Marketing Sheffield celebrated the success of the Sheffield Ambassador Programme, 28 November 2013, as it was announced that the initiative has now generated over £7m worth of conference and events to the local economy. The announcement was made at the annual Ambassador Dinner, which was held at the Mercure St Paul’s Hotel and Spa.
Director of Marketing Sheffield, Brendan Moffett made the announcement at the event, which was sponsored byby industry body Hospitality Sheffield. The Dinner also welcomed FA and BFI Chairman Greg Dyke as the keynote speaker for the evening.
Dyke has taken a keen interest in the Ambassador Programme, having become a local hotelier, operating manor houses Mosborough Hall and Whirlowbrook Hall. During his speech Dyke said that “the reputation of Sheffield is rapidly improving”. Dyke added that “Sheffield now has a much more mixed economy and this has resulted in an upturn in conference business for hotels”. Professor Mathew Flinders from the University of Sheffield also spoke at the event,which celebrates the individuals involved in the Ambassador Programme and helps promote the recruitment of new conference advocates.
Flinders himself has become a fully-fledged Conference Ambassador for Sheffield, by recently securing the Political Studies International Congress for 2015. This event alone is estimated to be worth around £1m in economic impact.
Urging potential ambassadors to follow in his footsteps, Flinders said “If you have an idea for an event- make it big, make it ambitious and Sheffield will never let you down”.
