Belfast has been chosen to host the 2018 Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
Annual Congress, the first time it will be held in the city.
The congress, which will be held over five days in May 2018 is the
largest event secured to date for the Belfast Waterfront Conference and
Exhibition Centre, which will open its £29.5m extension next year.
The redevelopment, funded by Belfast City Council, Tourism NI and the
European Regional Development Fund, through the European Sustainable
Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland, will add a further 4,000m² of flexible exhibition and meeting space, doubling the size of
the current facilities on offer.
The RCN is the largest union and professional
body for the nursing profession in the United Kingdom. Representing over 420,000
members, including nurses, midwifes, healthcare workers and students, the
annual congress is the Association’s flagship debating forum and
helps to inform the RCN’s policies and work for the coming year.
In addition to the congress which includes the UK’s largest exhibition
of nursing products and services, around 100 meetings and social events will
take place in a number of venues across the city. The five day conference
is expected to welcome more than 5,000 delegates to Belfast.
Visit Belfast worked in partnership with Belfast Waterfront to secure
the event for Belfast.
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Arder Carson said: “Today’s
announcement is a real vote of confidence in the world-class facilities being
created at Belfast Waterfront.
“Since opening in 1997, the venue has been instrumental in reshaping our city.
Now, in 2015, it is again a catalyst for change, bringing more jobs, visitors
and economic opportunities, and showcasing what Belfast can offer.
“With less than a year to go until opening, our investment is already beginning
to bear fruit, and the scale of this booking – the biggest ever for Belfast
Waterfront – shows the ripple effect of tourism on our economy, and the
positive impact it has on the whole city.”
Brian French, Conference and Events Manager for RCN Events, said:
“As the flagship event in the
nursing calendar, the RCN’s annual congress plays a crucial role in shaping the
RCN agenda and influencing nursing and health policies across the UK.
“Having hosted a number of highly successful meetings in Belfast over the
years, we’re looking forward to bringing the annual congress to the city – not
only to the newly expanded Belfast Waterfront but to a range of venues, hotels,
and restaurants across the city.
“Our experience of working with Visit Belfast, Belfast Waterfront and
the wider hospitality sector in the city has been second to none. The
‘Team Belfast’ ethos of delivering a winning event is the key reason why
Belfast was successful.”
Rachael McGuickin, Director of Business Tourism, Visit Belfast, said:
“Belfast
has a strong track record in winning and delivering national and international
conferences, but the increased capacity at Belfast Waterfront enables us to
attract major, city-wide events like the RCN Congress to Belfast that would
have previously been out of reach.
“This
is a fantastic win for the city and it further increases our profile as one of
the fastest-growing conference cities in the UK and Ireland. We look forward to
working with the RCN team and our tourism and hospitality industry to deliver a
world-class congress in 2018.”
Notes to Editors:
The £29.5 million
transformation of Belfast Waterfront into a world-class conference facility is
funded by Belfast City Council (£11 million), through its city-wide Investment
Programme, Tourism NI (£4 million), and the European Regional Development Fund,
through the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland
(£14.5 million).
The RCN
is the largest union and professional body for the nursing profession in the
United Kingdom and represents over 420,000 members, including nurses, midwifes,
healthcare workers and students. For more information, visit www.rcn.org.uk.
· Visit Belfast is responsible for marketing the Greater
Belfast City Region as a conference, meetings, cruise and city break
destination. The public-private sector organisation receive core funding
from Belfast City Council and support from Tourism Northern Ireland, Visit
Belfast’s strategic partners Translink, Diageo NI and Value Cabs. Visit
Belfast also receives partnership support from over 570 tourism businesses. For
more information, visit www.visit-belfast.com