27 March 2019
The NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau secured the accolade of silver at a prestigious international industry awards ceremony last week (Friday 1 March).
The team, part of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, won silver for ‘best UK Convention Bureau’ at the Meetings and Incentive Travel Industry Awards (M&IT) 2019. Glasgow Convention Bureau won gold, meaning NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau can claim to be the best convention bureau in England, beating off stiff competition from many other UK cities including London who won bronze.
NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau helps to attract and secure major national and international conferences and events for the region, working with a wide range of venues and partners. The convention bureau team acts as a central point of contact for all conference organisers, providing free, impartial advice and unrivalled local knowledge.
A key part of the overall visitor economy for the North East of England, the latest business events figures show that around 962,000 delegates visit NewcastleGateshead annually for conferences; contributing a spend of £149 million during their visit to the local economy.
Paul Szomoru, director of business events at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, said: “The M&IT awards celebrate the best in the business, both nationally and internationally and are deemed the Oscars of the industry. What makes them special, is that awards are given based on clients voting for you. We’re a relatively small team punching well above our weight in these awards and are absolutely honoured to have received the silver award and would like to thank all those who took the time to vote for us.
“This award is very much for the team and I am extremely proud to see their hard work recognised on a national and international level. Despite being a small team, we always go above and beyond for our clients, customers and partners, to give every delegate who visits NewcastleGateshead a fantastic experience and inspire them to return again and again.
“Our work to bring high-quality conferences and events to the region not only delivers direct economic impact, it also showcases the destination to business visitors who become influential advocates for NewcastleGateshead, and our leisure visitors of the future. With this latest award under our belt, we’re looking forward to a busy and successful 2019.”
Organised by Meetings & Incentive Travel (M&IT) magazine, the awards event took place at Battersea Evolution in London, bringing together over 1,000 international industry leaders from the conference sector to reward service and product excellence. There were 16 awards in total, voted for by the readers of M&IT Magazine.