Senior business figures from across the region will gather in May for the inaugural Progressive Leadership Festival, an event centred on the idea that organisations can succeed commercially while putting people first.
The festival will be held on 13 May 2026 at The Wellbeing Farm in Bolton and will attract chief executives, managing directors, site leaders, senior managers and SME owners representing a broad mix of sectors.
Organised by the team responsible for the Manufacturers’ Alliance network, the initiative extends an established approach to purpose-led leadership. It brings together leaders committed to building resilient organisations that balance results with responsibility.
Among the headline speakers is John Steele OBE, Chair of Commonwealth Games England, joined by a programme of facilitators and contributors from leading businesses. Their sessions will focus on practical insight drawn from experience in progressive leadership roles.
The format includes keynote presentations alongside small-group roundtables, informal discussions and hands-on workshops delivered across multiple stages. Participants will be able to tailor their schedule to explore themes such as organisational culture, healthier workplaces and values-led decision-making.
The central theme asks what outcomes become possible when leaders with a shared sense of purpose work together deliberately.
The event reflects the development of a wider community of leaders who believe that business can shape society beyond financial measures alone, influencing people, places and future working models.
Gary Sheader, Founder & Managing Director of the Manufacturers’ Alliance and founder of the Progressive Leadership Festival, said: “This festival is about bringing together a community of changemakers who want to lead with depth, courage and responsibility.
“Across the North West and beyond, there are leaders who feel a real desire to build organisations that are both high performing and genuinely human. When those leaders connect, challenge one another and collaborate, the ripple effect is powerful.
“The Progressive Leadership Festival is the start of that movement, a space where ambition and purpose align, and where business steps forward as a force for good.”
With a few hundred attendees anticipated from across the North West and further afield, the event is designed to give senior leaders time to reflect, exchange ideas and engage in meaningful discussion about the future of leadership.
Further details and registration information are available at www.progressiveleadershipfest.com.
