Business

Leeds digital marketing agency 21 Degrees Digital hosts innovative AI event to boost business growth

Friday, 28 November 2025 5:15PM UTC

Leeds-based 21 Degrees Digital hosted a practical and engaging free event on leveraging AI for business growth, highlighting live demonstrations, expert insights, and Yorkshire’s rising AI scene, fostering a community eager to harness AI’s real-world potential.

Leeds-based digital marketing agency 21 Degrees Digital recently hosted a highly successful free event, "Leveraging AI for Business Growth," aimed at cutting through the hype surrounding artificial intelligence to provide practical insights for business performance and profitability. Held at Horizon Leeds, the session drew around a hundred business owners, marketers, and growth leaders from across Yorkshire, underlining a strong appetite for hands-on, honest guidance on AI’s concrete applications in business.

The event featured a lineup of respected technology and marketing voices, including Rory Mason, CEO of 21 Degrees Digital, and Zandra Moore MBE, co-founder of Zygens and a leading advocate for women in tech. Moore opened with a keynote that highlighted Leeds’ pivotal role in the digital revolution over the past two decades and unpacked the workings of large language models and AI agents. Following this, entrepreneur Charlie Bartle shared her journey of adapting her business through the shifting technological landscape, demonstrating how crisis can spur innovative AI-driven opportunities. Together, Moore and Bartle conducted a live AI agent-building demonstration, translating theory into actionable tools that attendees could immediately utilise within their own organisations.

The event centred on practical AI use cases rather than abstract concepts. Through a combination of short talks, live demonstrations, and extensive Q&A sessions, attendees explored how AI is already enhancing marketing outcomes, streamlining operations, and maintaining competitiveness in a rapidly evolving economy. Feedback from participants praised the "refreshingly honest" content and the presentation of “real examples that can be actioned on Monday morning.” Mason described the future landscape of digital marketing as one where AI works collaboratively with humans, enabling them to focus on creativity and customer service by automating repetitive tasks. He emphasised that AI is a partner, not a replacement, to human ingenuity and strategic thinking.

For 21 Degrees Digital, this inaugural event marked the beginning of a broader initiative to foster a community keen on embracing AI-driven growth. The agency plans to roll out a series of open-door sessions throughout 2026, diving deeper into AI applications in SEO, paid media, creative testing, and customer relationship management automation. Founded by a group of performance marketers and creatives, 21 Degrees Digital has built a reputation for blending data-driven strategies with bold creative execution. Their commitment to integrating AI across all stages of the marketing process, from research to media optimisation and CRM automation, reflects a pragmatic approach focused on measurable impact rather than empty buzzwords.

Mason highlighted the agency’s swift growth and the strength of its team, noting the enthusiastic client base that aligns with their appetite for innovation. The success of the event demonstrates a clear demand among Yorkshire’s business community for forward-thinking approaches. Alongside the talks and demonstrations, attendees enjoyed networking opportunities, refreshments, and additional value-added services such as free LinkedIn headshots and digital marketing health checks, setting a relaxed yet productive tone for the evening.

This event builds upon a broader momentum in Leeds’s AI scene, which features a range of activities exploring AI’s practical and ethical dimensions, including initiatives like Parallax’s 'Applied AI' events at the Leeds Digital Festival focusing on real-world applications without jargon, and educational forums such as Anthology’s Ethical AI in Action Tour that address responsible AI use in higher education. These initiatives collectively underscore Leeds as a growing hub for AI innovation and knowledge sharing, complementing 21 Degrees Digital’s mission to demystify AI for business and provide accessible, actionable insights to entrepreneurs and marketers alike.

The combination of expertise, live practical demonstrations, and clear commitment to client success positions 21 Degrees Digital as a notable disruptor in the UK’s digital marketing landscape. As AI continues to transform how companies operate, the agency’s efforts to build informed, AI-literate business communities across the North and beyond suggest a promising path for sustainable growth and innovation.

📌 Reference Map:

^[1] (Business Up North) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
^[2] (Business Up North) - Paragraph 1
^[3] (BDaily) - Paragraph 1
^[4] (Leeds Digital Festival) - Paragraph 8
^[5] (Leeds Digital Festival) - Paragraph 8
^[6] (Leeds Digital) - Paragraph 8

