ACC Liverpool, home to the interconnected BT Convention Centre and Echo Arena, confirmed the first piece of conference business for its multi-million pound Exhibition Centre Liverpool.
Set to be the newest facility of its kind in the UK, Exhibition Centre Liverpool will host RenewableUK, a not-for-profit renewable energy trade association, in October 2015. The waterfront venue will welcome more than 4,500 delegates, 250 exhibitors and 190 speakers to the three-day event.
In June 2011, ACC Liverpool hosted RenewableUK Offshore Wind — now Exhibition Centre Liverpool will accommodate RenewableUK’s Annual Conference and Exhibition. The event will take place in the new center as well as the upper level of BT Convention Centre.
“We had a positive experience when we held our event in 2011 with strong delegate feedback. Although we love the city and the venue, we found that ACC Liverpool was unable to accommodate our expanding exhibition,” said Garth Halliday, director of events, marketing and membership, RenewableUK. “The addition of Exhibition Centre Liverpool will allow us to return to the city next year. The team has kept us informed with their plans for the center, and we are confident that delegates and exhibitors will be impressed.”
The arrival of Exhibition Centre Liverpool will increase the existing 7,125 square meters at ACC Liverpool to 15,225 square meters of integrated and flexible event facilities. It will feature an atrium glazed with waterfront views, food and beverage outlets, multiple meeting rooms, external balconies and exhibition space and a business center. The £40m center will include a £26m integrated 4-star 216-room headquarters hotel. Both will be interconnected to ACC Liverpool. The hotel will include up to 10,500 square meters of floor space and seven levels of rooms above a ground floor reception, lobby, restaurant, bar, meeting rooms and gym.
“Exhibition Centre Liverpool will enable us to host large national and international conferences – from new events to those that have already taken place at ACC Liverpool but need to migrate in the future. Our new facility will allow conferences to expand as we do, and we look forward to a successful RenewableUK conference in 2015,” said Kerrin MacPhie, director of sales, ACC Liverpool.
The currently being constructed venue will be capable of hosting trade and consumer exhibitions; large-scale banquets; concerts and sports events. In its first year of operation, it is expected to host about 50 events and attract more than 250,000 visitors.
