Bag men: John Prescott and John Till promoting Hull in London.

Trip to push 'best kept secret' nets bagloads of publicity at reception

The Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have put their weight behind the latest efforts to put Hull on the map. Gordon Brown was one of the guests of honour at a private Parliamentary reception to promote Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire to potential investors.

John Prescott delivered the keynote speech at Showcase Westminster, describing Hull and the surrounding area as 'Britain's best-kept secret'. Mr Prescott told business leaders from the south-east that Hull and the East Riding were an excellent choice for investment, development and relocation. He said: "Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire is a great place to live, work and do business. Our highly skilled workforce, strong community and beautiful countryside gives us a real competitive edge, which will bring investment, more jobs and benefits to the region. Last February, I launched 'The Northern Way', a new strategy to transform the North and I believe that Hull and the East Riding will play an important role in making this a success. I'm sure that everyone will be interested in our exceptional opportunities."

Over 30 business leaders and public figures from Hull and the East Riding also attended the event, to sell the region to influential decision makers from the areas of investment, developments, finance, property and tourism. The evening reception followed an Investment Breakfast Seminar at which significant figures from the investment, development and property world discovered more about the development potential of Hull and the East Riding. The event was the first to be organised by a Destination Management Organisation, established jointly by Hull City Council, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull Cityimage. It showcased Hull's city centre masterplan and the East Riding's principal development sites.

Coun. Colin Inglis, leader of Hull City Council, said: "The London event is a further step forward in our pledge to work together to promote the area as one entity to gain economic benefits. It is imperative that we promote the significant opportunities of the area directly to those who can shape the region's future."

Alan Menzies, Head of Economic Development, Tourism and Forward Planning at the East Riding of Yorkshire Council said: "This event was very successful and we have been very pleased to work with Hull on this project. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been very supportive of our joint initiative and we are now looking forward to following up all the positive leads that came out of the event."

John Till, of Hull Cityimage, said: "We have really pushed back the boundaries. We came here to put Hull and the East Riding on the map and that is exactly what we have done. Had we not brought the region to the capital, there is little chance that we would have gained access to this audience."