City marketing agency gets £2.4m Yorkshire Forward boost

YORKSHIRE Forward has awarded Marketing Leeds £2.4m of funding to help its work promoting the region’s largest city to the world.

The investment from the regional development agency will sit alongside £400,000 of funding that the organisation receives from Leeds City Council and a similar amount contributed by the private sector.

Deborah Green, chief executive of Marketing Leeds, said the cash from Yorkshire Forward will allow the organisation to build on its successful activity programme and deliver a truly world class marketing plan over the next three years.

The 2009-2012 plan will see Marketing Leeds continue to follow its strategy of acting as the city’s catalyst – working with the region’s tourism agency, Welcome to Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Tourism Partnership, to promote the city as a whole, with the aim of delivering real economic impact and the creation of wealth for the region.

As part of the plan, Marketing Leeds will continue to build the city’s ‘Leeds Live it Love it’ brand working alongside the public and private sectors.

Tom Riordan, chief executive of Yorkshire Forward said: “Leeds is the undisputed business capital of Yorkshire and Humber because of the diversity of its economy and because of its low risk and high reward business proposition – low risk in terms of the cost of labour, IT and property, high reward in terms of a loyal, skilled and productive workforce – which increases the city’s resilience to the downturn.

“Leeds can become even better, which is why Yorkshire Forward is investing a further £2.4m in Marketing Leeds to raise the profile of the city as a business destination and increase its economic wealth, so it becomes the undisputed business capital of the North.”

Ms Green, said: “Thanks to the support we’ve received to date, we’ve been able to deliver an outstanding programme of activities which have made a real impact on the business community within the city.  This continued support, coupled with the additional funding from Yorkshire Forward, will enable us to deliver a truly world class marketing plan for Leeds and give the city its voice at a national and international level.”

Major international platform events will form a key part of the programme, following the highly successful ‘Leeds in Milan’ event, to give the city its voice on a national and international stage, with the US, Hong Kong and a shortlist of European cities earmarked for such visits.

Marketing Leeds will also host a series of high profile panel-based thought leadership business events in partnership with the University of Leeds, entitled ‘The Business of…’ to highlight the high degree of business and intellectual capital within the city.

The plan will also see Marketing Leeds continue its crucial role as ‘the networker of networks’ in the city, helping to ensure a joined up and collaborative approach in terms of key messages and promotional activities.  This role enables Leeds to put forward its strongest proposition for any event and activity, helping to create a strong, collaborative voice for the city to achieve maximum cut through in a competitive global landscape.

Marketing Leeds has seen more than 60 businesses joining its ‘Champions’ scheme, which enables businesses to share and capitalise on its programme of activities.

Andrew Carter, chair of the Leeds City Region board: “Marketing Leeds has a pivotal role in helping Leeds and the wider area realise its vision.  The recent announcement to award the Leeds City Region additional powers will enable us to create a more competitive region, which we need Marketing Leeds to help promote at a national and international level.”