ACC Liverpool is reporting a strong performance for corporate conferences and experiential live events, further signalling a return to confidence in the sector.
The venue has hosted 29 corporate conferences in 2022, returning to almost pre-pandemic levels.
Superdrug recently held its Christmas conference at the waterfront venue for the first time.
The event took place in Exhibition Centre Liverpool, part of the ACC Liverpool campus, and consisted of a conference and exhibition for store managers, unveiling new product launches. The venue was transformed into a glittering evening celebration for 1,800 delegates featuring a funfair along with a live band and DJ sets.
Jerry Walkling, sales operations director at Superdrug, said: “This was the first time we have held our event at ACC Liverpool. We’ve been really impressed with the venue and in particular the ease with which delegates could get there, mainly thanks to the number of onsite hotel rooms which are only a few minutes’ walk away.
“Our delegates loved coming to Liverpool waterfront, which is such an iconic location and still in the heart of the city.
“There were many different elements to our event but we were able to host it all under one roof in the exhibition centre. The transformation from day to night looked spectacular.”
KFC held its annual conference in May at the venue for the first time. Claire Gibson, employer brand and experience manager at KFC UKI, said: “The onsite team at ACC Liverpool was very helpful and supportive in the run up to the event and during the planning stages.
“The location was great with hotels in walking distance from the venue. Also, Liverpool is such a vibrant city with a rich culture, a true destination for our delegates.”
Speedy Hire recently returned to Exhibition Centre Liverpool for its fifth Speedy Expo at the venue.
Across the MICE sector, ACC Liverpool has seen over performance in the number of total enquiries compared to same period in 2019 with their value up by 26 per cent.
Stephanie Macfarlane, senior corporate and agency sales manager, said: “It has been a really strong year for corporate conferences with some fantastic brands coming to us for the first time and others returning.
“The feedback we regularly receive from our clients is that delegates love our location – we are easy to get to and are situated on a world-famous waterfront in the middle of a vibrant city meaning the whole visitor experience is second to none.”
Earlier this year, ACC Liverpool supported the sector’s recovery by pledging to pay commission upfront to agencies placing new corporate business with them. It now pays rates as soon as the event deposit is received, bringing payment forward for independent venue finders and creative agencies who will no longer have to wait until after an event has taken place to receive their commission.