Family Business & Place: Evidence. Policy. Practice.
Event details
Family Business Growth Conference: Legacy Sector or Growth Engine?
What would change if family businesses were treated not as a legacy sector, but as a central part of the UKs growth strategy?
Family businesses are a vital part of the UK economy, generating jobs, investment, exports and long-term growth in communities across the country. Despite their contribution, they are often overlooked in national and regional growth strategies.
The Family Business Growth Conference will bring together family business owners and leaders, policymakers and researchers to explore how family firms can play a greater role in shaping the UK's economic future. Through a series of keynote presentations, panel discussions and debates, attendees will examine the opportunities and challenges facing family businesses today, from succession and governance to taxation, regional growth and long-term ownership.
Led by Professor Kiran Trehan of the University of York and Sir Michael Bibby, Chairman of Bibby Line Group and the Family Business Research Foundation, the conference aims to bridge the gap between evidence, policy and practice, ensuring the voices of family businesses are part of the national conversation on growth.
What to Expect,
The conference will feature keynote speaker James Reed CBE, Chairman and CEO of Reed Group, alongside family business leaders, policymakers and leading researchers from across the UK.
Discussion themes will include:
The missing piece in growth policy
Why family firms remain marginal to regional growth despite their role in exports, productivity and place-based investment.
Tax, ownership & continuity
How changes to inheritance tax reshape succession, investment and the transfer of viable businesses across generations.
Social value & local impact
Employment, skills, community cohesion and philanthropy and how family firms’ contribution can be better evidenced
Designed to encourage open and practical discussion, the event will explore what happens when business experience, academic evidence and policymaking come together to address the issues that matter most to family firms.
Confirmed Speakers
Professor Kiran Trehan Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise, Partnerships and Engagement, University of York
Sir Michael Bibby Chairman of Bibby Line Group and the Family Business Research Foundation
James Reed CBE, Chairman and CEO of Reed Group
Jo Crellin, Director General, Domestic and International Markets and Exports at the Department for Business and Trade
Tariq Shah, Director of Vigo Group and Private Sector Member of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
Plus more to announce soon.
Join the Conversation
Whether you are a family business owner, business leader, policymaker or researcher, this
conference offers a unique opportunity to engage with the evidence, insights and lived
experiences shaping the future of family business in the UK. Join the conversation, connect with influential voices from business, academia and government, and help explore how family businesses can play a more central role in driving economic growth, regional prosperity and long-term value.
Places are free but registration is essential. Secure your place today and be part of this important national discussion.