Hoteliers, tourism chiefs and conference centre managers in Lincoln have joined forces to launch the Meet Lincoln initiative, a steering group aimed at raising the profile of the city as a UK conference destination.
Meet Lincoln consists of representatives from DoubleTree by Hilton Lincoln, Lincoln BIG (Business Improvement Group), The Lincoln Hotel, the Visit Lincoln Partnership, Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln, the University of Lincoln and the Lincolnshire Events Centre. The group will meet on a monthly basis to discuss how better to market the city to agencies and corporate event planners.
DoubleTree by Hilton Lincoln’s Sales and Marketing Manager Nicola Shepheard was one of the group’s initiators and has over 10 years’ experience in the meetings industry.
“For a long time Lincoln has been overlooked by organisers,” she says, “despite having some fantastic venues such as the Lincolnshire Events Centre, which hosts the annual two-day Lincolnshire Show attended by 65,000 people.
“There are also plenty of incentive experiences including luxury spa breaks, adrenaline-fuelled activities, cultural experiences and fine dining.”
Shepheard believes that the opening of the DoubleTree on Brayford Wharf North in December 2011 put the city’s meetings offering on a par with the likes of Nottingham, Leicester and Sheffield.
“We want to ensure that Lincoln gains the recognition it deserves,” she adds.
Visit Lincoln Partnership Manager, Emma Tatlow, will handle PR and enquiries for the group initially and says: “Lincoln has historically underpermed in the area of conference and business tourism but we hope that the growth of the city’s two universities and the arrival of an internationally recognised hotel brand will encourage event planners to seriously consider holding their event here.”
Lincoln’s EPIC Centre offers event space including a total floor area of 1,836sqm and the historic Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln claims state-of-the-art conference facilities on its campus in uphill Lincoln.
Lincoln and the surrounding area, the steering group claims, offer at least 50 well-equipped meeting and conference venues.
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