Internationally renowned designer Wayne Hemingway will be the keynote speaker at Cumbria Tourism’s next Members’ meeting later this month, which is exploring future trends and innovations in Cumbria’s visitor sector.
Carlisle Lake District Airport will be the venue for the special event on Wednesday 21 November. Sponsored by the University of Cumbria, it aims to inspire people to find new ways to innovate and stay competitive in a sector worth £2.9billion to the county’s economy.
Wayne Hemingway MBE co-founded fashion label Red or Dead and Hemingway Design, after turning a market stall into a multi-million pound company. He is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Cumbria and is currently working with Carlisle City Council to deliver a new ‘garden village’ south of the city as part of their ambitious housing and development growth agenda.
Well known as a passionate and thought-provoking speaker, Wayne says, “Creating powerful new ideas and concepts is vital for any business, regardless of the sector. Cumbria is a special place for me, so I’m pleased to be heading to the county this November to share some of my thoughts and experiences of innovation in the business world and hearing from Cumbrian businesses about what they’re doing to break new ground and forge ahead in a challenging and competitive economic climate.”
Alongside Wayne, the event will feature speakers from Foresight Factory, which works with VisitEngland to research visitor trends at a national level. They will be sharing their latest analysis of visitor behaviour; explaining what it means for Cumbria’s tourism sector and sharing their thoughts on how businesses here can make the most of new and emerging opportunities.
Another key speaker will be the Director of the Lake District Foundation, Sarah Swindley, who will be exploring how technology can motivate and increase visitor giving. Sarah will be unveiling details of an innovative project for 2019 to test out how this could work in Cumbria. There will also be the chance to hear from Cumbria Innovations Platform – part of the University of Cumbria – and how it can support small businesses and tourism suppliers.
Finally, with Carlisle Lake District Airport ready for take-off next Spring, there will be an update from Kate Willard from Stobart Group and the offer of a VIP tour of the facilities for all attendees.
Business Development Manager at Cumbria Tourism, Sarah Glover, says, “We’re excited to welcome some inspiring and insightful speakers for what promises to be a jam-packed event, not least the internationally renowned Wayne Hemingway. This is also an important opportunity for tourism businesses from across the county to come together to hear the latest on the sector, to network and to get the latest updates from Cumbria Tourism on our recent results and activities.”
Cumbria Tourism members can book up to two free places at the Members’ Meeting by contacting Sam Tollerson: [email protected] / 01539 822222.
