Nearly 150 association meeting professionals gathered in Belfast for the annual International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) UK & Ireland Chapter Meeting in February.
The three-day conference, held at Belfast ICC and hosted by Visit Belfast, featured optional tours, parallel educational sessions on various topics, and a gala dinner at the Titanic Experience.
Themed ‘Embracing Resilience and Competing for Change,’ the conference, which was also aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, included a keynote by SistersIN, a leadership programme empowering female students; The Big Debate, which explored greenwashing across the sector; and The Privilege Walk, fostering understanding and inclusion.
Suzanne Singleton, chair of ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter said, “As our delegate numbers show, this event is one of our most important events of the year. ICC Belfast provided a state-of-the-art venue that served the needs of our diverse programme and aligned to the values of our event by prioritising sustainability, accessibility, and diversity.
“Belfast proved to be an excellent location and with the support of Visit Belfast and ICC Belfast, we showcased to our delegates the impact and legacy that our industry can have on cities. Our hosts also provided access to insightful, local speakers to enhance our dynamic programme, as well as interesting excursions and welcoming hospitality to build out the event experience for our delegates. Our members have had the opportunity to experience Belfast’s capabilities as a first-class city for business events.”
The Northern Ireland business tourism industry is expected to deliver an estimated £209 million in direct economic impact and is forecast to generate up to 2,000 new jobs by 2030.
Continuing to showcase the city is crucial in achieving this growth, as Sarah Iluyemi, senior business development manager at Visit Belfast explained, “By attracting conferences and events to Belfast, we not only boost our thriving tourism and hospitality industry, but also make significant contributions to the development of our knowledge economy and continue to showcase the city and Northern Ireland as an outstanding place for leisure, work, business, and investment.
“Belfast was recently awarded the title of world's best conference destination for a third year by Conference & Incentive Travel. As the decision to host this important event here shows, Belfast now holds a record-breaking position and has major international draw for business delegates and event organisers.”
The ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter Conference will take place from 26 to 28 February, 2025 in Leeds.
For more information visit iccaworld.org.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
