January 2011

For immediate release

Leeds Met Professor leads industry debate

Leeds Metropolitan University’s Professor Rhodri Thomas will facilitate a

Round Table discussion on Innovation in Travel and Tourism at Imperial
College, London, on Wednesday 16 February.

The Round Table, which will be chaired by Dr Steven Freudmann, Chairman

of the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT) and holder of an honorary degree
from Leeds Metropolitan, will explore a new research agenda for the
engagement of the travel and tourism business industry with universities.

Professor Thomas secured funding from the Economic and Social Research
Council (ESRC) to work together with the ITT, business elites and universities
to find a path to recovery for the travel industry.

Professor Rhodri Thomas commented: “This initiative builds on an on-going

collaboration between the university and the travel industry, via the ITT. Our
main aim is to maximise the value of academic research to business and the
economy. To do this, we want to learn from the business elites we will be
working with. In particular, we want to know how our research could make
more of a difference for more companies.”

Dr Freudmann added: “Professor Thomas's project makes an important

contribution to linking academic research with business practice. His work is
encouraging many senior business leaders to re-evaluate their perception of
universities and how they might work together to mutual benefit.”

At a time when the travel industry is feeling besieged by ash clouds, climate
change and a weak economy, the project aims to: develop a better
understanding among industry business elites of the potential for working with
universities; to improve academics' understanding of business elites so that
they can engage users more effectively; to develop an executive programme
which can be delivered jointly by universities and businesses, at masters or
doctoral level; to develop a knowledge exchange strategy for the ITT for 2012
to 2017; and to produce promotional material highlighting the lessons arising
from this project which will be launched at the ITT's annual international
conference in June 2011.

Ends

For further details please contact Carrie Braithwaite in the News and Media
team at Leeds Met on 0113 812 3022 or email c.braithwaite@leedsmet.ac.uk

Notes for editors:

 Professor Rhodri Thomas is the ITT Professor of Tourism and Events

Policy and Director of Research at the UK Centre for Events
Management at Leeds Metropolitan University.
 Leeds Metropolitan University has 30,000 students and over 300,000
associate students through its partnerships with 24 colleges.
 The University has achieved its best ever Research Assessment
Exercise results. Sports-Related Studies is in the top 6 institutions in
the country with research rated at the highest levels of 4* and 3*.
 The University’s award-winning learning environments include the
iconic Rose Bowl building, awarded Best Commercial Property
Development in the 2009 Yorkshire Property Awards; Broadcasting
 Place, winner of the 2010 Leeds Architecture Awards New Building
category and the pioneering Carnegie Village student accommodation.
 Leeds Metropolitan is one of only a handful of UK universities to have
been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard.
 The University is home to The UK Centre for Coaching Excellence for
sport and disability sport and is 2nd in the British University and
Colleges Sport (BUCS) rankings.