WORK has begun on Cumbria's largest exhibition hall ahead of a major showcase for the hospitality industry.

Owners, the L&K Group, have just seven weeks to get the venue ready for its first event at J36 Rural Auction Centre, next to the M6 at Crooklands.

This year's Lakes Hospitality Trade Show will be the 42nd such gathering, bringing together more than 1,000 people from Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire and further afield.

Work to clear the site started two weeks ago and the first phase of the project, to lay the floor and put up the walls and roof, is to be completed in time for show organisers to set up.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Once all the building work has finished this summer, the 1,400 square metre space will include a reception area, toilets and mezzanine floor. As well as coach spaces and parking for 800 cars, catering will be available from the existing onsite providers who run Cafe Ambio.

L&K group company secretary Katie Black said: "This exhibition hall will be a great space for everyone on site to use, and not just our livestock business. Given its superb location, we also expect to attract a whole range of exhibitors including livestock and machinery events, antiques fairs, wedding fairs, model exhibitions, food shows and even a recent request for a green-screen facility for filming companies.

"We would love to hear from people who are interested in using the new exhibition hall, as well as the other facilities we have here."

For more, visit www.landkgroup.co.uk and www.lakeshospitalitytradeshow.co.uk