The National Coal Mining Museum for England, located in Wakefield West Yorkshire, is celebrating after it has recorded its most successful year yet for conference visitors to its unique facilities. The Museum smashed its previous highest visitor numbers during 2007/8, with over 10,000 people experiencing conferences with a difference!

The Museum, a member of Conference Leeds the Super Convention Bureau for Leeds and West Yorkshire has proved popular with delegates who not only enjoy the extensive, modern conference facilities, but many also take the opportunity to travel 140 metres underground down one of Britain 's oldest working mines!

The Museum offers facilities for daytime and evening events; with conference facilities accommodating up to 200 delegates with the latest high-tech presentation aids and flexible catering of the highest standard. Events can be tailor made to clients specifications, and if time permits, delegates have the opportunity to go underground, guided by an ex-miner who entertains visitors with mining tales during the hour-long tour.

Richard Saward, Commercial Director at the Museum said “This is an amazing achievement as we have been open for several years now and our popularity just seems to be increasing each year. The 2007/8 visitor figures and awards are a credit to all our staff and their hard work and dedication.”

Nicola Lockwood, Head of Conference Leeds said:
“It’s fantastic to see the National Coal Mining Museum doing so well. They are a truly unusual venue and it’s great to have them as members of our Convention Bureau.”

Conference Leeds is supported by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency.

ENDS
EDITORS NOTES:

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

Conference Leeds is the organisation responsible for promoting meetings and events across Leeds and West Yorkshire. The recently restructured 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.