This year marks a remarkable milestone for Northern Print Distribution — 25 years of helping businesses, artists, venues, and organisations get their message into the hands of the people who matter most.

What began as a small, local distribution service has grown into one of the North’s most trusted promotional networks, supporting cultural institutions, independent businesses, community groups, and tourism destinations across the region.

From Local Roots to Regional Reach

Northern Print Distribution was born from a simple idea: great events and great businesses deserve to be seen.

Back in the early days, distribution meant maps pinned to walls, handwritten routes, and countless miles on the road. Over the years, the organisation has evolved — modernising systems, expanding coverage, strengthening partnerships, and embracing new technologies — while keeping its original values close: reliability, consistency, and care.

Today, Northern Print Distribution works across a wide area of the North, delivering leaflets, guides, magazines, maps, and printed materials into communities where they’ll have the greatest impact.

Championing Culture, Creativity & Local Business
For 25 years, Northern Print Distribution has played a quiet but essential role in the region’s creative and economic life.
Their work has helped:

• Fill theatres, galleries, festivals, and museums
• Promote small attractions, markets, makers, and shops
• Support tourism and boost local visitor economies
• Keep communities informed, inspired, and engaged

Their distribution network has become a familiar backbone for event organisers and businesses — a trusted way to reach real people in real places.

Built on Relationships
What has truly shaped Northern Print Distribution’s success is its relationships.

With venues.
With clients.
With communities.

From the cafés and visitor centres that display materials, to the businesses, artists and organisations who partner with them year after year, the company has built a reputation based on professionalism, friendliness, and a genuine enthusiasm for helping others succeed.

This anniversary is not only a celebration of the organisation, but a tribute to everyone who has been part of its story.

A Quarter Century — And Just Getting Started

Reaching 25 years is a rare achievement, but Northern Print Distribution isn’t slowing down. The team continues to expand routes, explore new opportunities, and invest in better ways to serve clients and venues across the North.
The future is bright, and the mission remains the same:

to support the region’s vibrant culture, businesses, and visitor attractions by ensuring their stories are seen and shared.
Thank You

To every client, partner, venue, colleague, and supporter who has been part of this journey over the last 25 years — thank you.

Here’s to the next chapter, and to many more years of helping the North stay connected, informed, and inspired.

From the M62 to the Scottish Border and coast to coast, we are the only company that offers coverage across the whole area.  

Happy 25th Anniversary, Northern Print Distribution!

Audience Engagement Network (AEN) Launches to help UK Arts, Leisure, Heritage & Tourism Markets Recover
 
 
Seven leading print marketing agencies today announce a new alliance creating the Audience Engagement Network. 
 
The alliance will see the joining of leading arts, culture, heritage, and tourism specialist agencies to create a UK wide print marketing network – The Audience Engagement Network (AEN). 
 
The companies in the alliance include: Derby Arts (Derby), Direct Distribution & Landmark Press (Scotland); Glide Media (South West and Midlands); London + Culture Calling (London, South and East England, and Manchester areas); NPD (North England); and SLB (Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland).
 
The Audience Engagement Network (AEN) will offer UK based arts, culture, heritage, leisure, and tourism institutions the ability to reach millions of consumers nationwide through its extensive network of owned print display racks located in thousands of museums, hotels, theme parks, community spaces and other public venues.
 
Clients will be offered a breadth of print services from AEN including - the distribution of print marketing pieces in venue racks, direct mail to homes, outdoor posters, hotel bedroom folders, guides and event pack handouts. It will also reach audiences online - driving campaign awareness and ticket sales - through what’s on web sites including culturecalling.com and daysoutscotland.com plus a full gamut of digital advertising opportunities.
 
AEN commented: “This is a really exciting alliance between 7 of the best print marketing agencies.  By joining forces and a shared reputation for quality and reliability we are now able to offer our collective clients extensive UK coverage from North to South, East to West.   Post lockdown we want to do our bit to help the UK’s arts, leisure and tourism clients get back to full health and come back stronger.  AEN’s partners share the same vision and the know-how to give clients the necessary strategy and reach to deliver growth and move them to a brighter future. ”
 
 
Angus White, Chief Executive of Direct Distribution added “We’re thrilled to join forces with like-minded print marketing agencies. The alliance has a combined 120 years’ experience working with arts, culture, leisure and tourism organisations across the UK. Together we can offer scale and more marketing options for all our clients.
 
 
Colin Hann, Managing Partner of London + Culture Calling commented “AEN couldn’t come at a better time. The arts, culture, leisure and tourism market has suffered greatly from prolonged periods of lockdown closures. A combined strength of 7 agencies will now help our world-leading industries and well-known organisations to fully recover. 

Just a quick update - we are getting ready open up and re-start our distribution, Risk Assessments are written, PPE purchased.

We've new branding for our displays and new procedures for our merchandisers.

We've also a couple of new products to help get your information into the hands of visitors and locals alike.

Looking forward to catching up with all our customers soon. 

This week you can find the Northern Print team manning Stand 15 in the Mall at the Royal Lancashire Show.
Joining us will be many of the best attractions in the Lake District, so come along to visit to see what great offers they have to give away.