HUNDREDS of creative industry professionals across the North West are being invited to join a two-day virtual event this month.

The Creative Leaders Festival 2021, organised by GC Business Growth Hub on behalf of The Growth Company, from May 25 to 26, includes a series of high-profile speakers, roundtable discussions and workshop sessions.

The event will provide advice about support available to the sector to help businesses plan and grow and feature more than 70 speakers from creative, digital and tech industries.

Guests include Creative England’s Mehjabeen Patrick, Manchester International Festival’s Paul Clay, Northern Ballet’s chief executive Mark Skipper, and co-chair of Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership and chief executive of Magnetic North Lou Cordwell.

The festival is open to any creative, digital or tech business, based in Greater Manchester or the North, operating in fields such as film, TV, photography, design, gaming, fashion, marketing and PR.

The event will be opened by Caroline Dinenage the Minister of State for Digital and Culture, at 10am.

She said: "It is fantastic to see thriving creative industries across the north where the sector is continuing to make important strides as part of our levelling up agenda. This festival is a great opportunity to celebrate this success and be inspired for the future.”