More than 3,000 historical excavators met
in Belfast for the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) annual
conference in early September.
The four-day conference, which is the largest
annual gathering of archaeologists in Europe, convened at Queen’s University
and a variety of venues across the city.
Belfast won the bid to host the event back in 2019 with help
from the Northern Ireland Ambassador Programme. Visit Belfast worked with
Eileen Murphy, professor of Archaeology, School of Natural and Built
Environment at Queen’s University Belfast, to successfully bid for the
conference which received funding from Belfast City Council and Tourism
Northern Ireland through its Belfast and Northern Ireland conference subvention
scheme.
“With an increasing focus on archaeology
and heritage and how we can learn from the past to help us both now and in our
preparations for the future, I’m delighted that Belfast’s position as a
leading, international academic centre of excellence in this field is at the
centre of Europe’s largest annual gathering of almost 3,000 specialists in
archaeology,” Murphy said.
The conference is thought to have
generated around £3.4m for the local economy.
Gerry Lennon, chief executive of Visit
Belfast, the destination marketing
management organisation (DMMO) for the Belfast City Region, said: “Belfast’s tourism recovery continues apace and the arrival of the
European Association of Archaeologists conference to the city underlines the
city’s award-winning ability to attract high calibre, internationally renowned
organisations that delivers not only positive economic impacts but an
unrivalled platform for local and global delegates to exchange expertise, drive
innovation and champion best practice.”
Visit
Belfast track is on track to deliver around £120 million to the local economy
this year through its sales, marketing and visitor servicing activity.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
