Northern Ireland
A CLOSE-KNIT CONFERENCE COMMUNITY TRANSFORMING THE LANDSCAPE
Theo Reilly examines how a high-performing conference industry is growing hand-in-hand with key tech sectors in Northern Ireland
W hen speaking to the Northern Ireland business events team , one thing is clear – everybody knows everybody . The line separating Visit Belfast from flagship venue ICC is a blurred one .
This tight-knit network is one of the region ’ s most important selling points . The famously warm Irish hospitality extends to event organisers choosing the city for their next conference .
This hospitality was demonstrated in dramatic fashion four years ago at AstraZeneca ’ s conference . The organisers wanted an unconventional event , and came up with the idea of a Game of Thrones theme in the dining hall . Toys in a goodie bag may have sufficed for some , but what ICC Belfast ended up doing was to hang huge , thatched dragons from the ceiling , hire Game of Thrones-dressed drummers and pepper the hall with Whitewalkers , sword-wielding Northmen and a replica of the Iron Throne . None of this would be possible without the close ties that run through Belfast . The dragons came from the Ulster Museum 2.4km away , transported to ICC specifically for the event .
“ There ’ s never a favour that goes unanswered ,” marketing campaign manager Laura O ’ Kane tells CMW .
Belfast ’ s family network isn ’ t just a benefit to organisers ; local communities are also getting support . Head of business events at Visit Belfast , Deborah Collins told us about the convention bureau ’ s initiative to
Left : Thatched dragons from Ulster Museum were suspended from the ceiling at AstraZeneca ’ s 2020 conference at ICC Belfast raise funds for those in food poverty , ‘ Changing the Menu . For Good ’.
“ So far , the bureau has raised £ 60,000 in food donations for struggling locals ,” she said .
Ambassadors for a high-tech hub Northern Ireland ’ s tech industries are fast acquiring ‘ elite ’ status . Growing from a fractured state in the 1990s to a bustling tech hub in the 21st century , the UK territory is a success story worthy of the name .
Major associations and industry representatives have recognised this upward trajectory . From aerospace and engineering to healthtech , Belfast is winning more and more bids for large-scale , high-end conferences . No factor has been more instrumental than the city ’ s ambassador programme .
ICC Belfast reports that 80 % of their business events come to Belfast and Northern Ireland because of ambassadors .
Robert Hill , director of Northern Ireland Space Office , was crucial in bringing the 2024 UK Space Conference to Belfast . “ It ’ s clear that the conference has left a legacy ,” he explained . “ Not only did it generate an estimated £ 2m ($ 2.61m ) in economic impact , it delivered an important opportunity to showcase … our growing pedigree ”.
Professor Brian G . Falzon was instrumental in bringing the International Conference on Composite Materials 2023 ( ICCM23 ) to ICC Belfast from late July to early August . Former head of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Queens University Belfast , professor Falzon is internationally renowned for his work on advanced composite aerospace structures .
It ’ s hard to speak of Belfast industries without mention of healthtech . Northern Ireland has earned quite the reputation for medicinal prestige over recent years .
ISSUE 133 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 69