City of Talent

Knowledge and Reputation in Sector is the No.1 Factor when deciding on the destination of conferences or meetings .  So it is no surprise that Belfast is top of the list for many conferences in key sectors such as Aerospace and defence, Cyber Security, Life and Health Sciences and Engineering.

Belfast is quite simply World Leading.  Home to two world class universities and with one of the fastest growing knowledge economies in the world⁽²⁾; 1,100 major international companies call Belfast home alongside a beautiful ecosystem of start-ups and entrepreneurs.

Northern Ireland and Belfast have an impressive track record in attracting foreign direct investment.  The region has experienced an influx of new investors in recent years, particularly in the technology, financial services and legal sectors, joining companies that have enjoyed long-term success in the region.

Visit Belfast strives to support international, national and local organising committees to ensure they not only have a successful conference, but that each delegate strengthens their network and the event creates a lasting legacy for the sector as a whole, as well as having a positive impact on Belfast and the wider region.

Key Facts and Accolades:

• Over 72% of Northern Ireland university research activity is world leading or internationally excellent
• Northern Ireland had one of the fastest growing tech clusters in the UK
• Ranked in the top 10 “Tech Cities of the Future” for 2020/2021
• Number 1 for ‘Business Friendliness’ in mid-sized and small global cities
• Number 2 overall in mid-sized and small cities
• Northern Ireland is the #1 international investment location for US cyber security firms with investors including Rapid7, WhiteHat Security and ProofPoint
• Belfast is Europe’s leading FDI destination for new software development with investors such as Allstate, CyberSource and TSYS

Visit Belfast works closely with InvestNI  to help support economic growth by focusing on the sectors Belfast and Northern Ireland have expertise and knowledge in, these include:

Visit Belfast works with a fantastic network of local academics, medical professionals and  leaders from the business community.  Belfast’s Ambassadors are tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges, most notably the current global pandemic; COVID-19.   From home-grown Randox Laboratories producing the largest number of COVID testing kits in the UK, to QUB’s Professor Mark Lawler leading the European COVID-19 Network at QUB; the city is proud of our local talent working as a force for good.  Keep up to date with what the network are doing:

• Queen’s University Belfast
• Ulster University

Want to organise a conference that has a lasting legacy in your sector?  Talk to a member of the Visit Belfast Team to find out how bringing a conference to Belfast can help achieve that goal: conference@visitbelfast.com