Business and cultural community come together to make Ipswich Thrive

Ipswich is gathering pace as a vibrant cultural, retail and experience-based destination, members of the town's business community heard at an event at St Stephen’s Church as part of Ipswich Thrive week.

The evening event was organised by accountancy firm, Larking Gowen, as an opportunity for business and cultural leaders to network with a focus on supporting retail, leisure, hospitality and tourism in the town and more widely in the region.

Introducing the evening's speakers, Larking Gowen Partner, Becky Ames, said it was a great opportunity for the business community to come together and support the town and wider area to help create a lively and attractive environment through events that will attract more visitors.

Larking Gowen has launched its Tourism Business Survey 2025 as an opportunity for businesses in the region to share knowledge and gain insights into the tourism industry.

"The survey is a great opportunity for you to give your opinions and get your voices heard," said Becky.

Guest speakers at the event were Steve Flory, Chair of Ipswich Central and MD of Hudson Group; Marcus Neal, Director of Brighten The Corners; and Cathy Frost, owner of Loveone giftshop in St Peter's Street, Director of the Saints Community Ipswich and Borough Councillor of Holywells Ward.

Steve Flory has recently taken over as Chair of Ipswich Central, which has 407 business members around the town working to attract more visitors and shoppers to the town by making it more welcoming and dynamic.

"We want to create and promote activities in the town for the benefit of the business and wider community. We want to get more people in, and have more events. Our legacy is to make this happen. We'll get this town back to where it should be," he said.

He said activities currently underway and lined up for the rest of the year included the Sip'Swich pub trail, Fork Night, a two-week food festival, Summer in the Square which involves local bands and charities, and the Brighten The Corners music festival.

Marcus Neal is co-director of Brighten The Corners, a not-for-profit organisation which runs three venues in the town, an annual music festival, and training and education programmes for young people.

"We are working to transform the cultural heartbeat of the centre of Ipswich, provide opportunities for young people in the town and make it more vibrant as a destination," he said.

Venues include The Smokehouse, The Baths and St Stephen's Church. The Brighten The Corners Festival was launched in 2023.

Marcus said the festival was going from strength to strength and it was encouraging to see that 62% of ticket sales were to visitors from outside Suffolk. Brighten The Corners works closely with the University of Suffolk, the county and borough councils as well as welcoming corporate sponsorship and donations.

Cathy Frost describes herself as "Ipswich's number one fan". She started The Saints street markets in St Peter's Street and St Nicholas Street 14 years ago, running twice a year in June and November.

"Ipswich has so much to offer. We have The Regent, Christchurch Mansion, a museum soon to reopen, three cinemas, music day. We see our market as part of that growing scene," she said.

"Ipswich needs all our support now. It can't be done in isolation, we have got to work with the community and the council. It's about a new high street centred around experiences."

The Larking Gowen Tourism Business Survey 2025 is now open.