Labour conference boon for the region

THE North West is set to be home to the Labour party conference for the next three consecutive years, with Liverpool hosting the event for the first time in 2011.

The event, which always proves a boost for its host city, generating tens of millions of pounds, will be held at Liverpool’s Arena and BT Convention Centre in two years time and also be held in Manchester in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

The decision to bring the four-day September conference to Liverpool for the first time follows a joint bid to stage the event by ACC Liverpool, Liverpool City Council and The Mersey Partnership. The consortium said it will be the largest ever conference held in the city.

Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “The billions of pounds invested into making the city an attractive, vibrant and welcoming destination has been a major factor in securing one of the country’s biggest conferences. 

“Not only do you need the excellent facilities the Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool offers, but you also have to have a large number of high quality hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues for the thousands of delegates, visitors and media. This single event will be worth millions for businesses throughout the city.”

Up to 20,000 people are expected to attend the conferences, including delegates, journalists and lobbyists, creating a huge upturn in business for local leisure, tourism and retail sectors, with a high demand for accommodation bringing thousands of additional bookings for local hotels.

Bob Prattey, chief executive of ACC Liverpool, said the arena and convention centre was “perfect” for high profile, high security events because it is surrounded by water on three sides, allowing it to be easily sealed off, to create a secure ‘campus’ site.

He said: “We have proved through events such as the meeting of the Cabinet in Liverpool and by staging the Liberal Democrats’ spring conference that we have the facilities, the team and the expertise to stage events such as this.”

Manchester has already hosted the event in 2006 and 2008, and delegates will once again return to Manchester Central – formerly known as the G-MEX – in 2010.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are holding their annual conference in Manchester for the first time later this year, and again in 2011.

It is estimated that the Labour conferences will be worth more than £50m to Manchester alone over the three years.