The Harrogate International Centre has triumphed at the UK’s biggest award ceremony honouring the best of the region’s tourism industry.
A jubilant HIC team was handed the Business Tourism trophy at The White Rose Awards on Monday evening, seeing off competition from the likes of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Sheffield International Venues and York Conferences.
After stepping up to collect the award at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate, HIC director, Simon Kent said it was the perfect way to end a successful 2014.
Simon Kent said: This award recognises the effort everyone at HIC puts in to make the venue a success and help attract thousands of business visitors to Harrogate every year.
It’s been a great year for HIC; we helped to host the Tour de France in July swiftly followed by the month-long International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival.
Now November looks like shaping up to be the busiest month in our history so the hard work is really paying off. Thank you to everyone who has brought an event to HIC Yorkshire. This award validates your trust in us.
Cleere Scamell, director of the Harrogate Home and Gift Fair, attended the event as a guest of HIC Yorkshire.
Cleere Scamel said: As an international events business, we have been bringing events to HIC for many years and it was great to see Simon Kent and his truly exceptional team rightly triumphant on the night.
I know visitors and exhibitors at my own show love the fact that it’s based in Harrogate and wouldn’t want it anywhere else and that’s good for the local economy. Well done HIC – a richly deserved win.
The annual ceremony is organised by Welcome to Yorkshire and this year was compered by the BBC’s Harry Gration, with VIP guests including the cast of Emmerdale and Great British Bake-off winner Nancy Birtwhistle.
The award was the second this year for HIC, after sales manager Rebecca Turnbull won the outstanding customer service category at the Hospitality and Tourism Awards in June.
