Belfast

Belfast makes sense

From historic museums and contemporary art galleries to performing arts and the literary scene, Belfast is a city with a rich heritage, offering a host of vibrant cultural and artistic experiences.
Home to 900 major international companies and global brands, Belfast is the second fastest growing knowledge economy in the UK.
Belfast was crowned ‘Best Events Destination’ and ICC Belfast was selected as the ‘Best Events Venue’ for 2018, 2019 and 2021 at the prestigious C&IT Awards. These awards cemented what had long been touted; that Belfast is an exciting new events destination on the rise.
In 2018, Belfast and the Causeway Coast were crowned Lonely Planet’s Best Region to visit. The publication praised its “timeless beauty and high-grade attractions – golf, whiskey and some of the world’s most famous rocks’’.

Getting Here

With over 194 European and international destinations servicing both Belfast and Dublin, plus 530 direct UK flights weekly from 24 destinations, Belfast is easily accessible for international delegates.

BY PLANE

George Best Belfast City Airport is just a five-minute drive from the city centre, with Flybe, Aer Lingus, British Airways, KLM and Eastern Airways all flying to and from the airport. Belfast International Airport is a 30-minute drive from Belfast City Centre. EasyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 and Wizz all fly to and from Belfast International Airport.

BY TRAIN

Irish Rail operates services from towns and cities across the Republic of Ireland to Dublin’s Connolly Station, where delegates can then catch a connecting train to Belfast. The Enterprise Train service from Dublin’s Connolly Station to Lanyon Station (previously known as Belfast Central), runs eight times daily and takes two hours, 15 minutes.

BY FERRY

Belfast is easily accessed by sea, with crossings from both Scotland and England. Groups can travel by super-fast ferries, with journey times from just one hour.

Expertise

	Aerospace Northern Ireland is a global leader in aerospace technology. It has a dynamic, rapidly growing international aerospace industry founded on a strong engineering heritage and rich in knowledge, skills and experience. Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, BAE Systems, Spirit AeroSystems and GKN Aerospace are among the firms currently working with Northern Ireland aerospace companies. Belfast further offers a resilient aerospace supply chain with expertise in key technologies including: composites design and manufacturing; advanced metal forming; precision machining; seating and interiors; design and stress; tooling design and manufacturing. It’s among Belfast’s most successful clusters with a successful track record of working with global aerospace and defence companies and is a model of partnership between university and industry.

	Technology Northern Ireland has one of the fastest growing tech clusters in the UK. It is the top city globally for FinTech development projects and is one of FT fDi Intelligence’s Top 10 Digital Economies of the Future. Belfast is the world’s number one destination for US-based cybertech investment and is fast becoming a global cyber security hub. This sector employs over 1,200 people and as a result, its pipeline of talent, pioneering research and innovation, plus secure and resilient infrastructure, will make it one of the world’s leading cyber economies by 2026. Belfast is also a leading city for new software development. It is home to global businesses in financial software, data analytics and encryption, access control systems and intelligent surveillance technologies.

	Agri food Northern Ireland has a global reputation for food safety. Pioneering research is being carried out at Queen’s University Belfast’s Institute for Global Food Security, a centre which advises the UK and other governments on food safety. Queen’s is leading the world in addressing one of the greatest global challenges – how to ensure the safety of our food. Not only this but the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) carries out high technology research and development, statutory, analytical, and diagnostic testing functions for government departments, public bodies and commercial companies.

Where to stay

There are 48 hotels with 5,506 bedrooms in greater Belfast and 22 hotels within a 15 minute walk of the city’s purpose-built convention centre, ICC Belfast.

5* hotels	307 bedrooms
4* hotels	3,539 bedrooms
3* and under properties	1,568 bedrooms
Other (student accommodation / home sharing)	6,434 bedrooms

Venues

From the birthplace of the ill-fated Titanic liner to world-class hotels and conference centres, Belfast offers facilities worthy of its global powerhouse status.