Hollywood Movie-Makers Head For Belfast

Hollywood is coming to Ulster next month with a group of technology leaders based in California's 'Silicon Valley' - who are Irish or Irish-American - leading a delegation from the entertainment and technology sectors to visit Belfast.

From November 4th to 6th, the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) is holding the 'Hollywood Comes to Belfast' event.

Having just last month established the group's southern California chapter of its business network, the delegation will be hosted by Belfast Lord Mayor Niall O Donnghaile and Belfast City Council at the City Hall, HBO's Titanic Quarter movie studio at the Paint Hall and at Stormont Buildings on 4th November.

Next day, ITLG is then holding an event at the University of Ulster Campus in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter.

The delegation will be welcomed by University of Ulster Vice Chancellor Professor Richard Barnett for an event that will consist of a high profile speakers and a panel discussion, who will take to the stage from some of the world's most prominent entertainment organizations - including Dreamworks and Sony.

The movie mogul event in Belfast comes just weeks after the newest chapter of the group was launched to help put Ireland under the spotlight.

That event took place on Sony Pictures studio lot in September, with industry figures from the major studios on hand to see just what Irish tech firms had to offer.

Established in October 2007, the ITLG is an independent organization comprised of a number of high-level technology leaders in Silicon Valley who are Irish or Irish-American.

The Group includes senior executives from some of the Valley's leading corporations, each of whom are committed to promoting the technology connection between Ireland and the USA, and helping Ireland address the challenges of embracing new technology opportunities.

For the Belfast event, ITLG is targeting early stage technology companies from the island of Ireland with ambitions to expand their products into the global marketplace as well as Irish and international technology leaders; key decision makers from multinational technology companies based in Ireland and venture capitalists and investors as well as policy makers and industry organizations that are currently supporting the development of technology across the Ireland-US corridor.

See: www.itlg.org/events/2011-belfast/event-overview.php

(BMcC/CD)