Starting tomorrow, staff from the print finishing machine supplier will spend two days visiting 200 businesses in and around Leeds, where Northern Lights is to be held on March 8-9, armed with hampers containing tea, coffee, hot water and biscuits.

Ten Duplo staff duos, one from sales and one from the Duplo workshop, will whip up a brew for the potential Northern Lights visitors, offer biscuits made in the north Yorkshire town of Whitby, and take the opportunity to explain the benefits of the show.

Duplo UK marketing manager Sarah Crumpler said: “It’s about us making time to get out and see our customers and having some face-to-face feedback.

“We had a few different thoughts and we thought about what Leeds was famous for. We thought, who is going to say no to a cup of tea?”

Duplo is encouraging the tea drinkers to upload pictures of the event to Twitter using the hashtag #duplotea. It is visiting Halifax, Huddesfield, Leeds, Manchester, Harrogate and Bradford.

The company ordered 500 mugs and 30 aprons to be printed by Duplo customer Awesome Merchandise in Leeds for the promotion.

“The last Northern Lights attracted 200 visitors and we hope to have a bigger Northern Lights this time with lots of good customers,” Crumpler added.

“We hope people are going to be thinking, will we get a visit today?”

Next month’s event will be the second Northern Lights run by Duplo and is targeted at anybody with an interest in print-associated technology. The event, held at the Royal Armouries Museum, will spotlight latest innovations from Duplo and event partners, from 10am to 7pm on 8 March and 5pm on 9 March. 

Last year’s Northern Lights was held in Manchester.