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Liverpool ’ s Arena , Convention
and Exhibition Centre
country . You can get from the East to West Coast in two hours and therefore easily check out our 45 centres of excellence ,” says Roche . This also means Ireland has “ the hustle and bustle of a city ” like Dublin , and also “ greener and more tranquil environments ” like Shannon , Galway or Kildare . “ We also have four international airports and are only 40 minutes from Manchester or one hour from London – making it easy for UK delegates to visit us ,” she adds .
Although ACC Liverpool is located on a waterfront , and therefore “ on an island site ” as Evans describes , Liverpool still has all the amenities of a modern city within walking distance . “ For conferences that do choose us , they can take over the city , which you can ’ t usually do elsewhere . We can provide a campus feel ,” says Evans .
Over in Edinburgh , although it ’ s “ a small and walkable city ”, it also has reliable local transport services . This makes it easy to get around and visit its largest conference centre , EICC , which is located “ right in the heart of the city ,” says Dallas .
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The bigger picture
Despite these unique differences and appeals , all destinations share the same commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ) and believe it ’ s the main focal point for international conferences heading into 2023 .
“ Events now come with a lot clearer goals which are carved out at the Request for Proposal stage ,” says Evans . Jenson agrees , she adds : “ CSR plays a vital role in the bidding process and decides whether a destination will win a conference . The destination needs to align with a conference ’ s purpose .”
Because ACC Liverpool are owned by the local authority , Evans and Jensen tell me that they must bring the right type of event , at the right time for the city . “ This puts us in a unique position nationally where we can be more competitive because we ’ re not purely looking at the bottom-line for-profit perspectives , it brings in more social value ,” explains Evans .
One form of CSR is legacy – what a positive impact an event leaves behind , which ACC Liverpool and Meet in Ireland is homing in on for 2023 . “ Whilst international
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“ Unique cultural experiences are one of the greatest appeals for international conferences .”
– Marshall Dallas
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conferences are about making sure that the businesses in the city benefit from it , it ’ s also about what else can it give to the local communities and residents ,” says Jenson .
For example , both destinations want to make the most of having their experts within reach . “ In the past , they fly in and then pack up and go home . We want more from that , we want to give it lets and get the experts out of the conference room . We want to use these opportunities to raise awareness of important areas ( be it obesity , cancer , or neurodiversity ) and use it to raise an agenda for the better of the country and for the better of the community ,” Roche explains .
Another form of CSR is sustainability . “ We have seen the demand for sustainable events and we have tried to respond to that ,” says Roche . For example , in November 2022 , the tourism board held a conference that focused on driving climate action within tourism businesses , which welcomed Minister Catherine Martin . Her Green Party is also driving a strong sustainability agenda in Ireland . “ When it ’ s driven from the top , there ’ s generally greater buy in ,” says Roche .
Similarly , Edinburgh has enhanced its sustainability programme , Step Change . “ We now offer event impact reports , whereby we present clients with a post-event summary of the environmental and societal impacts of the conference . We have also recently established a partnership with RSPB Scotland focused on carbon capture , which sees us investing in the restoration of peatland in Scotland to mitigate the negative impacts of holding events ,” reveals Dallas .
The time is now to push the agenda further in 2023 and create not only more conscious conferences , but ones that showcase a destination ’ s culture . CN
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