A MASSIVE presence is expected for York at the three-day National Venue Show at Birmingham's NEC, starting tomorrow.

A Conference York stand will feature York Tourism Bureau, which will be joined by the Central Science Laboratory at Sand Hutton, plus the York Moat House, Royal York and The Grange Hotels. The bureau will be representing about 50 conference and corporate hospitality venues which together attract 750,000 delegates a year to York and generate an extra £80 million annually into the city's economy.

The University of York and the National Railway Museum will each have their own stands.

Kate McMullen, the bureau's conference marketing manager, said: "This could have a huge impact on York given that the show will be attended by 5,000 conference organisers.

"Because it is in Birmingham many of them are likely to be from the north east and north west, as opposed to the Confex exhibition in London which is much more London-centric.

"It will offer us a far better geographical cross-section of buyers."

Kate and Sarah Madden, the bureau's conference sales executive will offer advice on how to get to York and the kind of activities and attractions which will be open to conference delegates visiting the city.

Also represented at the National Venue Show will be the Harrogate International Centre (HIC).

Its representatives will be updating buyers on the building of the HIC Queen's Suite meeting rooms that are on target for opening in February 2005.

The £5million project will provide new versatile conference/seminar rooms with one large 700 seat room whose 600 sq metres can be subdivided down into nine individual soundproofed rooms or any combination of these, all fully integrated with the Conference and Exhibition Centre.

Updated: 15:44 Monday, September 13, 2004