A new one-day MICE event, named Hospitality Live, has been unveiled and will launch on 20th April 2026 at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
According to organisers West Yorkshire’s newest hospitality and events trade show replaces the traditional exhibition format with curated networking and an experience-led environment.
Organisers include Wayne Topley, managing director of Cedar Court Hotels and chairman of the Leeds Hotels & Venues Association, Paula Kelsey of Cloud9 Events Agency, and the team at the Royal Armouries.
Key sponsors comprise Punch Hospitality, Famtastic, Royal Armouries, and the Leeds Hotels and Venues Association, which includes 25 hotel partners and 35 meeting industry suppliers.
Organisers said the event will bring together venue representatives, suppliers and event bookers. Traditional exhibition stands will be replaced with relaxed meeting spaces designed to encourage conversation and relationship-building.
The programme includes keynote speakers and short live sessions throughout the day. The event will then transition into an evening session with drinks, music and informal networking.
Hospitality Live has partnered with Zarach, a children’s bed charity, as part of a donation initiative. Exhibitors may include a bed in their showcase, which will then be donated to Zarach.
Topley said: “With this new approach, we have taken away the formalities and rigid structure of a traditional trade show with the aim of providing opportunities for delegates to create genuine new connections. Hospitality Live is proof that with collaboration and teamwork, we can make a meaningful impact on the industry.”
A spokesperson for Zarach said: “Hospitality Live’s donation of 25 beds and mattresses will have an immediate impact on the children receiving them, both in the practical and short term, while also supporting better sleep, improved wellbeing, and the foundations for long-term educational engagement and opportunity.”
