The Hull, Humber & East Yorkshire Hospitality Association (HEYHA)

What The Hull, Humber & East Yorkshire Hospitality Association (HEYHA) does

HEYHA (The Hull, Humber & East Yorkshire Hospitality Association) is a non-profit, membership-based trade association founded in 2006 and headquartered in Beverley, East Yorkshire, United Kingdom. It serves hotels, venues, and event/conference facilities in the Hull, Humber and East Yorkshire region through a product set centered on membership access: regular networking meetings held every 6-8 weeks with guest speakers, an awards program that historically included the Copper Saucepan culinary competition (run for 13 years through 2019) and ongoing Customer Service Champions Awards, and representation/lobbying to local councils and tourism agencies such as Visit Hull and East Yorkshire and the Hull & East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

The association's technology footprint is minimal and purposely so: a public marketing website (heyha.co.uk), password-protected members' page, and standard organic social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter). There is no proprietary software, app, API, or AI/ML capability disclosed; the operating model is human-led convening rather than platform-driven. Governance is carried out by a small volunteer board of senior hotel operators — Chair Dale Needham (Cave Castle Hotel), Vice Chair Russell Smith (Village Hotel Hull), and Treasurer Maurizio De Martino (Mercure Hull Grange Park Hotel) — supported by 9 employees.

HEYHA's revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; the organization is understood to be funded through membership dues, event/awards-related sponsorship, and member-supplier partnerships (e.g., AE Purdy Ltd sponsors the Copper Saucepan competition; GeekPoint Websites built the website). It is not backed by private equity or venture capital and has no parent company. Beyond advocacy, the association delivers charitable fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support and Prostate Cancer UK, and operates an extensive ecosystem of partner cross-promotions with regional attractions (The Deep, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, RSPB Bempton Cliffs), transport links (Hull Trains, Humberside Airport), venues (Connexin Live, East Riding Theatre, Hull Truck), and business-support bodies (Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, HullBid, Marketing Humber).

Name

The Hull, Humber & East Yorkshire Hospitality Association (HEYHA)

Legal name

The Hull, Humber & East Yorkshire Hospitality Association

Website

https://heyha.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HEYHA is a non-profit regional hospitality trade association, founded in 2006 in Beverley, East Yorkshire, providing membership-based networking, advocacy, training, and awards to hotels, venues, and event facilities across the Hull, Humber and East Yorkshire region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HEYHA is a non-profit membership-based hospitality trade association serving hotels, venues, and hospitality businesses in the Hull, Humber, and East Yorkshire region. It provides networking meetings, best-practice sharing, joint training, advocacy to councils and tourism agencies, and representation through its website and social channels.

Product overview

HEYHA is a hospitality trade association (not a technology company) that provides membership services for hotels and venues in the Hull, Humber, and East Yorkshire region. The core offering consists of membership with networking meetings every 6-8 weeks, an awards program recognizing excellence in hospitality, and charitable partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HEYHA Membership

