Ian Briggs, director at Aberfield Communications: “The Leeds scene has always been a vibrant one with talented people at some of the strongest agencies across the UK. What this has created is a close knit and collaborative community, with many people having grown up together professionally and become good friends.

"Sector organisations like All In Leeds are doing a great job to bring people together regularly, create a connected ecosystem and generate opportunities for everyone to benefit.

For Aberfield, we have just enjoyed our strongest year since our establishment in 2012, continuing our positive momentum of recent times. That this has been achieved against quite an uncertain backdrop makes it even more satisfying. It demonstrates the value our clients place on the strategic consultancy, advice and creative executions that our team is providing, rooted in insight and a deep commercial understanding of their organisations.  What’s most pleasing is doing it in such a relaxed and positive environment and seeing the team flourish. All of this has been capped off with an Agency of the Year Award and our rise up the PR agency league tables. Long may it continue into 2026 and beyond.”

Gemma Wilson, director of purpose and strategy at Gold79: “Now is an incredibly exciting time for innovation in PR, and Leeds is a fantastic base whether you’re starting out in your career or relocating. 

"With a huge amount of talent in the city, a thriving digital scene and strong and active PR community — there’s always something to keep you tuned in and inspired. We’ve kicked the year off as we mean to go on welcoming a raft of new junior talent to the teams in both Leeds and London, alongside celebrating awards and delivering great campaigns for our clients.

"Quarter one will see us launch Longitude, an integrated communications group which builds on the 30+ agencies which already sit in our global network, L’attitude. We also look forward to continuing our relationship with Leeds Beckett University. In 2025 we launched a brand-new entrepreneurs programme in partnership with the university, MINE, our latest initiative to foster great talent in our city.”

Gabriella Sheerin, founder of Gabriella Lucy PR “As someone who has worked in PR in Leeds for 11 years, I can vouch for the fact that there is a super supportive PR community here. It is a great city to be in, whether you’re starting out in your PR career, or have plenty of experience.

“I am part of a Slack group of other digital freelancers that has a dedicated channel for people who live in Leeds. We’ll often arrange co-working meet-ups or casual Christmas/summer drinks. I also attend the Marketing Meet Up networking events which take place every few months in Leeds on a Tuesday evening. They’re brilliant, relaxed, informal networking events that are twinned with a short presentation from a local marketing expert. They’re really informative and are great for meeting new faces in PR and those who work in other areas of marketing.

“The agency network in Leeds is also very close-knit and is a great, friendly community to be a part of. The majority of my work as a freelancer has stemmed from existing relationships and old colleagues from marketing agencies in Leeds.

“Last year (2025) was my busiest year to date and as I enter my third year of business, I do not take the community I am part of for granted. The majority of my client-base has come from referrals, many of which are Leeds-based.”

Caitlin Singh, Communications Consultant at Definition: "I’ve been part of the Leeds PR scene for four and a half years with Definition (seven and a half including my three years on the PR and Journalism course at Leeds Beckett), and even after relocating to Manchester I still commute in twice a week which shows how special it is here. I’ve attended events from Bloom North Leeds and Northern Comms Collective and have been so impressed by how supportive and ambitious the PR and comms community is. Especially for young women, Bloom’s mentoring events have genuinely helped shape the professional development goals I’ve set myself.

"I actually got my role at Definition through my PR course alumni networking group, which really shows the strength of the local network. That community has taken me from graduate to where I am now, working on more integrated briefs than ever and pitching loads. There’s a real buzz with more big names and businesses choosing Leeds, which is so encouraging for the wider PR industry.

"I’d 100% recommend Leeds to any young PR or anyone thinking of relocating. It’s collaborative, creative and full of opportunity. As a Northeast girly, I’m really proud to be part of this northern hub."

Rosie Gogoley, Senior Digital PR Manager at ICS-digital: "Compared to London or Manchester, PR-specific events are more limited, and myself and colleagues tend to attend events outside the city. That said, Leeds continues to be a digital hub with many agencies, so I hope there will be opportunities to get involved in more structured events in 2026 with a PR focus. I did attend 2025 Leeds Digital Festival talks, which was a great way to connect with marketers beyond PR.

