NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau secured the accolade of best convention bureau in England at a prestigious industry awards ceremony last night (Tuesday 25 February).
The team, part of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, won silver for ‘best UK Convention Bureau’ at the Meetings and Incentive Travel Industry Awards 2014, beating off stiff competition from other top bureaux including London & Partners and Liverpool Convention Bureau. Glasgow Convention Bureau scooped the gold award.
NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau helps to attract and secure major national and international conferences and events for the region, working with a wide range of venues and partners. The convention bureau team acts as a central point of contact for all conference organisers, providing free, impartial advice and unrivalled local knowledge.
Paul Szomoru, Head of Business Tourism at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, said: “It is great to be rewarded on a national stage for our professionalism and performance. This awards ceremony is the standout calendar event of the year for the industry to come together and celebrate success. We are delighted that the calibre of our work has been recognized and that we can stake a claim to being the best bureau in England.
“Business tourism is a key part of the overall visitor economy, which is now worth £1.3bn to NewcastleGateshead. Our work to bring high-quality conferences and events here not only delivers direct economic impact but also showcases the destination to business visitors who become influential advocates for the place – and our leisure visitors of the future. With this latest award under our belt, we’re looking forward to another busy and successful 2014.”
Organised by Meetings & Incentive Travel (M&IT) magazine, the awards event took place at Battersea Evolution in London, bringing together international industry leaders from the conference sector to reward service and product excellence. There were 19 awards in total, voted for by the readers of M&IT Magazine.
NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau promotes the area as a leading UK conference destination and has played an instrumental role in securing major events over the past decade. Its successful conference ambassador programme works with academics and professionals to attract world-leading meetings in a range of fields, contributing an estimated £72.7m to the local economy since it was established by the bureau in 2002.
The Convention Bureau is part of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, a public private partnership which is funded by Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council and 170 private sector partners from across North East England. NewcastleGateshead Initiative markets NewcastleGateshead on a national and international stage; its mission is to inspire people to visit, and to live, learn, work and invest here. The focus of all activity is economic growth; the organisation works to change perceptions and create positive profile in order to attract visitors, major conferences and events, students, new investment and jobs.
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