Conference Leeds, the super convention bureau for Leeds & West Yorkshire, is delighted to have secured the Round Table National Sporting Weekend 2011, to be hosted by The University of Leeds from the 2-4 September 2011.

The event, which comes to Leeds following a successful Round Table National Conference in the city in 2008, will welcome over 500 delegates from all over the UK (including Kriss Akabusi MBE) and will include over 20 different sporting competitions ranging from badminton, cricket and darts to football, golf and volleyball

Nicola Lockwood, Manager at Conference Leeds, said:
“Our aim is to impress our delegates and to receive a repeat booking from the Round Table is a great indication that Leeds provided a memorable destination for their National Conference in 2008. Leeds has a fantastic sporting reputation and we are really pleased that the Round Table recognised this when booking their National Sporting Weekend at The University of Leeds. The University will provide a fantastic base for the event and I’m sure it will be a great success.”

The Round Table will take full advantage of all the facilities at The University of Leeds including accommodation at Bodington Hall and the state of the art sporting facilities. Saturday evening’s entertainment will take place at the University venue, The Refectory, which has played host to the most important acts around since the late 60s including Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, Rolling Stones and The Jam.

John Payne, National President for the Round Table, said:
“We are really looking forward to returning to Leeds in September for the sporting weekend. The destination and the University really appealed to us due to its excellent venues, great transport links and fantastic sporting facilities and, following our last visit for the annual conference, we were keen to return.”

The national sporting weekend 2011 follows the news that The University of Leeds will be hosting training camps for two international teams for the 2012 Olympic Games. The Chinese Olympic Committee have announced that the sporting superpower will base most of its 300 athletes – from at least 11 sports – at the University of Leeds next July for its pre-Games training. The Beijing bronze medal winning Canadian wheelchair rugby team will also be based at the University.

For further information about organising an event in Leeds and West Yorkshire call 0113 220 6351 or visit www.conference-leeds.com

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Editors’ Notes:
•Conference Leeds is the official convention bureau for Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield and Calderdale. The “super convention bureau” represents over 280 venues and 40 suppliers.
• Conference Leeds is supported by all the local authorities in West Yorkshire; Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale as well as Welcome to Yorkshire and the private sector. Yorkshire Forward, The Regional Development Agency, funds Welcome to Yorkshire, which is charged with improving the Yorkshire and Humber visitor economy.
• Conference Leeds is the driving force of Yorkshire’s business tourism industry. Key facts include: -business tourism generates £777m to the economy of West Yorkshire each year. -5.79 million delegates attend business tourism events in West Yorkshire each year. -Leeds is ranked the 5th most popular destination for the corporate market in the British Meetings and Events Industry Survey 2009.

For more news and a free image bank www.yorkshire.com/mediacentre

For further information about the Round Table visit www.roundtable.co.uk or email chiefexec@roundtable.co.uk

For further media information please contact:
Victoria Sowerby – Welcome to Yorkshire
Email: victoria@bandhcommunications.co.uk
Direct Line: 0113 243 4713
Mobile: 07968 732630

Nicky Lockwood – Conference Leeds
Email: Nicola.lockwood@conference-leeds.com
Direct Line: 0113 220 6356/1
Mobile: 07957205486