A series of events and activities have been planned in Leeds and Headingley ranging from an exclusive Ashes Exhibition at Leeds City Museum, a lecture by Christopher Martin Jenkins, an Ashes Lunch with Geoffrey Boycott and Jonathan Agnew, a Test Dinner with Clive James and Mike Gatting, a book launch, a business leaders’ event, right through to a city-wide ‘walkabout’ by the Australian cricket team. An 'Ashes poet' has also been appointed.
The aim of the campaign, devised by Leeds-based Banana Kick and which brings together Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC), Marketing Leeds, Welcome to Yorkshire and Leeds Metropolitan University, is to make the sell-out Test inclusive to as many people and businesses in the region as possible.
"The Fourth Test will bring a welcome boost to local businesses as hundreds of thousands of fans from around the world eat, sleep and drink in Leeds and the surrounding areas. We estimate it could provide a £10m injection to the city, so the little urn is going to mean a great deal to Leeds’ traders and businesses," said Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire.
The Festival has been planned for four months and has also been promoted in Australia through Festival packs and a Marketing Leeds meeting with Australian business leaders in Melbourne.
