Did you catch it? I did. I got the bug. The one which swept through Newcastle last month. For seven days, there felt like a relentless energy to the city. Moreso than usual. It's that feeling that comes with being in Newcastle when we're on show to the world.
The upshot, as usual, was that Newcastle is even better than even its own residents thought at being the most welcoming, friendly and collaborative city in the UK. For years we’ve lived in the shadows of other Northern cities when it comes to national and international profile.
It started with the European finals weekend when more than 100,000 rugby union fans descended from all parts of Europe, not least France, Ireland and the South of England to celebrate a carnival of rugby and cheer on their teams. The police reported just one rugby-related arrest across that weekend. Even that naughty chap was collared for being in possession of something that he thought would, well, make the party that much better.
What was so pleasing was to see the sheer volume of visitors underline just how brilliant the city was at hosting such a weekend. Of course, we’ve seen it before with Rugby League and its Magic Weekend, but such was the success, there have been serious suggestions from those high up in the game that domestic Rugby Union needs to now seriously look at Newcastle as a viable alternative to Twickenham in order to see how one venue can create such a positive and celebratory weekendlong atmosphere.
It somewhat masks other domestic issues one feels needs sorting for these types of events. Not for the first time, a relatively flaccid ‘street market’ became a feature, ironically placed just yards from the brilliant, diverse, historic and vibrant Grainger Market. Someone high up in Newcastle, please take note that this is the market visitors would have loved to have seen.
Just when we were catching our breath from that, the business world was pitched straight into the launch of Newcastle Start Up Week with top regional, national and international names taking to the stage all week to impart their wisdom and advice to a keen crowd who’d arrived from all across the UK. Some from even further afield. Before that week was out, Herb Kim’s Thinking Digital festival attracted tech and digital thinkers from all over the world. This has become an international fixture of note. Within these two events, we saw the launch of the inaugural North East Digital Festival. Newcastle Start Up Week and Thinking Digital became just two events that will now feature under this banner in future years. With collaboration the name of the game, dozens of interested parties and business representative groups combined to put on what will become a packed fortnight of events and talks. This is a fixture that’s only going to get bigger and better each year.
At W, we were lucky enough to be a small part of these events. We’ve partnered the team at North East Digital Festival to assist with their launch, we had team members take to the stage at Newcastle Start Up Week, and in Banyan Bar and Kitchen, we had a client who helped the Saracens squad and staff celebrate in style on the night of their victory. During this incredible seven days, we then saw Newcastle listed as one of the leading global cities for scale up growth in areas such as AI and ecommerce. Los Angeles trailed in our wake.
This sort of energy and recognition puts Newcastle on an incredibly positive – and crucial – national and international footing. We’re not great at talking up ourselves, we’re a region that just does our thing. This has to change if we’re going to survive and thrive in what looks like an ever more challenging future.
Christian Cerisola is head of W North, part of W Communications www.wnorth.co.uk @WCommNorth