Meet The Team

Nicky Lockwood,Manager

Hailing from Lincolshire, Nicky was one of a team of two to establish one of the first public/private sector tourism partnerships in the country when Lincolnshire Tourism launched in 1989. Leaving behind a strong organisation employing 14 people she moved to Leeds in 1999.

Originally responsible for leisure and business tourism marketing, she was soon drawn to business tourism and now manages Conference Leeds on a full-time basis.

Nicky was delighted to be awarded the Yorkshire Insider Business Tourism Personality of the Year accolade in 2009.

A true ‘yellow belly’ she still spends much of her spare time back at home in Lincolnshire.

Claire Heap, Business Tourism Officer

Claire is a Leeds girl through and through and is passionate about her home city and region. She studied at Leeds Metropolitan University gaining a BA (Hons)in Tourism Management.

Claire has twice been part of the team at Conference Leeds, firstly as an Assistant Conference Officer, before moving on to a role within the tourism team at Hull City Council. However, the lure of her home city was too much and Claire returned to the position of Business Tourism Officer – primarily working on the the marketing of Leeds and West Yorkshire as a conference and event destination.

Karen Spencer, Conference Officer

Karen’s original career path was rooted in insurance and telesales before she saw the light and returned to higher education and obtained a Diploma in Tourism and was awarded Greater Glasgow Tourist Board Student of the Year – although she won’t tell us which year!

Originally from Stirling in Scotland, she moved to Leeds and worked at the Tourist Information Centre for 4 years before joining Conference Leeds 9 year’s ago.

Karen retains strong links with Scotland, including supporting Partick Thistle FC and spends as much time as possible visiting foreign parts.

Sarah Jackson, Conference Officer

Kelly Smith, Trainee Conference Officer

Kelly grew up in Dubai and came to Leeds to further her education within the events industry. Kelly is studying Events Management at Leeds Metropolitan University and is spending her year’s placement working for Conference Leeds and hopes to gain as much experience as possible – we can promise her that!