Viva Las Vegas in Leeds! The Annual Conference and Hospitality Show Ends on a High

Thursday, 2nd May 2013

There was no need for the umbrellas when the sun shone at this year’s Conference and Hospitality Show in Leeds.  The Show, which is the only Meetings Industry Expo outside of London, was held on Tuesday 30th April at the Centenary Pavilion Leeds, and was attended by over 600 Meetings Industry Professionals from across the UK who enjoyed the spring sunshine and hospitality on offer. 

Show Directors, Emma Cartmell and Sue Beverley of CHS Group, were delighted with the event. Sue explained:

“Last year the weather was so unkind to us that we were taking no chances this year and had staff manning the car parks with umbrellas. Thankfully it was unnecessary but they were useful as parasols anyway as it was so sunny” she joked.  Emma continued:

“We had 250 VIPs through the door in the first 2 hours of the Show, so we were thrilled with the results of our campaign to attract high profile meeting and event planners to the Show”.

The one day event had over 100 exhibitors from across the UK and Ireland including Center Parcs, Visit Scotland, Tourism Ireland, The Goring Hotel, Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Pride of Britain Hotels and of course many local Leeds based Hotels such as The Marriott, Radisson Blu and De Vere.

Visitors came from across the UK, with representatives from the top Event Agencies such as Expotel and BSI and corporate events planners from many of the legal and financial businesses that Leeds is renowned for such as Lloyds Banking, Ernst and Young and Grant Thornton.

Guests enjoyed over 11 seminars across three stages, an interactive demo zone with live cookery demonstrations by top chefs, a virtual graffiti wall, cocktails from “The Cocktail Stig” and a Japanese garden with Geisha and Sushi. The last hour of the Show – Hospitality Hour – is always a closely guarded secret and this year The Vegas Showgirls took to the stage whilst the guests danced to “Viva Las Vegas”! 

Nicola Lockwood, Head of Conference Leeds, part of Leeds and Partners said:

“We are delighted to continue supporting the Conference and Hospitality Show. It is a key part of the business tourism economy for the city and with over 600 Meetings Professionals attending, it reinforces Leeds’ position as one of the UK’s top meeting destinations. Having supported the Show from its beginning in 2010, this year has seen a step change and is definitely the most successful yet.”