Rounding off an event packed 10th anniversary year, NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau joins some of the world’s leading conference and events destinations at one of Europe’s largest meetings industry exhibitions, EIBTM, in Barcelona this December.
With business tourism worth a staggering £113m per year locally, NewcastleGateshead is one of the UK’s fastest growing conference destinations. Jessica Roberts, head of business tourism at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau said: “Attending EIBTM gives us the opportunity to showcase NewcastleGateshead to brand new audiences across Europe and is a valuable part of the destination’s continued growth.
“We’ve had a wonderful ten years working with some fantastic venues to attract high profile national and international conferences to NewcastleGateshead, but there’s still a lot we can do to attract even more high profile events. Taking NewcastleGateshead to EIBTM to meet with Europe’s leading conference organisers is the ideal way for us to help meeting planners discover one of Europe’s most exciting and surprising conference cities and talk about how we can help them create successful events in our beautiful destination.”
In October, NewcastleGateshead welcomed 1200 delegates over 4 days to the European Society for Pediatric Research (ESPR) 52nd annual meeting. The destination won the event after the Convention Bureau was able to grow its relationship with professional conference organisers Kenes International after initially meeting at EIBTM in 2008.
Perry Gil-Ran from Kenes International, said: “We originally met NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau at EIBTM in 2008 and have kept in touch, meeting regularly at the show and exploring opportunities to bring European congresses to North East England. So we were delighted to work with the Convention Bureau to bring the ESPR to NewcastleGateshead this year.”
The ESPR used a range of NewcastleGateshead’s top venues for everything from pre-conference courses, dinners and a gala party to the conference’s main debates and meetings.
The destination’s flagship venue, The Sage Gateshead hosted the main congress, with pre-conference courses taking place at one of the UK’s leading medical research facilities at the Centre for Life. The society’s council was entertained at Blackfriars Restaurant, a 13th century Dominican monastery and the oldest dining room in the UK. A faculty dinner was held at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and a gala party for over 300 delegates took place at Newcastle’s historic Discovery Museum.
Discover NewcastleGateshead on stand G270 with VisitEngland at EIBTM, 29 November – 01 December 2011 in Barcelona, book an appointment and meet the team via www.EIBTM.com
Ends.
For media enquiries contact:
Shelley Armstrong
Media & PR Manager
T. +44 (0)191 440 5739
M. +44 (0)771 763 1109
E. shelley.armstrong@ngi.org.uk
Notes to editors:
• NewcastleGateshead Initiative is a destination marketing and management agency; a public-private partnership supported by Gateshead and Newcastle City Councils, working with around 165 private sector member organisations across NewcastleGateshead and the wider region.
All of our activity aims to promote and position NewcastleGateshead as a world-class vibrant tourism destination, through targeted marketing and PR campaigns nationally and internationally and through the work of our cultural programming team and convention bureau.
NewcastleGateshead Initiative is supported by a board offering expertise from a range of sectors and professions. We also work with a wide range of partners, stakeholders and businesses, who share our ambition to promote NewcastleGateshead as a world-class place in which to live, learn, work, and visit.
• NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau’s mission is to position and promote NewcastleGateshead as a leading European destination for leisure and business visitors through event bidding and high-profile, targeted destination marketing and PR activity.
Our Convention Bureau uses local knowledge and expertise to help organise conferences, meetings or events in NewcastleGateshead and the surrounding area. It provides a free service including arranging everything from venue sourcing and booking to accommodation, transport and entertainment for delegates. With a huge choice of state-of-the-art venues NewcastleGateshead is fast becoming one of the UK’s most popular destinations whether it’s for a meeting of 10 people or a conference for thousands.
• United by seven bridges across a spectacular riverscape, Newcastle (a city on the north bank of the River Tyne) and Gateshead (a town on the south bank) form a single, diverse and extremely vibrant visitor destination. World-class culture, vibrant nightlife, award-winning dining, inspiring heritage, fantastic shopping and acclaimed architecture are combined here like nowhere else, by the famous Geordie spirit which is symbolised by Antony Gormley’s iconic Angel of the North as it welcomes travellers to the area.
Imagery / Photography opportunities:
• www.NewcastleGateshead.com/Images – NewcastleGateshead’s Initiative’s extensive royalty free image library
Useful links:
• www.NewcastleGateshead.com/Media – NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s media website
• www.NewcastleGateshead.com/Meet – business meeting and event specific website for NewcastleGateshead