Last week Reach announced that it has purchased Affiliate North, an annual industry event brand based in Manchester, bringing together affiliates, brands and marketers for insights, networking and growth, with 150 delegates joining last year.
Journalist and Prolific North Founder David Prior previously bought the brand in 2024 and sold it to Reach in this week’s deal. Going forward, the publisher says it will be run by the Reach Events and Live Experiences team, who also run Pride of Britain and Pride of Scotland.
The next event takes place on 24th September 2026 at Manchester Hall, with tickets on sale now.
Reach Interim Chief Revenue Officer Maria Purcell said: “David has done a brilliant job over the last year making this event a must for any brand looking to connect with communities around the country.
“We are delighted to bring this into the Reach stable as we continue to diversify our Events and Live Experiences offerings, and as ecommerce and affiliates continue to be an important source of revenue in keeping with our wider diversification strategy.”
David Prior said: "The success of our inaugural event in 2025 exceeded all expectations, and the incredible feedback we received from delegates and sponsors alike confirmed that the North's affiliate marketing community was looking for a dedicated home.
"Reaching this point so quickly is a testament to the strength of that community. Reach's scale, expertise and national reach make them the ideal home for Affiliate North's next chapter, and I'm confident the event will go from strength to strength under their stewardship."
Reach Partnerships Director Karen Brodie added: “Affiliate marketing is a central pillar of our partnerships strategy, and we believe we can add immense value to this already successful event.
“By layering Reach’s scale, our sophisticated first-party data, and our editorial expertise over the existing Affiliate North platform, we can evolve it into a powerhouse for the industry, providing a space where our partners and the wider affiliate community can drive relationships and real commercial results.”
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