Sean Jarvis took centre stage at a high profile conference outlining plans to boost the West Yorkshire economy today.

Huddersfield Town's commercial director was a keynote speaker at the West Yorkshire Economic Growth Conference this morning (Tuesday) addressing business leaders from across the country.

The event, hosted in Leeds, intends to shine a spotlight on how West Yorkshire can fully utilise its potential at the very core of the Northern Powerhouse.

Sean spoke on the effect of Premier League status on the town; investment at Canalside ; Terrier spirit; Premier League Survival and plans to take operational control of the John Smiths Stadium.

  • On the wider importance of bringing Premier League football to Huddersfield

"I think the importance of having Huddersfield Town in the Premier League cannot be underestimated.

"The sense of civic pride that it brings locally and the profile that it generates both nationally and internationally is phenomenal.

"Being Yorkshire's only Premier League team puts us on the map.

Sean Jarvis, Commercial Director, Huddersfield Town

"It means that investment is coming into our area and jobs are being created on the back of Huddersfield Town being in the Premier League.

"If these spin-offs are helping our area that can only be a good thing.

"It puts local businesses on the map, but it also attracts business from outside - Germany, China, Australia - into our region. I think if we can develop those kind of links it's great for us, it's great for local businesses and it's great for Yorkshire. Long may that continue."

  • On the £20m investment at PPG Canalside, Huddersfield Town's training ground

"The Premier League has allowed us as a football club to look at how we can develop the big projects that we talk about - such as the £20 million training ground.

"A lot of our partners will be invited to tender on that contract, so that will generate of a lot of business.

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"If we can continue to develop that cycle of growth it means the football club will get stronger, we'll have sell-out crowds and a bigger global interest. It'll also mean better players for the team.

"That means the club can only go forwards and if we can do that then that makes us stronger as each year goes on."

  • On the identity of Huddersfield Town

"Over the past three years we have rediscovered our identity.

"We wanted to really find out what we're about - a terrier spirit, with no limits.

"Huddersfield Town sit as the 65th most valuable club in the world, above Boca Juniors and Lokomotiv Moscow. We're starting to bite on the heels of Werder Bremen and Nice."

  • On Premier League survival and stadium ownership

"Of course, playing in the Premier League is the priority and we're working hard to maintain that, but you've got to invest and try to use the opportunity to really shout about Huddersfield and the town as a whole.

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"I think it's been well documented about how Huddersfield Town are attracting big businesses to the area.

"We can use our leverage to track that and allowing us a bit more - and I use the word lightly - control of the stadium will only benefit everybody associated with it.

"I think for us it's important that we can take those elements and see how we can make it more commercial.

"Those discussions are ongoing and we're very keen to use our window of opportunity to help everybody.

"Things are very sensitive, so you've got to be empathetic to other people who are associated with the stadium and how we can actually work together in a better collaborative agreement.

"There's a lot of detail to be done on that but I'm pretty sure we'll get there."