How can we give people more of the  authentic Leeds experience?

Three big things have happened recently:

There has been a massive global recession.

Today, there are more people holidaying in the UK, looking for alternative destinations and exploring the hyper-local rather than the global.

Social media has exploded.

People prefer to trust their own networks for advice and recommendation, and many like to contribute to the pool of information available. We are all critics now.

Government support is waning.

Traditional support organisations will find it increasingly difficult to support leisure, cultural and arts events and initiatives.

Now, more than ever, lifestyle leisure business in Leeds has a challenge – to give people a more distinctive experience of the city, so they can enjoy our food, our festivals, our culture, our events as well as our venues and our facilities.

World Class Service and Verbal ID have teamed up with Queens Hotel to launch a new, independent forum - Experience Leeds.

The first morning briefing at The Queens Hotel in central Leeds, will be held on the 8h of September – all are welcome.

The idea is to pool our experience in marketing, hospitality and entertainment to help event promoters, business owners, general managers and intermediaries collaborate, co-operate and mobilise.

We want to improve awareness, profitability, customer loyalty and deliver a better referral impact. Now is the time for Leeds to get in front and stay in front.

Social networks, joined-up delivery, independence, agile tactics can all add up to a more distinctive, more profitable future for Leeds.

 
The real Leeds brand must be confident in its identity and make the most of its character. This is a show not tell world, so we have make the best out of our offer - and that almost certainly means more joined-up thinking and smarter working.

 
Why not start the Autumn with some new insights, new contacts and a face-to-face forum that will motivate and invigorate you, and help you get connected and grab the opportunity to make a difference. There will be beverages and pastries too…
 

Howard Raynor, Managing Director at World Class Service Ltd will be providing an economic update and setting out how indies and the private sector lifestyle businesses in Manchester are dealing with their new realities.

Howard runs a network called Manchester Made it Easy which gathers hoteliers, retailers and cultural organisations on a regular basis to establish a more joined up experience for the visitor. 

Nick Copland will be setting out how Experience Leeds can make this city more distinctive, and how that can help lifestyle and leisure organisations work smart and work together.

David Kanarens, GM at the outstanding Queens Hotel will provide a welcome to the event.  Our sincere thanks to Queens Hotel for hosting this gathering.

On the day:

9.00 - 9.15am Coffee and networking time.

9.15 – 9.20 Welcome

9.20 – 9.40 Economic overview from Howard Raynor of World Class Service.

9.40 – 10.00 Explaining the ‘Experience Leeds’ concept from Nick Copland of Verbal-ID

10.00 – 10.20 Open forum discussion, followed by informal networking…