Co-operation on the agenda in Leeds

Deborah Green, chief executive of Marketing Leeds, said she had been in talks with Leeds Chamber about the possibility of pooling some back office and procurement work to save money. She also said the shrinking of public sector budgets created an opportunity for new ways of working.

"It gives us the chance to think the unthinkable and we are doing it in a more coherent and cohesive fashion. We may go to the next stage in terms of bringing it together to have the business impact for the city. We have to think radically.

"We have to make sure we are working in the smartest possible way we can to bring the companies that want to grow here in Leeds; either to grow (their current city base) or to relocate here. Coupled with that is the need to seek out new markets."

Ms Green also said that Leeds in Asia, a festival of commerce and culture which was postponed from this month in order to give West Yorkshire firms time to adapt to the spending cuts, could be held next autumn.

Marketing Leeds has visited Hong Kong to lay the groundwork for the week, and Ms Green said that when she visited earlier this year, HSBC offered to host a reception for West Yorkshire businesses there. Ms Green has also been in talks with Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the British Consulate about events they could put on together. Several of Leeds's major law firms also have offices in Hong Kong.

The marketing organisation put on similar events in Barcelona earlier this year and in Milan in 2008, when figures from Leeds' legal, financial services, creative and media sectors built long-term trade links. As part of this, a delegation of 19 lawyers from Spain's second city visited Leeds in June.