Leading Belfast-based visitor attraction, W5 is celebrating success after scooping an incredible five major awards in just one week.
The accolades recognise W5 for excellence in marketing, design, digital marketing and the overall excellence of the centre itself. This impressive raft of wins reinforces the science and discovery centre’s reputation as a best-in-class visitor attraction.
W5 saw off stiff competition to scoop the Northern Ireland Tourism Award (NITA) for Best Marketing Initiative, along with two wins at the Belfast Business Awards for Best Digital Marketing and Best Marketing Initiative.
These awards recognised the Halloween ‘Monster Manor’ event – an engaging indoor interactive walk-through experience that ran on selected dates throughout October. Families who visited the ‘spooktacular’ installation also enjoyed over 250 interactive exhibits and live shows.
Adrian Lutton, Head of Design, Exhibitions and Marketing at W5 commented: “We adopt a dynamic approach to providing a quality family experience, ensuring there is always something new to see and do each time you visit. Last year we spotted an opportunity in the family visitor attraction market around Halloween and so ‘Monster Manor’ was born. We are absolutely delighted that it has been so successful in terms of visitor numbers and of course, award wins.”
Judge Rachel Quigg, of the NITA panel said: “Throughout their written entry and shortlisted presentation to NITA judges, W5 displayed an excellent use of a fully integrated marketing campaign and engaged with key 3rd parties such as print, TV and radio broadcasters on a very limited budget. In doing so they achieved record visitor numbers to not just the event itself but to W5 since it opened fifteen years ago. As a result of the campaign, traffic to the website increased as did the awareness of W5 as a top family attraction in the City of Belfast.”
Scaling new heights
The award wins didn’t stop there, Trip Advisor granted W5 with a Certificate of Excellence for the 5th year in a row and the centre won a prestigious RSUA Design Award for Climbit – an incredible multi-storey climbing structure, designed in conjunction with White Ink Architects. Climbit is a cross between a maze and a jungle gym and the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland.
Adrian Lutton added: “This year we have a lot to celebrate – we marked our 15th anniversary in March and then watched visitor numbers hit a record high meaning that over 3.5million people have walked through the doors since we opened. This latest clutch of awards wins is the icing on the cake for us and it is testament to the quality of work and the dedication of the W5 team. Together we have established W5 as a leading destination of wonder and we work hard to deliver an unmatched experience, right here in Northern Ireland.”
For further information on W5, please visit w5online.co.uk or follow us on Facebook.
Photo captions:
Main image:
Leading Belfast-based visitor attraction, W5 is today celebrating
success after scooping an incredible five major awards in just one week.
Pictured in front of the award winning Climbit installation are Adrian
Lutton, Head of Design, Exhibitions and Marketing, W5, James Magee,
Senior Designer, W5 and Ann Graham, Marketing Executive, W5 .
Image 2: Leading Belfast-based visitor attraction, W5 is today celebrating
success after scooping an incredible five major awards in just one week.
Pictured in front of the award winning Climbit installation is Adrian
Lutton, Head of Design, Exhibitions and Marketing, W5.
Image 3: Visiting pupils from Waringstown
Primary School help W5 celebrate success! The leading visitor attraction
has scooped an incredible five major awards in just one week and the
pupils are pictured checking out Climbit an award-winning installation.