A year on from the Leeds in Milan Festival of Commerce and Culture, and conference buyers from Milan are visiting the city for themselves Friday 2nd-Monday 5th October, to see the very best Leeds has to offer for the business tourism sector.

Nine buyers who expressed interest in Leeds during the festival in Italy’s business capital, have been invited to the city for four days by Leeds Hotels Association (LHA) Conference Leeds and Marketing Leeds with support from Laurence Bristow-Smith, Consul General and Director General for Trade and Investment Italy.

A detailed itinerary has been put together to showcase a range of potential conference and event venues in Leeds, to encourage the buyers to consider Leeds for hosting future international events. The visitors will enjoy a drinks reception and dinner with invited guests from key organisations in Leeds and LHA members, followed by a schedule of visits to hotels and conference venues, plus attractions in the city to showcase Leeds as a premier destination for business.

Laurence Bristow-Smith is delighted that Leeds in Milan is continuing to present opportunities for both cities. He said: “Following the Leeds in Milan festival last year, many opportunities have arisen which have built strong relationships between Leeds and Milan and helped raise the profile of Leeds to an international audience. This visit organised by LHA, Conference Leeds and Marketing Leeds will help raise the profile of Leeds even further to a market which is vital for the economy of Leeds – business tourism. I am positive it will be worthwhile for all involved and will produce some tangible results.”

Deborah Green, chief executive of Marketing Leeds, the organisation that spearheaded the Leeds in Milan event said: “The Milanese conference buyers visit to Leeds is an opportunity for us to showcase our city and all it has to offer for international conferences and events. Leeds is a great location with a wide choice of venues. I am delighted to welcome the group to Leeds. I’m certain the visit will be the start of long-standing relationships with the buyers, and an opportunity to bring international events to Leeds in the future.”

Leeds in Milan was a week long Festival of Commerce and Culture. It included a series of seminars, conferences and networking opportunities, aimed at raising the profile of Leeds’ business, leisure, education and cultural sectors to an international audience, and was the first in a series of international festivals.

Notes to Editors
For more information contact Debbie Clarke on 0113 214 5203, debbie.clarke@marketingleeds.com or Nicola Lockwood on 0113 220 6356 / 07957 205486, Nicola.lockwood@conference-leeds.com

About Marketing Leeds
Marketing Leeds is the city’s strategic marketing organisation, providing a leadership role for the city’s marketing. It aims to raise the profile of Leeds as a vibrant, dynamic, internationally competitive city and as the gateway to Yorkshire and the UK.

It was created from a powerful partnership between the public and private sectors and continues to receive funding from three sources: Leeds City Council, Yorkshire Forward and from the private sector through its Champions Scheme. The company is limited by guarantee, with a board of directors drawn from a cross section of the business community and the council.

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