First Time at the Expo—And Definitely Not the Last
What an incredibly successful day it was at the North East Chamber of Commerce NE Expo at Newcastle Racecourse & Conference Centre! I had the pleasure of representing Northern Digital as part of the Sunderland City Council Supply Chain Programme, hosted by RTC North, and I genuinely loved every minute of it.
For myself and fellow first-timer Matthew Strain, this was our very first Expo, and honestly, it couldn’t have gone better. It was amazing to meet so many passionate businesses, chat about what we do at Northern Digital—covering web design, digital marketing, and creative strategies—and make connections that I’m sure will lead to exciting new projects.
The day flew by thanks to the continuous flow of great conversations and brilliant energy from everyone who visited the stand.
Sharing the Spotlight with Sunderland’s Finest
Alongside us was the seasoned and always fantastic Toni Bainbridge, and Lee Kirtland from Holiday Inn Sunderland – City Centre, both showing the brilliant hospitality offerings they’re bringing to the heart of Sunderland. It’s always inspiring to see local businesses thriving and proudly showing off what our region has to offer.
It was also great catching up with James Staniforth from Sustainable Business Services, who was part of the Chamber Showcase, as well as Barry Braley and Lee Daymond of Creators Academy and Foresight eLearning and Creative Limited. Seeing familiar faces from the Sunderland City Council Supply Chain Programme doing well and having successful days was brilliant.
Great Conversations and Valuable Connections
The event wasn’t just about showing our work—it was also about listening, learning, and sharing ideas. We saw lots of interest across all RTC North’s programmes, especially the Sunderland City Council Supply Chain Programme, the Business Durham Growth Programme, and the Tees Valley Combined Authority Supply Chain Programme. Having such engaging conversations was hugely motivating, and the fact that we were busy for the full 6 hours just shows how bold and collaborative our business community really is.
Big Thanks to the RTC North Team
A massive thank you goes out to the whole RTC North team, especially Keith Wallis and Paul Lofthouse, who were fantastic colleagues and made sure everything ran smoothly on what was an incredibly busy day.
Thanks as well to Tracy C., Abigail Bell, Jim Barr, Simon Cave, Neil Clasper, Michael Kendall, and Andrea McGuigan—your support and company throughout the event were truly appreciated and made the experience even better.
Days like these remind me exactly why I love being part of the North East’s creative and digital community. I’m already looking forward to the next event—bring it on!
