Cork convention centre could help generate €47m

A dedicated convention centre in Cork could help generate in the region of €47m in international conference business, it has been claimed.

The Cork Convention Bureau, which helps secure conference and convention business for the city, spoke out on the importance of securing the venue as it released its second annual report last night.

It shows international conferences generated over €8.2m worth of business for the Cork region last year — up by €1m on 2012.

The bureau said the projected growth rate stands at 8.5% for the next three years. But a spokesman said if the city secured its own dedicated conference centre, it could help Cork to secure a 10% slice of the country’s €470m conference and incentive market.

Bureau chairman Seamus Heaney praised his team for their efforts in flying the Cork flag internationally.

“We are definitely punching above our weight, attracting so much business to Cork, without the existence of a large-scale multi-functional convention centre,” he said.

The development of a conference centre on Leeside would help drive the business on. “It would mean last year’s €8.2m figure should grow to over €40m annually, creating more jobs and supporting so many Cork businesses, not just in the hospitality sector but in the travel, entertainment, retail, consultancy and other sectors,” he said.

The figures come as a question mark still hangs over the city’s conference centre selection process.

A report on the only tender submitted last Friday — the BAM/Heineken Ireland project on the former Beamish and Crawford site — was due to be handed over to the CEO of Cork City Council last night. Councillors are due to be briefed on the process next Monday.

Mr Heaney said they will continue to stress the importance of securing the facility. “It will put Cork on the international radar in terms of attracting larger scale conferences and events. We are already promoting this internationally and have many major players interested in coming to Cork once the facilities are in place. It’s vital for the region that we have this resource sooner rather than later,” he said.

The annual report also shows that business delivered by the bureau helps support some 300 jobs and last year, helped 29 potential Cork conference ambassadors with bids, hosted three major familiarisation visits from European destinations, attended 11 international trade shows, hosted site visits by key international conference business players, and engaged in sales calls in Dublin, London, Manchester, Paris, and Brussels.

The CCB’s conference ambassador programme will be expanded this year.