BOLTON, UK. March 2nd, 2026 – Hundreds of senior leaders are set to come together this spring for the launch of the Progressive Leadership Festival, a new movement championing business as a powerful force for good.
Taking place on 13 May 2026 at The Wellbeing Farm in Bolton, the festival will bring together MDs, CEOs, Site Directors, senior leaders and SME owners from across multiple sectors who share a belief that commercial success and human-centred leadership belong side by side.
Created by the team behind the successful Manufacturers’ Alliance network, the Progressive Leadership Festival builds on an established foundation of purpose-led leadership. The festival brings together senior leaders from across sectors, united by a shared commitment to building organisations that perform strongly, care deeply and contribute meaningfully to society.
John Steele OBE, Chair of Commonwealth Games England, will join other keynote speakers and workshop leaders drawn from leading businesses and organisations. Each speaker brings practical insight and lived experience, united by a shared commitment to progressive, high-impact leadership.
The programme blends keynote speakers with facilitated roundtables, fireside chats and interactive workshops across multiple stages. Leaders will be able to curate their own experience, combining big-picture thinking with practical discussion around building healthier workplaces, strengthening culture and leading with greater responsibility.
At its core, the festival asks an important question: what becomes possible when purposeful leaders unite with intention?
The Progressive Leadership Festival marks the growth of a community of changemaking leaders who believe business can create a ripple effect far beyond financial performance, influencing culture, communities and the future of work itself.
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 couple of hundred leaders expected from across the region and beyond, the event offers a rare opportunity for senior decision-makers to step out of the day-to-day and engage in meaningful, future-focused conversation.
Leaders interested in joining the Progressive Leadership Festival can now find out more and register their interest via the event website at www.progressiveleadershipfest.com.
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