Businesses put Devon on the map
Representatives from companies across Devon travelled to London on Thursday to promote the county as a conference destination.
A total of 25 firms travelled to London for the Destination Devon showcase held at the Institute of Directors on Pall Mall, including Bovey Castle, Dartington Hall, First Great Western, Land Rover Experience, Sandy Park and the National Marine Aquarium
The event aimed to promote Devon as a great place to host a conference, meeting or an occasion, targeting corporate buyers.
Bev Gratton, Conference and Events Manager at Sandy Park, said: “The Devon showcase was a great opportunity to bring together the best that Devon has to offer in conferencing and events. There are so many excellent venues in the region and it makes sense for us together to grow Devon as a conferencing destination.”
Paul Siely, Centre Manager at Land Rover Experience West Country, said: “We were proud to show what Land Rover Experience can offer right in the heart of the Devon Countryside to the London Market. We met some good contacts both from the guests and fellow exhibitors.”
Throughout the day, representatives from a variety of businesses filtered through the doors, to discover what Devon has to offer. The showcase was aimed at people in business responsible for booking conferences, events and meetings.
Jo Butler, Business Development Manager at Bovey Castle, said: “The showcase went really well. We had great feedback and everyone pulled together and co-ordinated well.
“It completely raised the profile of Devon, highlighting how diverse the county is and what we can offer. Having First Great Western there as well just shows how accessible we are. We are already starting to look at doing this again next year.”
Victoria Hatfield, Economy and Tourism Manager at Exeter City Council and Chair of Visit Devon, said: “It was great to see so many people wanting to speak to us at Destination Devon, there was a real sense of pride from those Devon businesses that attended. We have so much variety in Devon and I believe we can offer unique venues that big cities simply can’t.”
To find out more about Devon as a business destination, please visit www.heartofdevon.com