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.businessupnorth.co.uk/yorkshire-agency-21-degrees-digital-packs-out-free-leeds-ai-event-with-plans-for-more/ - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.businessupnorth.co.uk/expanding-leeds-agency-21-degrees-digital-launches-free-ai-event-to-help-businesses-grow/ - Leeds-based digital marketing agency 21 Degrees Digital is hosting a free event titled 'Leveraging AI for Business Growth' on November 19, 2025, at Horizon Leeds. The event aims to provide practical insights into how AI can enhance business performance and profitability. Speakers include Rory Mason, CEO of 21 Degrees Digital, and Zandra Moore MBE, co-founder of Zygens and a prominent advocate for women in tech. The session is designed for business owners, marketers, and growth leaders seeking to utilise AI for improved efficiency and competitiveness. ([businessupnorth.co.uk](https://www.businessupnorth.co.uk/expanding-leeds-agency-21-degrees-digital-launches-free-ai-event-to-help-businesses-grow/?utm_source=openai))
https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2025/11/12/21-degrees-digital-to-host-ai-growth-event - 21 Degrees Digital, a Leeds-based digital marketing agency, is set to host an event titled 'Leveraging AI for Business Growth' on November 19, 2025, at Horizon Leeds. The event aims to provide practical insights into how AI can drive SEO, paid media, and automation for real results. Speakers include Rory Mason, CEO of 21 Degrees Digital, and Zandra Moore MBE, co-founder of Zygens and a prominent advocate for women in tech. The session is designed for business owners, founders, and leadership teams seeking actionable strategies for AI adoption. ([bdaily.co.uk](https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2025/11/12/21-degrees-digital-to-host-ai-growth-event?utm_source=openai))
https://leedsdigitalfestival.org/events/applied-ai-practical-ai-applications/ - Organised by Parallax, 'Applied AI – Practical AI Applications' is an inclusive event aimed at individuals and companies interested in exploring practical uses for Artificial Intelligence. The event offers a mix of readily usable tips and tricks, as well as deep dives into the ethics, training, and technical aspects of AI. Attendees can expect live demos and discussions on how AI can be applied in day-to-day life and work. The event is designed to be inclusive and welcoming, encouraging a diverse mix of voices to shape the future of AI. ([leedsdigitalfestival.org](https://leedsdigitalfestival.org/events/applied-ai-practical-ai-applications/?utm_source=openai))
https://leedsdigitalfestival.org/events/applied-ai/ - 'Applied AI' is an event at the Leeds Digital Festival focused on the real-world impact of AI, without the jargon. The evening features thought-provoking talks, live examples, and discussions on how AI is being applied today in teams, products, and everyday decisions at work. The event is aimed at anyone curious about how AI is changing the way we work, build, and think, with no technical background required. It is designed to be inclusive and welcoming, with a diverse mix of voices shaping the future of AI. ([leedsdigitalfestival.org](https://leedsdigitalfestival.org/events/applied-ai/?utm_source=openai))
https://leedsdigital.org/events/anthologys-ethical-ai-in-action-tour/ - Anthology's Ethical AI in Action Tour is stopping in Leeds at The University of Leeds on November 15, 2024. The event showcases best practices around the ethical use of AI in higher education. It includes networking opportunities, insights into responsible use of generative AI in the classroom, and discussions on new innovations in the field. The tour is specifically designed for higher education professionals, including instructional designers, academic leaders, and directors of online learning. ([leedsdigital.org](https://leedsdigital.org/events/anthologys-ethical-ai-in-action-tour/?utm_source=openai))
https://digitaleducation.leeds.ac.uk/online-learning-summit-2025/ - The Online Learning Summit is a fully hybrid event dedicated to exploring core themes and emerging areas in the Higher Education sector and beyond. The 2025 event took place on July 10-11 at Cloth Hall Court in Leeds City Centre. Summit themes include scale and sustainability, effective collaboration and partnerships, and the impact of learning engineering and design. The event features presentations, panels, interactive sessions, and a live podcast. ([digitaleducation.leeds.ac.uk](https://digitaleducation.leeds.ac.uk/online-learning-summit-2025/?utm_source=openai))

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative is recent, published on 28 November 2025. The earliest known publication date of substantially similar content is 12 November 2025, as reported by Bdaily. ([bdaily.co.uk](https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2025/11/12/21-degrees-digital-to-host-ai-growth-event?utm_source=openai)) The report is based on a press release from 21 Degrees Digital, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. No republishing across low-quality sites or clickbait networks was identified. No similar content appeared more than 7 days earlier. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score.

Quotes check

Score: 9

Notes: The direct quotes from Rory Mason and Zandra Moore MBE appear in earlier material, notably in the Bdaily report from 12 November 2025. ([bdaily.co.uk](https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2025/11/12/21-degrees-digital-to-host-ai-growth-event?utm_source=openai)) No identical quotes were found in earlier material. The wording of the quotes varies slightly between the two reports. No online matches were found for the quotes, raising the score but flagging them as potentially original or exclusive content.

Source reliability

Score: 7

Notes: The narrative originates from Business Up North, a regional news outlet. While it is not as widely recognised as major national media, it is a legitimate source. The report is based on a press release from 21 Degrees Digital, which typically warrants a high reliability score. No person, organisation, or company mentioned in the report appears to be unverifiable online.

Plausability check

Score: 8

Notes: The event details, including the date (19 November 2025), venue (Horizon Leeds), and speakers (Rory Mason, Zandra Moore MBE, and Charlie Bartle), are consistent across multiple reputable sources. ([bdaily.co.uk](https://www.bdaily.co.uk/events/2025/11/19/leveraging-ai-for-business-growth?utm_source=openai)) The narrative lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, which is a concern. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic. The structure is focused and relevant, with no excessive or off-topic detail. The tone is professional and resembles typical corporate or official language.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: The narrative is recent and based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. The quotes vary slightly from earlier material, suggesting potential originality. The source is a legitimate regional news outlet, and the event details are consistent across multiple reputable sources. However, the lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets raises some concerns. Overall, the narrative passes the fact check with medium confidence.

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