Visit Belfast has unveiled its Ambassador Award winners for 2024, recognising the efforts of local business, academic and medical leaders who have helped to secure major event wins generating over £80m in economic impact for the region.
The awards are part of Northern Ireland’s Ambassador Circle Programme which is led by Visit Belfast and supported by Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, Queen’s University Belfast, Ulster University and ICC Belfast.
The innovative programme enlists the support of local industry leaders to help raise the profile of the region internationally through conferences and events, supporting trade and investment, showcasing sector strengths, profiling talent and expanding the business tourism sector. Over £400m in economic impact has been generated by the Ambassador Circle since it was established by Visit Belfast 25 years ago.
A total of 14 winners were unveiled, including Robert Hill who received the Ambassador Lifetime Achievement Award. Robert is Chair of the Northern Ireland Space Leadership Council and Manager of the Northern Ireland Space Cluster. Robert is also the new Chair of MATRIX, the Northern Ireland Science and Industry Panel.
Professor Máire O’Neil from Queen’s University Belfast was presented with the Ambassador Award for Services to Society and Education and Jackie Henry, People and Purpose Managing Partner for Deloitte UK, won the Outstanding Impact Award. Gary Hall, Port Commercial Executive at Belfast Harbour won the Outstanding Achievement Award.
Other award winners went to ambassadors that worked with Visit Belfast to bring strategic events to Northern Ireland. These included UK Space Conference, British Ecological Society, Association of Surgeons of GB and Ireland, International Foundation for Integrated Care, RENDR Festival, European Society of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition, Concentrix Sales Kick-off and The Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering Annual Conference.
Since the Ambassador Awards were last held in 2022, more than 200 major national and international events have been secured for Belfast and Northern Ireland, boosting the economy by around £80 million in visitor spend alone.
Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive of Visit Belfast, said:
“The Visit Belfast Ambassador Awards recognise those leaders who have helped us to put Belfast and Northern Ireland on a global stage and build our reputation as a world-class destination for business events. I congratulate everyone for their important and vital contribution.
The Ambassador Circle is a powerful collaboration between Visit Belfast, industry, academia, local government and partner organisations that showcases our cutting-edge research, talent and capabilities in key sectors that help to grow our vibrant knowledge economy.
More than 80 percent of all business events hosted across the region are secured with the support of our 1,400-strong network of business, academic and medical ambassadors. We are delighted to acknowledge their efforts in growing our visitor economy and helping to showcase Belfast and Northern Ireland as an exciting place to visit, do business, work, live, study and invest in.”
The awards follow a stellar year of award wins for Belfast, in which it was named as ‘Best Event Destination UK’ at this year’s Conference & Incentive Travel (C&IT) awards in London. Visit Belfast was also recognized as ‘Best Convention Bureau’ at the influential micebook annual awards, bolstering the city’s reputation as a leading destination for world-class conferences and events.
Full list of Ambassador Award winners for 2024:
- Ambassador Diaspora Award: Dr Victoria Manax.
- Best Impact and Legacy Event: UK Space Conference 2023.
- Best Sustainable Event: The British Ecological Society Annual Meeting.
- Best National Event: Association of Surgeons Great Britain and Ireland 2024.
- Best International Event: International Foundation for Integrated Care 2024.
- Ambassador Award for Life and Health Sciences: Association of Surgeons Great Britain and Ireland 2024.
- Ambassador Award for Technology: RENDR Festival 2024.
- Ambassador Award for Agri-food: European Society of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition 2024
- Ambassador Award for Business and Professional Services: Concentrix Sales Kick off 2024.
- Ambassador Award for Advanced Manufacturing: Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) 2024.
- Outstanding Achievement Award: Gary Hall from Belfast Harbour.
- Services to Society and Education Award: Professor Máire O’Neil from Queen’s University Belfast.
- Outstanding Impact Award: Jackie Henry from Deloitte UK.
- Ambassador Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert Hill of the Northern Ireland Space Leadership Council.