A COMMUNICATIONS consultancy has secured a contract to promote the region’s biggest and best engineering and manufacturing event, which is now in its seventh year.
LEC Consultancy, which is run by former journalist and public relations professional Leanne English, has been awarded the Durham Oktoberfest project.
Durham Oktoberfest is the North East’s leading inter-trading and networking event for the engineering and manufacturing industries and is run by Durham’s engineering forums in the south, the north and the east of the county.
On the back of last year’s successful event, which was attended by scores of businesses and over 1,500 industry professionals, Durham Oktoberfest 2014 will once again be held at the Xcel Centre in Newton Aycliffe on Thursday, October 23.
Leanne, 33, from Peterlee said: “I am thrilled to be awarded such a high-profile and prestigious contract as this. I’ve worked so hard to take the business to the next level and being selected as the communications partner to drive forward this year’s Durham Oktoberfest event is testament to how far the business has come in a relatively short space of time.”
The win comes after a successful six months for LEC Consultancy, which has seen the company secure retained contracts with business support organisation East Durham Business Service; newly created company The AMA Group, which is reviving clothing manufacturing in East Durham; and youth unemployment charity The Employability Trust.
Leanne, who has previously worked at the Hartlepool Mail, regional development agency One North East and local enterprise partnership Tees Valley Unlimited, also has a key role in the drive to establish Peterlee as a leading business location and recently oversaw the launch of a new brand and website for the area.
Leanne added: “I am so pleased at how the business has progressed and as I approach the end of my second year, the challenge for me is to continue to grow. The target in year two was to double my portfolio and at 18 months, I’ve achieved and surpassed that. My business is now perfectly positioned to achieve great things and I am very excited about what the future holds.”
Darren Race, MD of Think Eleven Limited, Chairman of the South Durham Engineering and Manufacturing Forum and Durham Oktoberfest project leader, said: “During the selection process Leanne demonstrated a clear understanding of, and passion for, Durham Oktoberfest and we’re delighted to announce her appointment as our marketing and PR partner for this year’s event.”
LEC Consultancy’s portfolio also includes NSK Bearings and Gateshead companies Spark eCommerce Group and AS Design North East. The company provides a broad range of communications services including public relations, internal communications, crisis management, speech writing and strategy development.
Durham Oktoberfest is the only event of its kind in the region and aims to showcase the region’s strengths within the engineering and manufacturing sectors. As well as exhibitor stands and speakers from the sectors, the show also includes the Meet the Buyer event, where companies get to meet suppliers in a one to one environment.
For more details about Durham Oktoberfest visit www.durhamoktoberfest.org.uk
