Counterculture was commissioned by the North East Combined Authority in 2025 to develop a Regional Events Strategy to support the long-term growth, identity and impact of events across the North East region. Working in partnership with Blue Sail, a tourism consultancy dedicated to destination development, tourism and marketing, we were able to combine our expertise and experiences of working in cities and regions across the UK and internationally. The project set out to establish a clear, ambitious, and actionable framework for regional events that could shape future investment, build profile, and support wider tourism, cultural and economic development goals. Social value aims were central to the project, and paid internship placements were built into the project, enabling talented young people aged 18-25 from underrepresented and disadvantaged communities to gain invaluable work experience in event production.
We undertook a 4-month consultancy process including in-depth desk research, benchmarking against national and international comparators, and mapped existing events and infrastructure. A SWOT and PESTLE analysis was produced to assess the alignment of existing events with NECA’s wider cultural, tourism, and place-marketing ambitions. Consultation was central: we engaged a broad range of stakeholders including local authorities, DMOs, cultural organisations, and national bodies such as Arts Council England and UK Sport. This culminated in a regional roundtable to test and refine themes and priorities.
Our final report included a clear strategic framework, governance and delivery recommendations, and a robust evaluation model. We also appraised three early-priority event proposals, offering practical, real-time testing of the strategy’s principles.
This work builds on Counterculture’s longstanding engagement in the North East, including projects with Visit County Durham, Sunderland and Newcastle City Councils and the Tees Valley Combined Authority. Combined with Blue Sail’s national expertise in event strategy and destination development, our team brought both local understanding and broad sector insight.
The final strategy is now supporting NECA and its partners to plan and invest in a more coordinated, inclusive and impactful regional events programme—delivering benefits across tourism, culture, economy and community wellbeing.
photo credit: Tyneside Media
Building internships into the project
At Counterculture, we recognize the value of positive mentoring alongside paid experience. From the onset we built internships into the project deliverables, hoping to help those who are passionate about events make an impact on the meaningful project.
Uzma Johal MBE developed a job description with Northumbria University, running a recruitment process which secured two amazing young people with bright futures ahead of them. The interns were engaged to support a significant NECA Events and Festivals Roundtable event we ran as part of the Mayor’s MOBO fringe activities. Held at the prestigious Glasshouse International Centre for Music, the Roundtable was a unique regional first, attended by over 80 people from local culture, sports, tourism and events sectors. The interns worked closely with the experienced events team during pre-production, delivery and post-event, gaining invaluable expertise for all levels of the event cycle. As part of our commitment, they also took up the offer for a one hour one-to-one mentorship session to complete their internship journeys, helping lay some foundations as they look to develop their event careers in the North East, which they call home now.
Claudia Elwood
Final Year Student BA hons Tourism and Event Management, Northumbria University
“Working with Uzma and the Counterculture team as an Event Production Assistant was an incredibly rewarding experience that brought my Events Management degree to life. It gave me the chance to apply my academic learning in a real-world setting, deepening my understanding of pre-event planning, logistics, and on-the-day coordination. This hands-on experience not only strengthened my coursework but also gave me clarity and confidence in my career path. A standout moment was connecting with Cat and Sophie at the Beyond the Horizons Event where I was supporting Counterculture to deliver for the North East Combined Authority, which led to my first full time job as a Project Coordinator for Beacon House Events! I’m so thankful for the opportunity and for helping bridge the gap between university and industry.”
Derianna Thomas
PhD Student, Northumbria University
“My internship with Counterculture has been incredibly valuable – from applying my existing experience to a larger high-profile event, to connecting with the local community and venues, I have gained confidence in my ability to grow as an event producer.
Working on this event through pre-production, delivery, and post wrap up with the team has been a wonderful experience that confirmed this is what I would like to do. I was able to implement my own ideas that contributed to the success of the event and refine skills for future events. This internship made larger events seem much more achievable for me and has highlighted pathways that I am now more confident going down.
I have been following subsequent events that have built on our work, and am proud of our contributions to the cultural sector that I plan to keep growing in. Thank you to the team for this opportunity!”