Organisation Membership: Hardisty Jones

Hardisty Jones is a specialist economic development consultancy that advises public, private and third sector clients on a wide range of issues.

For Hardisty Jones, Organisation Membership of the Institute of Economic Development (iED) is more than a professional affiliation. It is a long-standing commitment to strengthening the economic development profession, supporting career development, and creating opportunities for practitioners to connect and learn from one another.

The relationship also predates the company’s formation. Director Stuart Hardisty FIED was a member of the iED long before Hardisty Jones was established and has remained actively involved throughout the company’s 15-year history.

Reflecting on his early career, Stuart explained that finding a professional home was not straightforward. “At the time, I worked within a much larger organisation where most people followed a recognised professional route, whether as chartered surveyors, registered town planners or similar professions,” he said. “As someone working in economic development, there wasn’t really an equivalent pathway available. I then came across the iED, which felt much closer to the profession I was actually working in.”

This growing involvement eventually led to Stuart joining the iED Board, where he played an active role in supporting the organisation’s development and growth from 2015-23. While the Institute’s presence in South Wales was relatively limited early on, Stuart recognised the potential for the iED to play a much bigger role in bringing economic development professionals together. Together with colleagues and fellow members, Hardisty Jones helped establish and support regional networking activity, organising events in Cardiff and Bristol.

He recalled: “We saw clear mutual benefits. It helped us build relationships and networks, but the iED provided a much better umbrella for those activities than Hardisty Jones trying to organise them independently. At the same time, the events helped raise awareness of the iED and attract new members. At that stage there really wasn’t another platform where economic development professionals could come together and discuss the issues affecting the sector.

“For me, the objective has always been to help the iED grow and become more effective as a platform for knowledge sharing, career development and professional networking. Over the past decade, we have seen significant progress and it has become a much more significant organisation. I think we’ve probably reached the point where organisations almost feel they need to be members simply to keep pace with their peers. That certainly wasn’t the case ten years ago. To me, that’s evidence of the iED’s success.”

Today, all five members of the Hardisty Jones team are iED members through the company’s Organisation Membership. “We see value in giving people some form of professional designation and recognition,” Stuart explained. “Even if people don’t immediately recognise what the iED is, they understand that it represents some form of professional recognition and standards within the sector.”

Alongside professional recognition, Hardisty Jones places significant value on the IED’s training and CPD offer. The company has used a number of training opportunities, particularly for junior colleagues, and Stuart believes the offer has strengthened considerably over time. “The pricing is sensible, which makes it easy for us to support participation,” he said. “At their current price point, they provide excellent additional insight and complement the knowledge we can offer internally as a business.” Stuart also described the training provision as “genuinely valuable” and an important part of the overall membership package.

Networking and relationship-building are equally important. Stuart has long championed opportunities for economic development professionals to connect, particularly given the dispersed nature of the profession. He outlined how surveyors and planners, for example, often have strong local professional communities, whereas economic development professionals are much more geographically dispersed.

The iED Annual Conference continues to be a key fixture for Hardisty Jones, with both Stuart and fellow Director Gareth Jones regularly attending.

“Conference is one of the few places where people meet face to face,” he said. “It’s where I see colleagues from across the profession, including people I served on the Board with and people I only otherwise interact with occasionally. At conference you speak to people between sessions, while queuing for coffee or through chance encounters. Those conversations often create just as much value as the formal programme.

“Even when you attend conference and don’t necessarily learn something completely new, you often leave reassured that your understanding of the profession is still current and relevant. Occasionally, you’ll hear a presentation or encounter an idea that genuinely changes your perspective.”

Beyond its professional benefits, Stuart highlights the role conferences play in building lasting relationships and supporting the next generation of practitioners: “If younger professionals begin to see conference as a place where they can build relationships and meet their peers, that creates long-term value both for them and for the profession more broadly.” This commitment to developing future talent is reflected in Hardisty Jones’ support for the iED’s Early Career Network, including providing staff time to help establish the initiative.

Looking ahead, Stuart sees continued opportunities for the iED to strengthen professional connections, support career development and provide a stronger sense of community for economic development practitioners. He concluded:

“We value the information-sharing role that the iED performs. Whether through conferences, newsletters, webinars or member communications, the organisation plays a vital role in helping members stay informed and connected. We genuinely appreciate all the effort that goes into providing those opportunities.”

Case study developed: June 2026