The Conference and Hospitality Show 2011, which now claims to be the only regional exhibition of its kind, is to this year offer a hosted buyer programme concentrated mainly on PAs in the West Yorkshire area.

Show Director Emma Cartmell said the initiative was designed to help PAs and event organisers make the most of decreasing budgets.

The Radisson Blu is supporting the project and offering 10 complimentary bedrooms the night before the show, although Cartmell tells EN that there is also a familiarisation visit programme which, together with the buyers, will host up to 80 industry professionals.

With the demise of Event UK, Cartmell, says her show is the leading show for conference organisers in the North.

“Our goal is to encourage the highest quality of visitors and offers of this calibre will certainly help to achieve this,” she said. “Add this to the new hosted buyer programme, which requires visitors to meet certain criteria before being accepted and we are on our way to creating a great platform for venues to promote their offer.”

Cartmell points to research from IRIS Accounting and Business Solutions which claims 87 per cent of businesses have confessed to tightening controls on office purchases and expenses, including meeting spend. The survey questioned over 150 financial professionals and found growing numbers of organisations are scrutinising the behaviour and productivity of their employees, pouring over purchasing decisions and expense claims, as a result of the economic situation.

Business tourism generates £777m to the economy of West Yorkshire each year and 5.79m delegates attend business tourism events in West Yorkshire each year.

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