This week Team Liverpool are heading to The Meetings Show and we are looking forward to catching up with our clients and industry colleagues.
The show is a good time to reflect on how the year is going so we’ve been analysing our conference confirmations and enquiries for the first half of the year and are extremely pleased that the figures are looking really strong and we are smashing pre-pandemic levels.
At Liverpool Convention Bureau we’ve seen an increase of 62 per cent for future conference confirmations compared to the same period in 2019. Event enquiries across the city are up by 54 per cent compared to January to June in 2019.
The majority of our conference facilities across the region are receiving a stream of event enquiries which is a really positive indication of the steady recovery of the industry. ACC Liverpool – our largest conference facility in the city – has seen an 81 per cent increase in the number of total enquiries compared to same period in 2019 with their value up by 30 per cent.
The venue has confirmed more than 70 new contracts since the start of the year including the Association of Surgeons in Training and the British Ecological Society. The British Gynaecological Cancer Society annual scientific meeting will take place in 2024 following a joint bid with Club Liverpool Ambassador Programme – a network of academics and professionals who help bid for conferences to bring economic growth and value to Liverpool City Region.
Meanwhile, the Association of Corporate Treasurers recently held their conference at the venue and were hoping for around 750 attendees which in fact rose to more than 900 delegates, not only exceeding their expectations but also reflecting a return to confidence. They were really pleased with the incredibly low rate of delegates who were unable to attend the event. While virtual events were a great solution to meeting during lockdown and hybrid continues to be popular as we emerge from the pandemic, nothing beats face to face meetings as proved with great delegate attendance.
We’re not just focusing on the quantity of events but many are significant conferences which are helping to position the city as the leading place to meet once again. We recently confirmed the Nutrition Society Annual Summer Conference at Hilton Liverpool and the British Shakespeare Association Conference at the University of Liverpool, both taking place in July 2023.
International events are also making a return with the International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics (RiverFlow) taking place at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in September 2024. ACC Liverpool recently confirmed global associations including the International Conference on Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology in 2025 and the IRPA European Congress 2026 (International Radiation Protection Association).
There’s no denying that the meetings industry was hit hard during the pandemic and some destinations and venues still have some way to go to reach pre-pandemic levels in terms of the number events taking place, however the boost we are experiencing is really encouraging.
It’s fantastic to be able to welcome delegates back to our city to forthcoming events such as the Labour Party Conference and UK Stroke Forum at ACC Liverpool. While events taking place across the city include the British Neuro-oncology Society conference at the University of Liverpool; the International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports at LJMU and the British Alliance of Researchers in Dental Education and Scholarship at Hilton Liverpool. Delegates bring so much buzz and atmosphere into the city and we look forward to it returning to a thriving and vibrant place to do business once again.
We would love to catch up with you during The Meetings Show so please come and see us on Stand B52.
