KC's Commercial and Finance Director Sean Royce

How is the local economy shaping up? How can the Hull and East Yorkshire region move forward? What opportunities will there be for growth in the new financial year?

These questions and more will be answered at a free, ‘Question Time’-style event in Hull next week, featuring a panel made up of the leaders of both Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire councils and two prominent local business people.

‘Business Question Time’ will be jointly hosted by the local branches of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Directors (IoD) at the Hallmark Hotel in Hull on Thursday 7 April.

Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council leaders Carl Minns and Stephen Parnaby OBE will be joined on the panel by Sean Royce, Commercial and Finance Director of local communications provider KC and Richard Tuplin, Chair of the IoD East Yorkshire (Humber) branch and Director of The Insurance Partnership.

The panel will be guided by questions from the floor to discuss and debate the key issues affecting the region’s economy, the outlook for growth in 2011, and how organisations of all sizes can play a part in driving economic progress.

Sean Royce of KC said: “This event is a great opportunity for people who have a stake in the region’s success to join the debate about how to create the best possible environment where local businesses and residents can thrive.

“This is absolutely the hot topic within both the public and private sectors at the moment as the face of the UK economy changes in the wake of the financial crisis, and new opportunities such as Enterprise Zones emerge, which could provide a real boost to our local economy.”

Hull City Council Leader Carl Minns commented: “I’m confident we can continue to harness the energy and commitment of local business people and the public sector to secure our region’s economic future during the difficult times ahead.”

Business Question Time takes place next Thursday 7 April at the Hallmark Hotel, Ferriby High Road, Hull. The event starts at 6pm (with registration / networking from 5.30pm) and will close at 8pm. Attendance is free but must be booked in advance at www.accaglobal.com/hul