Who We Are

25 Years Understanding People & Places

Deep experience. Robust methods. Actionable outcomes.

For more than 25 years Evidence Agency has specialised in understanding how visitors, customers and communities experience destinations, attractions, events, neighbourhoods and services across the UK.

We combine rigorous research with clear communication so that findings translate into better decisions, whether that's a destination team planning its next visitor survey, a neighbourhood board evidencing ten years of investment, a cultural venue seeking Arts Council evidence or a local authority understanding its communities.

Evidence Agency is founded and led by Rob Dunphy, we utilise our Quality First research standards and are based in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Rob is a direct contact for every client: there is no account management layer between you and the person doing the work.

25+
Years of specialist visitor and community research
10,000+
Face-to-face surveys completed across the UK
Quality First
Evidence Agency professional research standards
UK Wide
Based in Cumbria, working from the Lakes to London

Expertise

What we bring to every project

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    Face-to-face fieldwork expertise
    25 years of experience knowing what goes wrong in the field and how to prevent it. Experienced teams, quality control, and real-time monitoring.
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    Destination and place knowledge
    Deep understanding of how destination and place management organisations work, what they need to report and what their funders and boards expect from research.
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    Economic impact methodology
    STEAM and T-STATS compatible approaches used across the UK tourism sector, producing numbers that hold up at board level and in funding applications.
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    Baselines and impact evidence
    Measuring the starting position before an intervention, then tracking the same measures afterwards so change can be demonstrated rather than asserted. See our Pride in Place work →
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    Technology-enabled research
    Tablet-based fieldwork, online survey platforms and interactive reporting, plus Evidence Insights: Sense Influence shows who is shaping where visitors go, and sentiment analysis shows how visitors feel about your place. Modern tools in service of rigorous methods.

Clients

Who we work with

Destination Management Organisations
Local Visitor Economy Partnerships
Local Authorities & Combined Authorities
Business Improvement Districts
Heritage Attractions & Museums
National Parks & Protected Landscapes
Arts & Cultural Venues
Coastal & Rural Communities
Neighbourhood Boards & Regeneration Programmes
Town & Place Partnerships

Ready to talk about your research needs?

We respond quickly and give straightforward advice from the first conversation.

Get in Touch