Conference Injects £1.5M into Local Economy
13 Nov 08MILLIONS of pounds are thought to have been injected into Liverpool's economy following the British Council of Shopping Centre's annual conference and showcase.
The conference, which took place at the BT Convention Centre, is the biggest annual gathering of the retail property industry in the UK.
Almost 3,000 delegates slept, ate and travelled around Liverpool during the three day event with hotels and restaurants booked to capacity.
Based on an average spend of £500 per delegate, the conference is thought to have generated around £1.5m for the city's economy.
Jacquie Rogers, BT Convention Centre General Manager, said: "The BCSC conference and showcase is one of the most significant events to be held in the BT Convention Centre since it opened in Spring this year. In addition, due to the scale of the event the conference also made use of the adjoining Echo Arena.
"Being able to host an event like this really puts BT Convention Centre up there in the top flight of venues and also demonstrates what an impact our venue has on the local economy."
The event comes to Liverpool in the same year as the £1billion Liverpool One development opens, which is on course to propel the city's retail offering into the top five in the UK by 2010.
Martyn Chase, President of BCSC, said: "Liverpool has become a vibrant and exciting destination – not only as European Capital of Culture but also as a major centre of retail, leisure and lifestyle development.
"We wanted our delegates to experience all the city has to offer in our 25th year and it was one of our most rewarding conferences ever."