Blog » Expert lineup up to inspire hospitality sector

Expert lineup up to inspire hospitality sector

10th October 2017

NORTHERN Ireland’s hospitality conference, Hospitality Exchange, will bring together experts from the worlds of banking, economics, marketing, hospitality, tourism and global trend analysis in a two day conference.

The event on October 17 and 18 in Belfast’s Crowne Plaza will feature a great lineup of inspirational speakers and top industry figures.

Janice Gault, Chief Executive of NI Hotels Federation said: “The planning for Hospitality Exchange 2017 is well underway with an almost sold out exhibition and a diverse conference programme reflecting a buoyant sector. The big news throughout most of 2016 has been the reports of hotel expansion. After almost a decade of stagnation, hotels are in full expansion mode with forty-nine projects now in the public realm and others bubbling under the surface. Whilst all these projects may not come to fruition, industry experts reckon that the number of hotel rooms will break the 10,000 room barrier by 2020; a real milestone for Northern Ireland.”

Recognising this growth, the 2017 programme for Hospitality Exchange will feature a new industry report outlining the economic benefits the hotel sector is bringing to the local economy, focusing on the opportunities this affords and the added advantages for the wider hospitality sector in terms of jobs and growth.

Discussing the report Ciaran O’Neill, President of NI Hotels Federation said: “The report, which will be launched at the event and will focus on the substantial levels of investment by the hotel sector, will cover refurbishment, expansion and new openings. A business breakfast will explore these topics in some detail with a full economic briefing and an update on industry performance. The Tourism Talks session will look at opportunities, challenges and promotion of the sector. In addition to a burgeoning hotel sector, restaurant numbers have grown considerably and visitor attractions are also reporting record numbers.”

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