"As an agency, we have continued to evolve PR, paid advertising and influencer marketing services in particular and won 45 new clients in 2025. Because we work in many languages, we’re able to onboard new clients regularly from all over the world, but everything is led from our Leeds HQ. The multilingual team makes for a pretty unique culture.

"Looking ahead, I’d like to attend more international trade shows and events as they provide opportunities to engage with emerging trends while sharing our own research on digital PR, advertising channels, SEO for AI and related areas of growth/experimentation.

"For anyone moving to the Leeds PR scene, I would recommend engaging with locally-produced webinars and podcasts. They can give a sense of how local agencies and brands operate, and this is something we definitely prioritise with our own podcast on Spotify.”

Julian Pearce, founder of Yasper: "Leeds is home to some great agencies and if I were to describe the PR community in the city in one (hyphenated) word, it’d be close-knit.

"When I set Yasper up, we had a meeting of minds with (established consumer agency) Umpf, and we now share an office. That’s emblematic of a trust between many of the businesses based here and the desire to share ideas. Where I’ve had experience of the agency scene on other major cities, that’s not something I’ve seen to the same degree. Yes, of course there is some rivalry, but it’s generally good-natured.

"For example, I was contacted last week by another firm looking to see if I had any intel on some gossip that was doing the rounds (I didn’t, as it turned out, but it was nice to be asked). I remember once hiring someone from a competing agency and bumping into their director at a networking do shortly after. A clink of beer bottles and a nod let me know that we were still cool with each other.

"Yasper had an exceptional second half of 2025, momentum we’ve carried into the new year. We’re embarking on some outstanding long-term briefs, and as such, have just made a senior hire. I would expect to be recruiting again within the next six months."

Lauren Pogson, head of communications at Evri: "Leeds offers great opportunities for in-house PR professionals looking to grow their skills and career. Combined with Manchester, there is a growing Northern hub for the PR community here with a growth in events from organisations like Women In PR and the Northern Comms Collective. 

"As a Leeds based business, since 2024 Evri has doubled the size of its in-house PR function and demonstrated it is best in class nationally for PR by being named best in house team for media relations. Proof that big business is committed to hiring and developing excellent communications professionals in the region."

James Hickman, managing partner at Hatch: “Leeds has a broad and diverse agency landscape, and we benefit from a strong and consistent talent pipeline thanks to its three universities. It is also a close-knit agency community, with many people having worked across multiple agencies during their careers. This also means there are very few secrets.

“One of the few downsides of the traditional Yorkshire mindset is a tendency towards modesty. Great work often goes under-celebrated. Agencies such as Umpf, Aberfield, iSeePR, Lucky North and Prohibition consistently deliver excellent work and deserve far more noise around it.

“I’ve worked in Birmingham, London, Manchester, and Nottingham to name a few and Leeds remains, in my view, home to some of the strongest PR talent and agencies in the UK, even if the work itself is often underplayed.

“From a networking perspective, I sit on the steering group for All In. Leeds, a community-led network for the city’s creative sector. We have around 280 registered agencies and around 450 freelancers. Our events focus less on formal networking and more on open conversation, peer learning and knowledge sharing. While in-person events are less frequent than they once were, Leeds has strong digital networks, and agency WhatsApp groups remain a key source of advice and support.”

Danielle Mawson, senior account manager at Umpf: "Leeds has a thriving PR scene, with a strong mix of agencies. Over the years, the city has cemented its status as a growing media and creative hub, attracting major organisations such as Channel 4’s national headquarters. Alongside these big players, Leeds continues to welcome exciting new brands, creating plenty of opportunities for PR professionals. Its central location and excellent transport links also make it an ideal base for working with clients across the UK.

"The networking scene in Leeds is friendly, welcoming and collaborative, with a busy calendar of events. From informal agency socials and industry competitions to more structured marketing and communications discussions, there are plenty of opportunities to connect, learn and build meaningful professional relationships. I recently attended a Break The Silence event focused on the future of PR and how, collectively, we can create a fairer, more inclusive industry where everyone has the potential to thrive.

"At Umpf, 2025 was a strong year, both in commercial performance and the quality of our work and continue to grow our reputation for eye-catching stunts and influencer-led campaigns. Whilst Leeds is our home, our clients are based across the UK and last year we won two CIPR Excellence Awards and a coveted national Revo award. We'll be investing in our people and unveiling a new look and a new agency ethos in the coming months."