Leeds celebrates success of Hotel Booking Agents (HBAA) Annual Conference and Dinner at the Royal Armouries Museum and NEW DOCK Hall

4 February 16: ConferenceLeeds, the official conferencing desk for Leeds, together with Leeds Hotel and Venues Association, is celebrating the success of the annual HBAA dinner that was held at the Royal Armouries Museum and NEW DOCK hall this month. The 2016 dinner marks the first time the event has ever been held outside of London.

With national and international delegates from the likes of The Dorchester, Hilton Worldwide and King�s College London, the event was a triumph in highlighting Leeds as a prominent conferencing city - a sentiment that was echoed by several of the attendees.

Leader of Leeds City Council, Cllr Judith Blake, commented on the success of the event:
�It was a great achievement for us to secure the HBAA Annual Dinner in Leeds this year, particularly with it being the first time it has ever been held outside of the Capital. Events such as this really highlight how venues throughout Leeds work collaboratively with the team at ConferenceLeeds in order to successfully bring business into the city.

�The feedback we have had from the HBAA dinner has been outstanding. The Royal Armouries Museum and NEW DOCK hall were perfect venues for the event, bringing together history, culture and great surroundings, all in a fantastic city centre location.�

James Vincent, Managing Director at Royal Armouries (International) plc, added:
�The response we have had from attendees has been truly overwhelming, with several of them eager to return for another visit, and we are delighted that we have been able to showcase Leeds in such a positive light. The calibre of attendees on the night was so high, that Leeds will certainly feel the benefit of this throughout 2016 and beyond. Given the unique nature of the venues, attendees were able to take a look around one of the oldest museum collections in the country, which added another exciting element to the evening. Personally, I can�t thank the ConferenceLeeds team and Leeds Hotels and Venues Association enough for all of their hard work in bringing this prestigious event to Leeds, and in particular to the Royal Armouries International.�

Gordon Jackson, Chairman of Leeds Hotels and Venues Association and General Manager of Thorpe Park Hotel and Spa said:

�We were thrilled to host the HBAA Annual Dinner in Leeds this year. The event gave us a fantastic opportunity to promote our collaborative working approach with ConferenceLeeds and gave the delegates a chance to experience the benefits this can bring when shaping and delivering bespoke conferences and events. It allowed us to showcase Leeds as an international destination to an extremely high profile, influential audience and with Royal Armouries International putting on such a spectacular show, we hope it has enhanced Leeds� status as a one of the most popular destinations in the UK for meetings and events.�

ENDS-

For further information about Conference Leeds please contact Helen Bailey, Laura Cavanagh or Iain Ross on 0113 2429 174 or email: conference.leeds@manifestcomms.co.uk

Notes to editors

Please click here to view a video taken from the HBAA conference and dinner.

About ConferenceLeeds

ConferenceLeeds offers tailored conference propositions designed to delight and surprise.

Offering a dedicated planning team, from venues and accommodation to catering and logistics, ConferenceLeeds works through every stage and detail to deliver an event like no other.

Through an extensive list of partners, the team offers unrivalled access to key people across the city, including thought leaders and industry bodies � opening endless doors to create exciting opportunities.

An innovative city famed for inventing Jelly Tots, a cup of Yorkshire tea and as a gateway to some of the world�s greatest national parks, Leeds has fast become a conferencing destination like no other and the re-launch of ConferenceLeeds will see an increase in visitor numbers to the city across a variety of sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, digital, financial and professional services.

For more information please visit www.conference-leeds.com