Around £47m is added to the region’s economy each year through the events that take place on the Great Yorkshire Showground, a study has revealed.
And within that figure, some £35m directly benefits the local Harrogate economy and supports 550 full time equivalent jobs.
The in depth economic impact study was carried out in April by Genecon for the Yorkshire Agricultural Society which is best known for staging the annual Great Yorkshire Show, and also as the parent of its event organising arm, which incorporates Pavilions of Harrogate and the Yorkshire Event Centre.
A number of elements were examined including the Society’s spend within the supply chain, its employees, exhibitors and visitors. The events hosted by the Yorkshire Event Centre and Pavilions of Harrogate were a key part of the survey as well as the Great Yorkshire Show itself.
The Society directly supports 103 FTE (full time equivalent) jobs and a further 450 FTE jobs indirectly in the supply chain.
Heather Parry, the Society’s Deputy Chief Executive said:
We attract around 422,000 visitors to the showground each year, to a total of 582 events which means that on average we hold 1.6 events each day of the year. With so many events attracting big visitor numbers it’s not surprising that the financial benefit to the region is significant – whether that’s in terms of hotel rooms booked, meals bought in local restaurants, or in the number of people we employ.
We are very much a part of the local community so it’s good to be able to quantify the amazing impact of our events in boosting the region’s economy. We were particularly pleased to see that each year Harrogate District benefits by a substantial amount – £35m.
The Society spends over £5m each year – predominantly with local businesses, to help run a wide range of events from weddings to corporate events to national exhibitions. All profits are ploughed back into the Society’s work in supporting agriculture across the north of England and beyond.
Among the list of events are: the Harrogate Spring & Autumn Flower Shows, the Model Engineering Show, antiques shows, conferences and numerous social events including weddings and balls.
