The International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) will this week host its 55th annual international conference at ICC Belfast, bringing together approximately 2000 international delegates.
The conference, which is one of the largest global events in the English language teaching calendar, will also deliver £2.3 million in economic impact for the city.
Jon Burton, Chief Executive at IATEFL, said: “It’s fantastic to host our 55th international conference in Belfast. As one of the main events in the English Language Teaching calendar our event is attended by thousands of professionals from more than 100 countries, and the five-day programme boasts an array of talks, workshops and forums as well as a vibrant social programme.”
Mr. Burton also added: “ICC Belfast is perfectly placed to accommodate our programme needs, whilst the city lends a vibrant backdrop for trainers, theorists, practising teachers and more professionals from right across the industry to come together and exchange ideas and experiences.”
As conferencing makes a stable return, following two years of uncertainty, walkable cities with good transport links, a strong hospitality offering and world-class venues like ICC Belfast are primed to support the ambition of organisations such as IATEFL. Business events are a critical driver in Belfast’s tourism and economic recovery post-Covid.
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Julia Corkey, Chief Executive at ICC Belfast, said: “Now that the conferencing and events industry is back to full capacity, ICC Belfast has quickly re-emerged as an attractive and viable venue for the sector. We are responsible for hosting a large number of Northern Ireland’s business events and so are a key contributor to the economy, attracting thousands of business travellers to the city week on week, and supporting the city’s many jobs in hospitality, retail, and transport.”
ICC Belfast is Belfast’s only purpose-built conference centre. Following a £29.5M extension funded by Belfast City Council, Tourism NI and the European Regional Development Fund, the 7,000m2 venue was officially opened in 2016.
The IATFL Conference at ICC Belfast has been supported by the Belfast and Northern Ireland Conference Support Scheme. The scheme funded by Belfast City Council and Tourism NI and administered by Visit Belfast provides support to eligible associations to host conference and meetings in Belfast and Northern Ireland and further enhance the profile of the region as a business events destination.
Other conferences and events in the pipeline in the summer months include Harkin International Disability Employment Summit in June and the Intensive Care Society State of the Art Congress in July – which combined will deliver an estimated economic impact of over £3 million.
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Visit Belfast’s Chief Executive, Gerry Lennon added: “Business events and conferences generate crucial mid-week, year-round demand to our venues, hotels and hospitality sector, so we’re delighted that with support from our colleagues in Belfast City Council and Tourism NI, that we were able to secure this significant event for the city with ICC Belfast.”
The 2022 IATEFL Conference is taking place until 20th May. For further information on ICC Belfast please visit ICCBelfast.com or for further information on IATEFL visit iatefl.org.
Source: Written from press release.
