Conference Leeds – the newly formed “super convention bureau” that now represents over 200 venues across West Yorkshire - has recently expanded its activities and taken on a new member of staff to assist with its new role of promoting Leeds and West Yorkshire for meetings, conferences and corporate activities.

Claire Heap has taken up the position of Business Tourism Officer for Conference Leeds. Claire is a tourism graduate from Leeds Metropolitan University and for the last three years had been Tourism Marketing Officer at Hull City Council and Visit Hull and East Yorkshire Tourism Partnership. Prior to that she worked at Conference Leeds for three years in the roles of Assistant Conference Officer and Assistant Tourism Officer.

The focus of Claire's work will be leading on marketing Conference Leeds and the business tourism product of Leeds and West Yorkshire.

Claire said:

“It is very exciting to be back in Leeds! So much development has taken place in the short three years that I have been away and it’s great to have such a strong conference product to promote. The inclusion of West Yorkshire means that I will be promoting not only city venues but also many country house venues and corporate activities across the whole of the West Yorkshire region”

Nicky Lockwood, Head of Conference Leeds explained:

“It’s great to see that there is so much confidence in our conference product in the region. With new funding from the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward, we have been able to expand the conference team. I am delighted that Claire is back on board; her role will be to raise the profile of Conference Leeds in the UK and International Markets. The fact that she knows Leeds so well means that she will be able to hit the ground running and make an immediate impact on our activity”.

Conference Leeds is supported by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency. Andy Tordoff, Head of Rural Renaissance and Tourism for Yorkshire Forward said:
“We welcome the strengthening of the Conference Leeds team. Business tourism is an important part of the Yorkshire regional economy”.

EDITORS NOTES:
Nicola Lockwood is available for interview on 0113 220 6356,
email: nicola.lockwood@conference-leeds.com

Image: the image attached shows Claire Heap being welcomed to the team by Nicola Lockwood

About Conference Leeds

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

The team is based at White Rose House, part of the new Enterprise Leeds initiative between Leeds City Council and Leeds Chamber of Commerce.

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

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.

Further details can be obtained from:
Nicky Lockwood
Conference Leeds
T: 0113 220 6356
E: nicola.lockwood@conference-leeds.com

Press release issued by
Sue Crawley
Fire Circle Ltd
T: 01642 714999
E: sue@fire-circle.co.uk