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Leeds City Council workshops discuss business opportunities of Tour de France Grand Départ

A series of workshops are to be held in Leeds over the coming weeks offering business owners the chance to find out more about opportunities around the Tour de France Grand Départ.

The Tour de France was established in 1903 (first ever race pictured) so this will be its 111th year. Millions are expected to spectate along the routes of the first three stages of the race to be held in the UK, with a global audience of billions watching on television.

Leeds City Council will be hosting the sessions, which are free and open to all businesses to attend, at the White Cloth Gallery and Leeds Media Centre during February and March.

The sessions, which will feature speakers from Leeds City Council and Welcome to Yorkshire, will explore how businesses of all sizes can capitalise fully on the world’s largest annual sporting event starting in Leeds on Saturday 5 July.

The first workshop will be held at the Leeds Media Centre on Savile Mount in Chapeltown on Friday 28 February from 12-2pm. This will be followed by sessions at the White Cloth Gallery on Aire Street on Wednesday 12 March (8-10am), Wednesday 19 March (12-2pm) and Wednesday 26 March (3-5pm).

Any business owners wishing to attend a session can register here, with places to be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Those attending will hear details of the expected influx of visitors from the UK and around the world to watch the start of this year’s Tour.

The business-focused workshops follow on from guidance letters sent by the council to all businesses and residents directly on the route last week.

The latest general Tour de France information for Leeds can be seen here.

Leeds City Council executive member for leisure and skills Councillor Lucinda Yeadon said: “These business workshops are vitally important not only to help spread the word about the arrangements for the Tour but to help businesses maximise what will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Leeds and Yorkshire will be the focal point of the world’s attention that day so we want businesses to get the absolute most they can out of it for themselves and their employees.

“We look forward to seeing all of these workshops hopefully full with business owners eager to find out more.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .