Yorkshire: the county three ways

CITY - SHEFFIELD
Sleep tight: Launched in January this year, the Jurys Inn has 259 rooms and is ideal for groups on a tight budget. It has nine meeting rooms off a reception area, the largest of which, Suite 8, can hold 80 delegates theatre-style. For something more striking, the Mercure St Paul's Hotel next to the Winter Garden has 163 rooms, plus a pool and spa. The two executive suites feature a lounge-and-bedroom design for private meetings and full-length windows with views of the Peace Gardens. There are nine meeting spaces, the largest of which, City Suite A, can hold 300.
Where to meet: For small exclusive groups, the Leopold Hotel, Sheffield's first boutique property, offers four meeting spaces. The Oak Suite, a wood-panelled room with velvet drapes, has capacity for 75 theatre-style. Larger groups could use Sheffield City Hall, a restored Art Deco gem. Of the three spaces, the Irwin Mitchell Oval Hall is the largest with capacity for 2,271 delegates. The ballroom offers gala dining for 500.
Best incentive: The Milestone, Sheffield's leading gastropub, offers group incentives with its Milestone cookery classes and a cocktail school. The former is a full-day class with lunch, while the latter is an evening session.
After dark: Silversmiths has been steadily gathering plaudits for its modern Yorkshire menu since its reinvention on Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. The stylish bar features bespoke metalwork pieces that celebrate Sheffield's heritage for silverware and cutlery. For something more relaxed, the Kelham Island Tavern was voted the Camra's National Pub of the Year 2008.

COUNTRY - DALES AND MOORS
Sleep tight: Located just outside Harrogate in North Yorkshire, Rudding Park is a stately property set in leafy parkland. It offers 49 rooms and 15 spaces for events, of which the Crosby Suite is the largest and can host 200 guests for receptions. The hotel also has its own 18-hole championship golf course, while a new spa facility is under development.
Where to meet: The Feversham Arms is a country hotel with a contemporary feel and easy access from York. One of three meetings rooms, the Private Dining Room, can accommodate 24 delegates in a boardroom set-up. The events team can also organise team-building activities in the grounds. For large groups, the region's principal venue is the Harrogate International Centre, which can handle conferences for up to 2,000 delegates in its main auditorium. It also offers exhibition space covering 16,500m2 of space across eight interconnected halls. A £50m plan to increase the exhibition space and modernise the existing halls is due to commence in 2010.
Best incentive: For an active incentive, the Go Ape forest adventure in North Yorkshire's Dalby Forest is a stunning setting for team-building activities, such as riding the 250-metre zip wire and crossing the Indian bridge.
After dark: The Star Inn, set in the rustic village of Harome, is a Michelin-starred restaurant on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. It's a relaxed place with an emphasis on local produce and traditional gastropub fare. It offers private dining for ten people, and also has a private dining room for 16 at Cross House Lodge, its sister property in the village.

COAST - EAST YORKS AND HUMBERSIDE
Sleep tight: The 28-room, four-star Owner Hotel, Hull's first boutique property, is situated in a Grade II-listed building in the heart of the city next to the central library, several minutes walk from the new bus and train station. It has one meeting space for 30 delegates in a boardroom format. Its Escher's restaurant serves modern British cuisine.
Where to meet: The Hull Truck Theatre, which reopened in April following a move to new £15m premises, boasts two theatre spaces for up to 440 delegates, and also offers several private meeting rooms, including an education suite for 30. A new development for larger events is the World Trade Centre Hull & Humber, an all-glass building located on the mouth of the Humber Estuary. It can host 50 theatre-style in its main area.
Best incentive: The coastal region is working increasingly closely with the Visit York conference desk to offer incentives, such as a trip to historic Castle Howard or a private tour and drinks reception at the National Railway Museum. Meanwhile, for something a little different, P&O Ferries has conference and meeting facilities on board two ferries in Hull's King George Dock. Delegates can then sail overnight for an incentive on the continent.
After dark: The Deep, Hull's award-winning aquarium, serves a Mediterranean menu amid some of Europe's best aquatic displays. The Spa, Bridlington, has reopened following a £20m redevelopment programme. The venue has a range of rooms to hire for gala dinners, many with stunning sea views, as well as event facilities in the Art Deco Ballroom and Edwardian Theatre.