Belfast Waterfront, the Northern Ireland capital’s exhibition and conference centre, has appointed five new staff to meet the increasing demand for its new facility due to open in spring 2016.
The recruitment drive means the centre’s sales and marketing team is nearly doubling in size.
The new addition to the centre will double the venue’s event space to 7,000sqm and enhance its technology capabilities.
Management says the project has facilitated the return of many events, as well as bringing a significant increase of bookings from international associations.
The Belfast Waterfront reports it has already secured 50 conferences for 2016 to 2021, forecast to bring over 43,000 delegates to the city and generate 94,000 delegate days.
Among the new recruits at the centre are new director of sales and marketing Susie McCullough, who joins the team from Tourism Northern Ireland. She will lead a team of 15.
McCullough said: “This is a very exciting time to be heading up the sales and marketing team at Belfast Waterfront, especially in the run up to the opening of its new world class conference facility in spring 2016. Today Belfast is one of Europe’s dynamic business destinations, and with the addition of a 7,000sqm high tech conference centre, we will see many more associations and business leaders choose the venue to showcase their achievements on a world stage. Inspiring flexible spaces, stunning riverside views and delicious cuisine create the perfect event space for individuals to connect with like-minded colleagues plus share valuable experiences and knowledge with peers.”
The recruitment of Aoife Glenn and Peter McCartney, as GB and International conference sales executives respectively, is part of a plan to strengthen relations with an expanding international clientele.
Other executives appointed to the sales and marketing team include Kim Keightley on the exhibition side and Lisa Turkington who comes into the role of digital marketing executive.
Keightley is already out in the field, representing Belfast Waterfront recently at a UK Corporate Roadshow, revealing plans of the new conference centre to key customers during three days of events.
Belfast Waterfront Conference and Exhibition Centre is owned and managed by Belfast City Council and the ongoing expansion project is being funding jointly by the council (£11m), Tourism Northern Ireland (£4.1m) and by the European Regional Development Fund (£14.5m).
- Words by Paul Colston
