Tall Ships Sails Away With Award

This summer's visit by the Tall Ships has picked up two prestigious awards.

Described as the biggest event staged on the island of Ireland this year the Tall Ships was named 'Best Event/Marketing Initiative' at the recent Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Awards, and on the same evening also won the 'Best Tourism/Hospitality Project of the Year' at the UTV Business Eye Awards.

Meanwhile, Belfast's refurbished Ulster Hall has picked up a major international award for marketing excellence.

The venue's success at the global Meetings Industry Marketing Awards (MIMA) follows on from a major local award won by the contractor who undertook the £8.5 million restoration scheme.

The Ulster Hall won a Silver MIMA in the 'Best Brand Marketing Campaign', only being pipped to the gold award by the new Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, while Graham Construction's recent work on the building won the Restoration category at the 10th Construction Excellence Awards from the Construction Employers Federation.

"All of these awards are extremely well deserved," commented Councillor William Humphrey, Chairman of Belfast City Council's Development Committee, which oversees both the major events programme and the Ulster Hall.

"The Tall Ships undoubtedly was a huge success, attracting the equivalent of half the population of Northern Ireland over the course of just four days, and this was a tribute to the fantastic work of the great event management skills we have here in Belfast," he said.

On the restoration of the Ulster Hall, he said it was one of the most complex restoration schemes undertaken in Belfast in recent years.

"It is a great complement to all concerned, both from Graham Construction and from within the council, that it was completed on time and within budget.

"The new Ulster Hall brand – based around the iconic Mulholland Organ – was developed to reflect the ethos of the restoration programme, which has seen the Ulster Hall take on a new lease of life and become a place all the people of Belfast can enjoy – truly, a people's place."

(BMcC/KMcA)