A Reach-plc sponsored set of regional business awards is to return in 2024 in an apparent U-turn by the publisher following its pre-Christmas cutbacks.

As previously reported by HTFP, the publisher axed all its regional business awards event as part of the cuts announced by chief executive Jim Mullen on 7th November.

However it has now been announced that the North East Business Awards, sponsored by Reach titles The Journal, the Chronicle, and the Teesside Gazette, are to return.

It is understood that senior editors in the North East region lobbied hard for the continuation of the awards on the grounds that they are net revenue-generating.

Winners line-up at last year’s North-East Business awards. Picture: Newcastle Chronicle

News of the return of the North-East awards was covered in a story on Reach’s Business Live website on Friday.

The event, at which winners from the three sub-regions covering North of Tyne, Sunderland/Durham and Teesside will compete for the overall prizes, will take place in October.

Journal editor Graeme Whitfield, pictured, told Business Live: “It’s great to see the return of the Business Awards, which are the longest-standing celebration of this region’s great companies.

“I know from the stories we do every day in The Journal and the Gazette that businesses in the North East are doing great things. Often that work goes unrecognised and we want to make sure that isn’t the case.

“I know too from going to the awards over many years that winning – or even just being nominated for a prize – can mean so much to boosting staff morale and raising businesses’ profile.

“I hope as many companies as possible enter the awards so we can really highlight our great firms to the widest possible audience.”

Reach had previously said in a statement: “Due to the economic headwinds that we all face, a significant increase in costs to host events, as well as budgets being challenged, we have decided to stop producing all regional and national events apart from the Pride of Britain and the Pride of Scotland in 2024.”

The local events team, which previously organised the regional business awards along with other events across the UK, were all made redundant as part of the pre-Christmas job cuts.

HTFP has approached Reach for further comment on the decision to reprieve the North-East awards but the company has yet to respond.

We have also asked for clarification on whether any of the other regional business award schemes will now be continuing.