Destination
City by
the sea
EN takes a trip to Belfast, a
unique city with a growing
events offering and a thriving
tourism industry
L
ike many UK cities, Belfast’s event
offering has transformed in recent
years. With the opening in 2015 of Eikon
Exhibition Centre just outside the city
and Titanic Exhibition Centre in the
Titanic Quarter, the Northern Irish
capital has established itself as a go-to
business events destination.
“Belfast is continuing to go from
strength to strength,” says Victoria
Beatty, business and leisure markets
manager at Titanic Belfast. “There is an
intrigue factor about Belfast, as well as
an authenticity and unique element that
makes us stand out.
“Belfast has been transformed into an
exciting and vibrant city with a warm
welcoming feel. From an organiser’s
point-of-view the city is compact, it has
great ease of access and public transport
links and has a strong catchment area
for the majority of the population in
Northern Ireland. There is a range of
accommodation, venues and experiences
to suit all budgets that help create truly
memorable event experiences.”
The city has also become more
accessible than ever to a national and
international audience, with up to 40
flights a day between Belfast and Great
Britain and 12 ferry departures each day
from Belfast Harbour.
“Northern Ireland is growing
considerably in the events sector, with
an increasing number of organisers
choosing it as the next destination
for their events,” comments Theresa
Morrissey, commercial director at Eikon
Exhibition Centre. “With a £63m sales
market, many B2B and B2C events are
hoping to expand into Northern Ireland.
“The Eikon team has a wealth of
experience, offering a bespoke and tailor-
made event experience. Event organisers
will work with a dedicated account
manager, operations manager and venue
manager, each role specifically designed
to assist in the operations and logistics of
using the centre.”
The Titanic Exhibition Centre has also
proven popular with event organisers.
“The TEC’s location in the vibrant
Titanic Quarter – which has proven to be
a winner for all,” says Beatty. “Our event
organisers to date have praised our ease
of access for loading and unloading, as
well as those attending the events as it
has strong transport links to road, rail
and air as well as excellent parking, it has
become an instant favourite among both
our exhibitors and visitors.”
The Northern Irish capital has proven
itself to be a reliable events proposition
in recent years, combining ease of access
and plenty to see and do, with a state-of-
the-art venue offering. EN
Belfast at a glance
10,600sqm at Eikon Exhibition Centre
6,000sqm at Titanic Exhibition Centre
60+ conferences hosted in 2018
189,000 cruise ship visitors in 2018
22.7% growth in hotel room numbers in 2018
The Name in EVENT HIRE
0800 458 5701
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Charles Wilson Engineers Ltd
July — 21