A BLACKPOOL leisure chief warned businesses to keep on their toes or risk ending up red-faced as the resort revelled in its well-earned victory at winning back the Labour Party conference.

As council chiefs, tourism bosses and MPs were said to be "over the moon" at the decision made by Labour's National Executive Committee on November 28, Marc Etches, managing director of Leisure Parcs -- owner of the Winter Gardens, the Tower and the three piers -- warned the town must not become complacent again.

He said: "I am very positive and absolutely delighted that they have agreed. However, we must not be complacent or arrogant. We must use this opportunity to show that we are all keen to progress and deliver a conference that is supported by quality accommodation, retail and catering facilities offering good value for money. The hard work is only just beginning."

Mr Etches, pictured here, said Leisure Parcs considered the way forward was to build a state-of-the-art conference centre, which was part of its vision for the town, and he added that the company had been lobbying for changes in the gaming laws so they could move forward and turn Blackpool into Europe's answer to Las Vegas. Blackpool was chosen to host the 2002 conference ahead of Bournemouth and Brighton after months of campaigning by councillors, tourism chiefs and MPs to bring the conference "back home." The long-awaited good news follows Monday's decision to hold the TUC conference -- worth more than £80m -- in the resort. The town's conference trade took a severe battering two years ago when the Labour Party, as well the TUC, announced they would no longer come to Blackpool because of the standard of conference facilities and unsuitable accommodation.

Blackpool took their campaign -- spearheaded by Leisure Parcs, representatives from the Hilton and Imperial hotels and the resort's MPs -- to Brighton to show Labour what the town could now offer. And it worked!

Council Leader George Bancroft said: "It's not just about money, it's the spin off and it's about putting Blackpool firmly back on the conference map. This is great publicity.

"Blackpool took a knock because it had become complacent, but we have fought back," he added.

Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden said: "It's a triumph and a tribute to all the hard work and lobbying we've done in the town in the past two years."

Joan Humble, Blackpool North MP, is delighted the Labour Party is coming back to Blackpool: "It has taken a lot of hard work to show that Blackpool's facilities are equal to those elsewhere, but this decision has made it worthwhile," she said.