THREE of South Lakeland's key annual events have received a cash boost, thanks to the success of the county’s longest-running trade show.

Proceeds from The Lakes Hospitality Trade Show have been re-directed back distributed into the tourism sector with Kendal Torchlight Carnival, Bowness Bay Blues Festival and the Windermere Christmas Celebration all being presented with cheques for £1,500.

The two-day Lakes Hospitality Trade Show, which was established in 1975, this year welcomed a record 1,200 plus delegates to the J36 Rural Centre, and more than 120 trade stands spanning a wide range of hospitality businesses and associated support services.

Already plans for the 44th Lakes Hospitality Trade Show on March 13 and 14 2019 are well underway. Already the number of stands has increased by almost a third and 40 per cent of the main hall has already been booked.

There will also be an area with smaller stands for businesses that are just starting and or only have a single and or small number of produce lines in the food and beverage sector.

James Tasker, a Director of the Lakes Hospitality Association, says, “One of the underlying principles of the Lakes Hospitality Show is about ploughing money back into the sector, so we can help give hospitality businesses and supply chain companies the practical support they need to thrive in competitive times.

“Both the Bowness Bay Blues weekend and the Windermere Christmas Celebration have proved a massive success in recent years and continue to grow. We wanted to do everything possible to assist them further in getting to the next level and cementing their place in the area’s events calendar – attracting unique and repeat visitors out of the main holiday season, when they are most needed.

"Kendal Torchlight is also a wonderful event that is an essential part of the area, and we hope this contribution will equally help it to grow and prosper for the benefit not only of our economy, but our local communities too.”