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Bigger and better business on the way

Wednesday, 10 February, 2010

Telford and Shropshire is preparing to compete for higher profile national and international conferences and events thanks to a new expert team.

The Conference Bid Unit has been launched by Telford & Shropshire Conferences, to bring together business tourism specialists from all over the county.

Business Tourism Manager, Sarah Bird, said: "Our aim is to give this area the chance to compete effectively against other destinations on a national and international scale to bid for major conferences and exhibitions.

"In the last few months, we've seen a significant increase in the number of requests we've received for competitive tenders for events on a massive scale, from conventions for 1,000 to exhibitions for 4,000 delegates.

"If we want to secure business at this kind of intense level, it's vital that we have a committed and experienced team in place who can pull together all the fantastic assets Telford & Shropshire has to offer, and promote the destination on a wider stage."

Telford and Shropshire already welcomes more than 1.6 million tourists each year and hosts in excess of 5,000 business events, conferences and meetings. The destination is already home to many major annual conventions including Pro Retail, The Youth Sports Trust, and UK Snooker.

"The Conference Bid Unit is an exciting development for the county, and will help to reassure potential customers they are buying into a world famous destination, and not just an individual venue. We are currently working on event bids worth over £4 million for events ranging from 2010 to 2016, and have secured some exciting bid wins which has been great news for the local economy."

The new initiative is supported by Advantage West Midlands, the Regional Development Agency.

The Bid Unit will be managed by Telford & Shropshire Conferences, which promotes over 40 top venues and event services, providing free and impartial support to event organisers. To find out more visit www.telford-shropshire.com or call Sarah Bird on 01952 567560

Pic: Launching the Event Bid Unit are, from left, Sarah Bird (Telford & Shropshire Conferences), Kate Thomas (Weston Park), Martin Saxton (Ironbridge Gorge Museums), Paul Hutton (Q Hotels Telford Hotel and Golf Resort), and Jo Parton (Southwater Event Group)