Sheffield will boost its cultural credentials next year when it hosts the Arts Marketing Association. The Yorkshire city - which has spawned numerous pop acts, from Pulp to The Arctic Monkeys, novelists such as A.S Byatt, Joanna Harris and Margaret Drabble and the composer William Bennett -  will welcome around 550 arts professionals for the association’s annual conference at Sheffield City Hall in July 2013.

The city won the conference after a successful partnership between Marketing Sheffield, Sheffield International Venues and Hospitality Sheffield. The event is currently being held in Brighton.

Annabel Busher, events and services manager for AMA, said: “Sheffield meets our brief perfectly for 2013 thanks to a great main conference venue and an exciting range of arts venues in the city with potential for excellent networking events. The city has great transport links for our delegates. What’s more it’s very welcoming with all venues and hotels within walking distance of each other.”

Dominic Stokes, general manager of SIV Events, added: “Hosting such a prestigious event for the AMA highlights how SIV can really focus on crossing the boundaries of our many distinct areas of business. Sheffield International Venues is a major influencer of sport, arts and culture in this region, from grass roots to elite performance and we are determined to look for synergies across all those areas. We will be using our core business as our attack brands in the business event market.”

Pictured: Sheffield City Hall