Named customers14 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hull What's OnminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYour guide to what's on in Hull and East Yorkshire - marketing partner for events and activities.
• InvestNELcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrand under which investment activities are coordinated across North East Lincolnshire.
• Visit Hull and East Yorkshire (VHEY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Yorkshire Forward and East Riding of Yorkshire Council formed to increase visitor spend. Has LVEP (Local Visitor Economy Partnership) status driving more day and overnight visitors.
• Hull & East Yorkshire Local Enterprise PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGateway to finding finance and support for starting or growing a business in Hull & East Yorkshire.
• East Riding CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeader in economic and social development of the region, providing education and skills training to meet needs of individuals and employers.
• Connexin LiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerState-of-the-art music and events complex with capacity of up to 3,500 people for corporate conferences, exhibitions, concerts, comedy, family shows and sporting events.
• East Riding TheatreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional theatre located in a converted Baptist chapel in Beverley.
• Screen YorkshireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInvests in film, TV and digital content. Runs the largest investment fund of its kind in the UK.
• Marketing Humber (delivered by Bondholders)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegions place marketing company to attract investment and support local businesses to grow.
• Yorkshire Wildlife TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrust working for over 65 years to protect wildlife and wild places, educate, influence and empower people.
• Hull City AFCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFootball team with home ground at KC Stadium, Yorkshire's only premier football team.
• East Riding of Yorkshire Local Food NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal food and drink producers network - where to buy and where to enjoy.
• The DeepminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAward winning aquarium dedicated to increasing people's enjoyment of the World's oceans.
• EY EventsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAttracts visitors to East Yorkshire by developing and delivering top level events.
• Hull TruckminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTheatre presenting high quality drama productions with a new £14.5m venue opened in 2009.
• HullBidminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNot for profit partnership led by local businesses to improve visitor, resident, business and investor experience in Hull City Centre.
• St. Stephen'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHull's most stylish shopping destination.
• Hull CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the country's largest and most successful general FE Colleges.
• The University of HullminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity offering excellent higher education in a good location.
• Hull TrainsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSeven direct services to London's King Cross daily Monday to Friday, 5 each way Saturday and Sunday.
• Humberside AirportminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKey national and international gateway connecting 320,000 passengers to over 20 destinations each year.
• Hull and Humber Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHas 2,000 members and affiliates representing all types of businesses in the Humber region.
• KCFM Smile FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEstablished in 2009 to positively change lives of people in Hull and East Yorkshire.
• AE Purdy LtdminorOthersSpecialist suppliers of the finest quality fish and seafood since 1898, and sponsors of the HEYHA Copper Saucepan competition.
• Kevin Greene PhotographyminorOthersAward winning local photographer with over 10 years professional photography experience.
• Octovision MediaminorOthersSpecialists in HD (including 4K) aerial photography and videography, operating in the Hull area and Nationwide.
• GeekPoint WebsitesminorOthersCreative agency specializing in web design and branding solutions. Website designer for HEYHA.
• Clarke Design & MediaminorOthersDesigners, Printers, Sign Manufacturers based in Lincolnshire.
• Safi CoffeeminorOthersSpecial incentive led by Hull Collegiate School importing Ugandan coffee to sell across the UK. Profits pay for Ugandan children to attend school.
• Raisthorpe ManorminorOthersProvider of locally-sourced liqueurs, preserves, chocolates and gifts. Official supplier of sloe gin for the Reytas.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Visit York: Destination marketing organisation for York and surrounding area, working with local hospitality businesses on promotion. Similar collaborative model to HEYHA but tourism-board-led rather than a member-led trade body.
• NewcastleGateshead Initiative: Public-private destination marketing and inward investment body for NewcastleGateshead. Comparable to HEYHA in tying regional hospitality promotion to local economic development, but operating at city-region scale.
• VisitBrighton (Destination Brighton): Destination marketing and hospitality representative body for Brighton & Hove. Comparable to HEYHA's partnership-driven approach with local tourism authorities, though more marketing-focused than trade-membership-oriented.

Broad incumbents

• UKHospitality: National trade association representing the UK's hospitality sector, including hotels, restaurants, pubs, and leisure venues. Comparable to HEYHA as the apex membership body for hospitality businesses, but operating at a UK-wide level rather than regionally.

Direct peers

• Hospitality Ulster: Regional trade association representing hospitality businesses across Northern Ireland. Directly comparable to HEYHA in scope and model: membership-based, regionally focused, advocating for and connecting hotels and venues to government and tourism bodies.
• South West Tourism Alliance: Regional coalition of tourism and hospitality trade bodies across the South West of England. Comparable to HEYHA in acting as a regional umbrella voice for hospitality and tourism operators.
• Wales Tourism Alliance: Umbrella body representing tourism and hospitality trade associations across Wales. Comparable to HEYHA in its role as a regional industry coalition advocating for hospitality and tourism businesses to government.
• Scottish Hospitality Association: Membership body representing hospitality operators in Scotland. Mirrors HEYHA's structure of providing a regional industry voice, networking, training, and representation to public bodies for hotels and venues.
• Cornwall Association of Hotels and Tourism (CAHA): Regional trade body for hotels and tourism businesses in Cornwall. Closely analogous to HEYHA in its focus on a single UK region, membership-driven advocacy, and collaboration with the local tourism authority.

Others

• Marketing Humber: Place-marketing organisation covering the Humber region. HEYHA is already an associate partner; Marketing Humber performs an adjacent regional promotion function that overlaps with HEYHA's destination positioning for hospitality.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HEYHANews
• Facebookfacebook.com/HullHumberEastYorkshireHospitalityAssoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heyha
• Instagraminstagram.com/heyha_hospitality_assoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Hull, Humber & East Yorkshire Hospitality Association (HEYHA)