Conference News Supplements Leeds & Hull Supplement | Page 9

Opposite: Below: Bottom: The Terrace, new Cloth Hall Court Leeds city meeting, conference venue, Leeds panorama view and events space Beckett University focus of a collaborative marketing approach, and help to support independent (and sometimes smaller) venues compete in the competitive conference and events market. Having the opportunity to work with these amazing Leeds venues, a city where I went to university, is fantastic and a really proud moment.” It’s innovation like this which draws the eye of large organisations. In October 2019 Well Met, the conference department for Leeds Beckett University, hosted British Water’s national Data: Now and Beyond conference at its Cloth Hall Court venue. The purpose of the event is to provide the water industry with insight into how the sector can manage data more effectively and provide a better service to customers. More than 100 delegates attended the conference, participating in workshops and presentations with speakers from water companies, the supply chain and more. Data is used in every aspect of the water industry which includes: saving water, preventing leaks, protecting the environment and reducing customer disruption, forward planning, customer service and site management. Dr Mar Batista, technical manager of British Water said: “This event is an opportunity to collaborate and, with our industry peers, learn the best ways of working with data, how to get the most from it and how it can help companies drive efficiencies and improve service for customers.” www.conference-news.co.uk 9 Leeds & Hull The organisers say they chose Cloth Hall Court for its convenient city centre location, making it an ideal venue for delegates from across the water industry. The innovation and clear ambition in the city continues to bring in business. MEPC, a developer and asset management company, in October announced the opening of its new meeting, conference and events space, The Terrace. Located near Leeds station, the space aims to meet the growing demand for event space in the city, for businesses based at Wellington Place and other companies in the region. The space includes four meeting and conference rooms which can accommodate between one and 150 people. It can be used to host larger events or intimate meetings and will be run by Ashdown Phillips & Partners, a property management company. The development of 7 and 8 Wellington Place is expected to be completed at the end of 2019. The construction of four Wellington Place is also ongoing and it will offer 14,500sqm of office space. However, as a city, Leeds doesn’t stand still waiting for the business to come to it: it actively researches and creates events with long term benefits in mind. In September 2019, Leeds announced the arrival of the SME China Forum which encourages UK SMEs to trade with China. The event provided opportunities for businesses in the UK, such as Leeds, to establish trading opportunities, best practice for market entry and discuss compliance and legal matters within the Chinese market. Leeds College of Music hosted the event for 150-200 delegates, together with the China Britain Business Council, which helps British and Chinese businesses collaborate.