Production Futures Celebrates Ten Years and Annual Partners Summit 2026
Production Futures Celebrates Ten Years and Annual Partners Summit 2026
Production Futures will later this year celebrate a decade of success with its Annual Partners Summit at Production Park near Wakefield. The event, an invitation-only curated programme, will bring together Production Futures’ partners as well as representatives from the education sector and organisations actively building the future workforce of the production industries.
In the ten years of its existence, Production Futures has grown rapidly and now partners with more than 100 organisations, including manufacturers, service providers, trade associations, education providers, and more, to meet the needs of an industry sector short of skills in a nation where, paradoxically, a million young people are out of work.
In the last 18 months alone, Production Futures has grown its audience by 180% and now represents 3,000 highly engaged members, from freelancers and students to graduates and career-changers. Its community enjoys access to a truly global network reflected by social media platforms whose followings total more than 66,000 and whose reach is in excess of 230,000 channel views across an average 30-day period. With more than 8,000 in-person engagements in the last 12 months, its On Tour events are driving change and growing significant access.
November’s Summit will principally focus on the pro-active work undertaken by partners to design apprenticeships in specific production roles, their help in delivering structured work experience placements, and bringing greater visibility to live pathways into employment. The Summit will present a perfect opportunity for partners to share best practice around the creation of access and opportunity.
CEO, Hannah Eakins reflects on a decade of exponential growth and achievement:
“Ten years ago, we started Production Futures because we could see the skills crisis coming. At our annual Summit, 100+ organisations will come together in one room - not to talk about it, but to show what they have done and commit to doing more. Our audience has grown 180% in the last 18 months because the need is urgent and the industry knows it.”
This recent rapid growth constitutes perhaps the greatest widening of access in the history of the production industries, but according to Hannah, there is no room for complacency and plenty of room for more industry partners:
“We want every industry player or association and education-provider who is not yet a partner to join us to help push growth further. The talent pool is vast, and the more the industry is on board, the more it can count on a supply of highly-skilled, highly-motivated individuals to drive it forward.”
Lee Brooks, CEO Production Park adds:
“Production Park was created around the idea that bringing industry, education and innovation together creates better opportunities for people and for the sector as a whole. We’re therefore delighted to welcome Production Futures and its partners to Production Park again this year.
“With the Academy of Live Technology being born here as the first and only integrated HE provider for our sector, alongside a community of supply chain businesses working at the forefront of live production, Production Park is the natural place to have these conversations and, importantly, turn them into action. The future of our industry depends on creating clear pathways into meaningful careers, and that requires all of us to work together to make those opportunities visible and accessible.”
The Annual Partners Summit on November 18th takes place on the eve of the last ON TOUR event of 2026, which will welcome more than a thousand young people with a packed schedule, including special guests, talks and panels, industry workshops, and a wide range of hands-on activities.