Pictured above: James Payne, from the Jackfield Royal
British Legion branch, (second left) joins other standard
bearers at the conference
Organisers of a prestigious national conference were so
impressed with Telford they've revealed they hope to return to the
town soon.
The Royal British Legion held its annual two-day conference at
The International Centre, Telford, where more than 600 delegates
were joined by 250 visitors and guests.
National Chairman, John Farmer, said: "The annual conference is
one of the most important events in our calendar.
"Organising an event of this scale is no mean feat and we were
very pleased with the co-ordination and skill that Telford
displayed.
"This was our first ever visit to the town, and we are pleased
with the experience and hope to be back soon."
Mr Farmer said the highlight of the conference was the Fun Day,
which was attended by over 1500 people, who enjoyed a range of
activities including children's entertainment, an RAF helicopter,
and a sponsored poppy walk.
The RBL events came to Telford thanks to the hard work of
Telford & Wrekin Council's Business Tourism team - Telford
& Shropshire Conferences - and the Southwater Event Group, who
own The International Centre.
They put together a joint bid to encourage RBL to choose the
town as the destination for their prestigious national
occasions.
Business Tourism manager, Sarah Bird, who leads the Telford
& Shropshire Conferences team, said the success of the RBL
events was excellent news for the area as a whole.
"Telford is emerging as one of the UK's top destinations for
conventions and we are competing well with major cities across the
country.
"Our new event bids unit will be working hard to ensure we are
in the running for more high profile events similar to the RBL
celebrations in the future."
Tom Gray, chief executive of the Southwater Event Group, said:
"The 90th anniversary conference was a wonderful occasion, and we
are very proud to have hosted such an important event.
"We are looking forward to working in partnership with Telford
& Shropshire Conferences to attract more major events to the
town in the coming months."