Visit Belfast works strategically with event organisers to understand their organisational objectives, the mission of their event and how this can be supported as part of the Belfast event programme.
The examples from some of our 23/24 events below reflect how we worked to support our clients to increase the impact of their events in Belfast:
- Visit Belfast worked with the British Hip Society’s Annual Scientific Meeting (February 2024) and secured attendance of 77 students from 13 local Belfast secondary schools who attended a 3 hour session on becoming a surgeon at the event and took part in practical workshops and group discussions with surgeons and health professionals. This was an important part of the associations educational outreach objective.
- As part of ASGBI’S pre conference programme in March 2024, 6 surgeons visited 4 schools in NI and conducted hands on surgery workshops as well as discussions about careers in medicine with 96 students. The aim of this engagement programme was to expose students from non-traditional backgrounds to the potential of a career in surgery.
- During the British Society of Soil Science conference in December 2023, Visit Belfast introduced the early career committee to a local urban Belfast school so they could showcase the importance of soil to the children. Soils are under threat globally, especially due to climate change, and therefore securing future interest, engagement and the next generation of researchers and professionals is a key strategic objective for the association. The team brought in soil ‘loan’ boxes to allow the children to touch and learn more about soil and loved the feedback from the next generation climate activists which included comments from – ‘soil fixes everything’ and ‘soil is cool’!’
- Visit Belfast also developed a legacy and impact guide to showcase the range of projects and initiatives that can be incorporated into event programmes in Belfast to support event organisers hosting events in the city.
Increasing awareness of integrated education:
As part of the EAPRIL Conference held in Belfast in November 2023, Visit Belfast worked with the NI Education Authority to help organise school visits to 4 local schools of integrated education. Integrated education brings children and staff from Catholic and Protestant traditions, as well as those of other beliefs, cultures and communities together in one school. Each school Principal provided guided tours of their schools and spoke about the Northern-Irish educational system and local educational practices.
‘’The takeaways from the delegates will be something that they remember for the rest of their lives and careers. The school visits that we’ve experienced here in Belfast have been really, moving. People don’t understand necessarily what integrated education means, what shared education means and the school visits that were selected for us really gave everybody that unique understanding. Our delegates were completely moved by that, So it was a real privilege to be able to visit them and experience this as part of our event in Belfast. Thank you!’’
Nick Gee, EAPRIL Chair
