Leading business people from across the UK will be urged to use Bradford as a conference destination when they attend a gala dinner in the city.

The National Museum of Photography, Film and Television will next week host the dinner for 180 delegates including representatives from major plcs.

The event, organised by the Destination Bradford tourism partnership, will be used to thank business leaders for holding events in Bradford - and urge new clients to consider using the city. The organisation, which brings together 25 partners including all the district's leading hotels, said the event was a key part of its strategy to attract new business to Bradford.

And today Bradford Council's tourism marketing officer John Swinburn said organisers had been overwhelmed by the response and the dinner is now sold out.

He said invitations had been sent out through the region's major hotels to companies which had used facilities in the past. And they, in turn, were asked to bring a client who has not used Bradford as a destination for business tourism.

"There are some big, regionally-based plcs coming along, including some which are coming from London for the evening," said Mr Swinburn.

"There has been some really good interest and the fact that we are over-subscribed is fantastic. I have had some hotels screaming at me to try to get more space.

"The main message we want to get across is to thank these people for their business and say to the potential clients: Look, all these people have said Bradford is a fantastic place for business tourism, why don't you consider us?"

Delegates are expected to include representatives from firms including Leeds-based stockbrokers Redmayne-Bentley, Interface Europe, Redcats, Yorkshire Water and HBOS. Doug Fairley, an account manager at Hampshire-based SMK Event Services, said that he was delighted to encourage others to use Bradford's hotels as a venue for business tourism.

His organisation organises events at the Express by Holiday Inn and Midland Hotels for the Anchor Trust, which has offices in the city.

"The hotels are always more than helpful and we have never had any complaints or problems, which is why we continue to use them," he said.