ICC Belfast have been named the most innovative and tech-friendly venue at the Event Technology Awards

ICC Belfast have been named the winners in the ‘most innovative and tech-friendly venue' category at the Event Technology Awards 2020.

During what has been a difficult time for the MICE industry, ICC Belfast have pivoted their business to build back better. The need for virtual or hybrid event solutions has never been greater and integrating event technology into ICC Belfast's offering was a priority. The prestigious award celebrates excellence in event technology and this recognition demonstrates ICC Belfast's ‘one team' approach to business preparedness and commitment to delivering hybrid event experiences like no other.

For over two decades, ICC Belfast's specialist team has created spectacular event experiences. Recent successes include The European Premiere of HBO's Game of Thrones Series 8, which incorporated the use of surround sound cinema PA systems, the installation of cinema grade projectors and high-definition LED screens to set the scene for an action-packed evening that was full of suspense. In 2019, Lookers PLC's 'best ever conference', was also enhanced through the clever use of lighting and sound to bring their conference theme of togetherness to the next level. Delegates were amazed at the transformation from the daytime corporate meeting to the Bavarian beer hall style gala dinner that took place that evening to showcase the full flexibility of our world-class venue. 

ICC Belfast's purpose-built Hybrid Studio (link) was launched in June. This innovation offers organisers the flexibility of hosting guests both in-house and virtually, as well as the ability to communicate key messages via a branded platform. The venue's investment in enhanced technology and software means that delegates can interact with live sessions by asking questions and taking part in polls. Speakers can deliver keynotes and contribute to panel discussions directly from the Hybrid Studio as well as from their remote bases. In the last five months, ICC Belfast has hosted virtual conferences, product launches and award ceremonies, which have been broadcast in over 92 countries worldwide. 

Dave Young, Head of Production commented on the win saying, 

“Being named the winner in this year's Event Technology Awards is an incredible achievement for our team. We pivoted our business to strategically respond to the need for hybrid event solutions by launching our Hybrid Studio in June. Since then, we have hosted fantastic events including the STAT Sports product launch and the INVENT 2020 awards. Our aim is to deliver something more than just a live stream, we want to create fully immersive and interactive events.â€'

Charlie McCloskey, Head of Events & Customer Experience commented,

“We're thrilled to be named the winner of the most innovative and tech-friendly venue in these prestigious awards alongside some of the best venues in the industry. Clients' needs are evolving and as Northern Ireland's only purpose-built international convention centre, our team want to remain at the forefront of innovation to ensure that expectations are not only met but exceeded.â€'

As a multi-disciplinary team across technical production, event management and business development, ICC Belfast's team of experts is key in supporting organisations with the redesign of their conference to fit the digital space, and in driving engagement with their delegates for effective business resilience and growth.   Delivering world-class events that are hybrid by design and at which every delegate has a multi-sensory experience that is truly unique to Belfast is the team's goal for these next few months as the industry shows early signs of recovery.