Tourism Conference 2025

09.00 – 09.45                     Arrival, registration and networking

09.45                                   Move to the Live Lounge

10.00     (prompt)             Welcome Sir Richard FitzHerbert, Chair Visit Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby LVEP

10.10                                    Building a Derby to be Proud of, Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council
                                            Hear about the recent developments and exciting plans for the future of Derby

10.30                                   Celebrating 20 Years of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, Jo Dilley, Managing Director Visit Peak District & Derbyshire (VPDD)
                                             Join us in celebrating our 20th anniversary and find out more about the highlights of the year so far!

10.45                                   Promoting the Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby, Rachel Briody and Amy Noton, Marketing VPDD
                                            A look at the successes of our marketing campaigns, work to attract international markets and exciting plans for the new year!

11.05                                    Derby, The Pioneering City, Rob Gorton, Chair Derby City Development Board

11.15                                     VisitBritain/VisitEngland update, Nicola Said, Regional Development Lead VisitEngland
                                             An overview of national trends and important work of the Local Visitor Economy Partnerships.

11.30                                    Celebrating the Cascade, Sarah Owen, Director of Development Chatsworth
                                             An overview of Chatsworth House Trust’s social and economic impact to the region and how the ‘Celebrating the Cascade’ project is helping to further the charity’s objectives.

11.45                                    Getting to Know the Venue, Felicity Kemp, Premium & Conference and Events Sales Manager Vaillant Live
                                             Find out more about Derby’s newest event space

12.00                                    Lunch and networking

13.00 – 14.15                       Breakout sessions, each 20 mins (choose 3)

• Welcoming International Visitors, are you missing out on this valuable market? Lisa Rowbotham, VisitBritain.

  Many businesses are overwhelmed by setting trade rates and working with the Travel Trade, but for many international visitors, this is there only way to find and book your business!  International visitors tend to stay longer, visit in shoulder periods and spend more, are you missing out?  Lisa will draw examples from a project delivered with small rural businesses, just like yours, in the North York Moors and the success that they have achieved in attracting more international visitors.

• Visitor Ready Scheme and the Short Term Holiday Let Scheme, Natalie Clayton, AA Media

         Join us to find out more about the FREE Visitor Ready Scheme delivered by The AA in partnership with VisitEngland.  The scheme is open to all visitor economy businesses, not just accommodation, and aims to       bring compliance accreditation to all the hospitality and leisure industry, giving visitors that yours in a professionally run, compliant business!
Natalie will also touch on the new Short Term Holiday Let Scheme due to be launched in 2026 this registration will be mandatory for all self-catering providers.

• Employment Rights Bill; what the new bill means for employers in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector, Hannah Ball, Partner, Howes Percival LLP

The new bill is likely to become law later this year and be implemented in 2026. The Employment Rights Bill is proposed UK legislation designed to enhance workers' rights by addressing zero-hours contracts, strengthening protections against harassment and unfair dismissal, and reforming trade union law, among other measures. Key changes include a right to guaranteed hours for zero-hours workers, removing the 2-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal to make it a day-one right, and implementing stricter duties on employers to prevent sexual harassment.
Hannah will take you through the key points and explain what the changes mean for your business.

• AI ’s Impact on Digital Marketing for Tourism, Will Wright, Destination Core

  Artificial Intelligence is reshaping how visitors discover, plan, and make travel decisions. This session will give tourism businesses a clear overview of the changes, highlight what AI means for digital marketing, and share practical tips on how to stay visible and attract more visitors in this new landscape.

14.15 – 14.30                     Tea/coffee and comfort break

14.30 – 15.00                    You can’t put a price on the Peaks – growing the East Midlands Visitor Economy, the right way, 
                                            Mayor Claire Ward, Mayor East Midlands Combined County Authority
                                             Our key note speaker, Mayor Claire will highlight the importance of the Visitor Economy to the East Midlands and plans for the future.

15.00                                   Close

15.15 – 16.30                 Optional tour of the latest developments in Derby

Download a copy of the agenda here