The Yorkshire Mafia
 | |
| Industry | Business Networking |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 2008 |
| Headquarters | Yorkshire, United Kingdom |
Area served | Yorkshire, UK |
Key people | Geoff Shepherd |
| Website | Homepage |
The Yorkshire Mafia is a community built around LinkedIn that was founded in November 2008 by Geoff Shepherd. Its headquarters are in Leeds. It provides its 22,000 regional business members with a platform to build professional relationships, obtain necessary skills from established entrepreneurs and trade with each other.
The Yorkshire Mafia hosts some of the biggest business-to-business events in the North England.[1] Events include small round-table discussions, social events, Leeds Business Week and an annual conference, Buy Yorkshire.[2][3] The Yorkshire Mafia uses these events to facilitate the building of business relationships for multiple businesses across the county.[4]
Overview[edit]
The Yorkshire Mafia depends on social media networks, grown out of a LinkedIn-based networking group to encourage local businesses.[1][5] In its second conference in April 2012, delegates heard from Wade Burgess, LinkedIn director of northern Europe, and Ivan Heneghan, head of strategic client services at Facebook.[6][7][8] Around 3,000 attended the event.[9][10][11]
The motto of the group is: "a tight-knit group of diverse industry executives who share a homogenous interest in the advancement of the Yorkshire region."[12]
Events[edit]
Skill Will[edit]
One of the events held by Yorkshire Mafia is Skill Will. Skill Will is a Social Enterprise offering business, public, charity and social enterprise sectors the opportunity to meet, connect and support each other through partnership opportunities and programmes.[13]
Skill Will was originally set up for businesses and charities across Yorkshire, but the organization has now spread across United Kingdom. Businesses are offered targeted assistance enabling volunteers to improve their skills, create new contacts and raise morale within businesses.[14]
Other events[edit]
Yorkshire Mafia facilitates better relationships by bringing businesses together in Yorkshire in order to promote healthy relationships among them. Buy Yorkshire, an annual conference, is one of such events to promote such activities in the region where different businesses have a chance to interact with one another.[15]
The Yorkshire Mafia also organizes Leeds Business Week where different organizations from across the city joined up as "Event Partners" to organize their own business events in support of the exercise. Companies such as The Institute of Directors, 4Networking, Irwin Mitchell, Northern Ballet, Leeds City Council, Propaganda, Barclays were among the attendees.[16]
Geoff Shepherd, chairman of The Yorkshire Mafia, said:
"Leeds is the third largest city in the UK. It should already have a well-established Business Week that brings its business community together. It doesn’t and being a can-do organisation we decided to lead the charge."[16]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Running with the mob". Bq-magazine.co.uk. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ^ "Yorkshire News: Sahara Trek For Favourite Charities". Yorkshiretimes.co.uk. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ^ "HS2 campaigners face down rail chief at Yorkshire Mafia event in Leeds". Yorkshire Post. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ^ "Insider News Yorkshire – Ahmed accuses "immoral" banks". Insidermedia.com. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ "Delegates flocking to the Buy Yorkshire Conference". Yorkshire Post. 19 February 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
- ^ "Learning about social media at the Yorkshire Mafia Conference (From York Press)". Yorkpress.co.uk. 3 April 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ "Mafia gets ready to aid smaller players - Business News". Yorkshire Post. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ "Don't let suppliers become the untouchables, urges the Yorkshire Mafia | Official CIPS Magazine – Supply Management". Supplymanagement.com. 20 March 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ "Second Mafia summit hailed a huge success - Business News". Yorkshire Post. 27 March 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ "CEO of R&R Ice Cream says keep cool and focus on the future". The Manufacturer. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ "Mafia hears of Google's mobile mission - Business News". Yorkshire Post. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ "About". The Yorkshire Mafia. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ "Skill Will Networking Evening - Event - Leeds Business Week". Leedsbizweek.com. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ^ "UK-wide role for charity skills broker - Yorkshire Post". Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.
- ^ Mark Lane (18 April 2013). "Countdown to Yorkshire Mafia's business spectacular | Bdaily Business News". Bdaily.co.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ^ a b David Gatehouse (6 August 2013). "Yorkshire Mafia to run first Leeds Business Week | Bdaily Business News". Bdaily.co.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2014.