The city of Leeds has been chosen to host the Lions Club International Multiple District 105 Convention 2010. The Convention is also celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Lions Clubs International in the British Isles and Ireland.

The event is hoped to be the Lions Club most high profile event to date, expecting to attract over 1,000 delegates to the West Yorkshire region from all the UK and beyond. The 4 day event is taking place from the 29th April to the 2nd May and will see guests utilising a range of accommodation across the city, including the newly opened 330 bedroom City Inn.

The main events are to be held at the Saviles Hall at the Royal Armouries, Leeds – a stunning and unique venue, set alongside the canal in the vibrant Clarence Dock area of the city. The Armouries will host a gala dinner to mark the Diamond Jubilee with a “Swinging Sixties” theme – to celebrate 60 years of Lions in the British Isles and Ireland.

Nicola Lockwood, Head of Conference Leeds – the super-convention bureau for Leeds and West Yorkshire who secured the event for Leeds said:

“We are really excited to be bringing a prestigious event like the Lions Club Annual Convention to Leeds. As it is their Diamond Jubilee year the Lions wanted an extra special destination as a backdrop to their celebrations and we are delighted that they chose Leeds”.

Brian Yeoman, Event Organiser and Sergeant-at-Arms for the Lions Club said:

“We are very much looking forward to celebrating our Diamond Jubilee celebrations, in the city of Leeds.

“The decision to come to Leeds for our Annual AGM, and to celebrate 60 years of Lionism in the United Kingdom and Ireland, is due to the forward thinking of Conference Leeds, the facilities that are available – such as top class shopping centres, excellent eating houses and an excellent choice of reasonably priced 3 and 4 star hotels such as The Queens Hotel, which we have chosen as our Headquarters Hotel.

“Also one of the most important parts of making a choice is the way in which you are received by the city personnel. The professional way in which Conference Leeds have helped me to bring this Convention to fruition is excellent, including helping to arrange a Civic Reception and above all being involved with all the various departments and venues that I have to deal with.

“I know that my committee and myself are looking forward to next April, so that all the delegates will see what a wonderful place Leeds and West Yorkshire is”.

Conference Leeds is supported by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency.

The image attached shows for L to R : Andy Pemberton, Chairman of Council of Governors Lions Club International Multiple District 105, David Kanarens, General Manager, The Queens Hotel (Conference Hotel), James Vincent, Managing Director, Royal Armouries International (Conference Venue), Sarah Jackson, Conference Leeds and Brian A F Yeoman, Lions Club International Multiple District 105 Sergeant at Arms/Convention Officer.

About Conference Leeds

Conference Leeds is the organisation responsible for promoting meetings and events across Leeds and West Yorkshire. Conference Leeds is now a “super convention bureau” representing almost 250 venues across the area, responsible for marketing the West Yorkshire districts of Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale.

Conference Leeds is a Leeds City Council organisation with funding from Yorkshire Forward, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale Councils.

Conference Leeds can offer a free venue finding service for anyone wanting to host an event in Leeds and West Yorkshire and markets the area through a series of initiatives.

Business tourism is worth over £450million a year in direct expenditure to the Yorkshire economy

About Yorkshire Forward

Conference Leeds is supported by Yorkshire Forward. Yorkshire Forward is the regional development agency for Yorkshire and the Humber, it exists to represent and help generate sustainable business for the region’s tourism industry, an industry worth £4.1billion to the region annually and employing over 165,000 people, making it one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the region. Yorkshire’s goal, as identified in Bold Vision, Bright Future – The Tourism Marketing Strategy for Yorkshire and Humber 2006 – 2010, is to achieve and increase in the value of tourism earnings to the region by 5% per annum to £5.9bn by 2010.

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