solutions – something many other agencies do not.
Andy Brown, Y-PERN Academic Director, Professor in Economics and Political Economy, University of Leeds -
What sets Social apart is the time that the team takes to understand our organisation, our objectives and the wider stakeholder landscape we operate within. The support provided around UKREiiF and our “Who Gets to Build the Future?” roundtable helped raise our profile with key audiences, create meaningful conversations and generate content that continues to support our business development activity. The team is proactive, well connected and delivers a level of strategic insight that goes far beyond traditional PR support. I would thoroughly recommend Social to any organisation looking to build influence and impact.
Andy Clarke, Partnerships Director, Ahead Partnership