Collaboration essential to boost Leeds as a major conference destination, say business leaders

Collaboration is the key to building on Leeds’ growing success as a major conference destination, according to leading members of the business tourism sector.

Leeds was ranked the fourth most popular conferencing city in the UK in a recent British Meetings and Events Industry survey (BMEIS). The average number of delegates in attendance at events has increased significantly, reaching 368 – up from 238 in 2017.

TheBusinessDesk.com roundtable event, sponsored by Conference Leeds and held at Gilbanks, examined the economic value the sector generates for Leeds and the city region. It also looked at how the city’s organisers, venues and bodies can maximise the potential for further growth and build on the momentum.

It heard of a raft of initiatives and ideas aimed at putting Leeds even more firmly on the map as it bids for national and international conference and meeting events.

Wayne Topley, who chairs the 32-member Leeds Hotels and Venues Association and who also runs The Queens in

Wayne Topley

the city centre, says he is not surprised that it is now the fourth most popular conference venue in the country.

He said: “The reality is that in the last five years Leeds has re-established itself as the Northern venue.”

He revealed that The Queens overflows 3,500 beds in the city every year and he added: “The challenge for Leeds is, if we are going to get bigger what is that next step?”

Wendy Earl, head of visitor economy at official convention bureau Conference Leeds, says the collaboration taking place in the city is already reaping rewards – and like others in the sector she wants to see more of it.

She said: “I’ve been here three months and everybody is very open and everybody works together. That collaboration is one thing that really benefits Leeds.”

One such major business event that requires collaboration across venues is the Leeds Digital Festival, which began life with 56 events. This year there were events held in 240 held in venues across the city.

Stuart Clarke

The growth of the festival mirrors that of the city’s conference industry. Now Stuart Clarke, organiser, is looking to take it to the next level. He said this year delegates arrived in Yorkshire from countries as far away as China, Saudi Arabia and Estonia.

Clarke wants to attract more international visitors and speakers, as well as bringing more people to Leeds from London. He believes the festival works because of the willingness of people in the city to collaborate. He said: “When we started we had two aims.

“The first was to make more noise about the tech we have here. The second was about collaboration. How we brought people together.”

The organisers decided on an open platform approach and it has worked, Clarke told the gathering.

He said: “It is about day-to-day competitors coming together to put events on. This year we’ve gone out to the city region.”

Clarke also works to help bring start-up businesses to the city. He believes the approach taken in that project can help attract more conferencing and meetings.

He says: “We bring them up from London and show them round. You sell the restaurants and the bars, that real experience. They fall in love with Leeds.”

Emma Cartmell, chief executive of CHS Group, which connects hotels and venues with conference and event organisers, says the support that exists in the city is a major plus.

She said: “For us, it is what makes Leeds so special. That’s why we are attracting other conferences into the city and

Emma Cartmell

that is the message I always bring.

“If you bring your conference into Leeds the hotels will work with you. It is a close-knit community.

“If you have got big events, big conferences coming into the city, you need people to collaborate.”

Megan MacBrairdy, venue manager at digital led conference centre Horizon Leeds, explained collaboration in action, through the work of an independent venue group in the city.

She said: “We actually share enquiries, which sounds very scary. But I would rather the event stayed in the city and we build up that relationship with the client.

“If you can offer them something else, that is fantastic customer service and they are going to come back

“It is having that confidence in your product. We all work as a team. We also do joint work.

“We might take a conference and work with a restaurant or hotel and we may need some break out spaces. We can’t do it all; it is about having that breadth of choice.”

Wendy Ashton-Evans

Wendy Ashton-Evans is director at Pineapple Events, which specialises in finding venues for events. Last year it placed work worth £308,000 in the area.

She believes that as a northern city, people in Leeds are more willing to collaborate than their southern counterparts. And she added: “We should work better together.”

Jamie Ades, senior destination manager (business events) at Visit Britain, says collaboration plays a big role in selling UK destinations to potential overseas customers.

He said: “When I’m speaking to the planners overseas it is destination first and then collaboration – working with the

Jamie Ades

likes of Conference Leeds, with transport providers, social venues and retailers – everything that makes a city what it is and gives them that whole experience.

“It is everyone working together to that one goal really and that includes the surrounding areas as well.”

Claire Steven is general manager of Oulton Hall hotel on the outskirts of Leeds. She said that in the past its focus had been every much on its own business and its clients, but moving forward it was looking to include more partners.

She said: “It is important that city works together but also that the whole region works together.”

Laura Freer, group sales manager at rail operator LNER, said that securing repeat business was also an important part of the process.

She said: “There are areas where you can really add value and make the delegates want to come back, and that is all about collaboration.”

And she added: “Leeds is an exciting place. There are lots of exciting things from a travel perspective.”

 

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