What a Northern Powerhouse in Yorkshire means to: co-owner of XSEM, Dan Bardgett

As Bdaily’s Northern Powerhouse series continues to give the business people of Yorkshire the opportunity to voice their opinions on the the government’s Northern Powerhouse initiative, we speak with Dan Bardgett, co-owner of Leeds-based event management company, XSEM.

Founded in 2004, XSEM organises events, conferences and incentive-based travel for a range of clients including the likes of Molson Coors, PPG and Nisa.

What do you think the Northern Powerhouse will do for Yorkshire?

Media reports would suggest that Leeds is behind the likes of Manchester (and maybe even Birmingham with its own city deal) when it comes to the Government’s focus and priorities. Investment in the road and rail network is greatly needed but will that be enough to drive business to Yorkshire? I can see that immediate neighbours such as Leeds and Manchester will benefit from improved links but I struggle to see, for example, how Newcastle can have improved links with Liverpool. They’re 175 miles apart!

Like many others in this region, we deal with companies with head offices in London. I remember an occasion when a London-based events executive thought it was perfectly acceptable for guests to take taxis from Leeds to Manchester to attend an event. The Government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse feels like that: decisions being made in London without a true understanding of the local landscape.

What will the Northern Powerhouse do for XSEM?

The events industry is very London centric. This has its benefits in terms of less local competition for us in Yorkshire, but it also presents a challenge when it comes to recruitment. Career opportunities drive candidates to the capital, making it hard to recruit experienced people. Any aim by Government to move major organisations’ operations North will present big opportunities for service businesses such as ours.

Has the government done enough to convince you of its commitment to Osborne’s vision?

With work on the infrastructure not due to start until 2020 is feels like an initiative without any immediate action. I can’t see where the significant uplift or positive impact will be for XSEM in the next five years. We’re certainly not planning for it in the short term.

Connectivity has been a major driving force behind the Northern Powerhouse. Do you believe that spending billions on infrastructure will improve the economic climate in the North?

Yes – Northern transport links are disgraceful. The thought of popping over to Manchester for a meeting and battling the M62 really is enough to make you look elsewhere for business. Manchester is only 45 miles away from our office door in Leeds. That’s less than my daily commute to the office from North East of Leeds, but unreliable and overcrowded trains or never-ending roadworks and traffic jams, subconsciously keep us focused on our side of the Pennines when it comes to business development. I dread to think of the number of productive man hours lost on the M62 between Leeds and Manchester.

What, if any, other sectors/industries should the government key in on to achieve a Northern Powerhouse?

Leeds, especially is enjoying a boon in the service sectors. Legal, creative and IT and communications services are enjoying good growth, but that continued growth and expansion rely on a wide range of major businesses considering Yorkshire as a headquarters or a key base for their operations. More needs to be done to have Yorkshire viewed as a viable UK or European base for global players.

Are there any other areas which you believe money should be spent on, ahead of transport?

Transport is key, of course. But something like the Tour De France put the region on a global map like few other events have done before. That took foresight, ambition and steely Yorkshire grit to make that happen. It would be great to see where and how we can involve ourselves in large scale events on a more frequent basis to attract UK-wide and international visitors into our towns and cities. Unfortunately, that all leads back to having access to the major transport hubs.

Thank you Dan.

Don’t miss our latest Northern Powerhouse coverage here. To nominate a Yorkshire business leader to be part of our new series, contact Nick at nick.hill@bdaily.co.uk