ACC Liverpool is set to host the UK’s leading orthopaedic surgeons after the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) confirmed it will hold three large scale conferences at the venue.
A total of 3,600 delegates are expected to attend the association’s Annual Scientific Congress in September 2015, 2017 and 2019. BOA last visited ACC Liverpool in the venue’s opening year in 2008.
Organisers of the annual congress, which attracts the UK’s top orthopaedic surgeons, healthcare practitioners and those considering a career in orthopaedic surgery, chose to book a multi-year deal after the ACC Liverpool team tailored a three year package.
The waterfront venue recently launched a campaign, ‘With Love from Liverpool’, specifically for association clients, which has been one of its key areas of focus since 2006, even prior to opening in 2008, as this sector witnesses an emerging trend of conference organisers booking multi-year events to attract better packages at the same venue.
Kerrin MacPhie, director of sales at ACC Liverpool, said: “We are finding that more and more associations are booking their conferences far into the future and for several years at the same venue. We are helping our new and existing clients to make the right business decisions for their organisations, this comes down to the relationships we have built. For example we first started talking to BOA in 2006, two years before ACC Liverpool opened.
“As we know our clients so well, we can tailor a package to suit their specific needs – including not only rental but catering, technical equipment and even car parking – at competitive rates which is important in this tough business climate. Being able to do this many years in advance effectively future proofs their events.
“Our With Love from Liverpool campaign reiterates how much we value our association clients and the emphasis we put on not only developing but maintaining excellent client relationships. It’s no coincidence that we are also seeing an increase in repeat business.”
The BOA conference in 2015 will take place over four days with more than 100 exhibitors. It will include education seminars, plenary and named lectures as well as question and answer sessions covering training, research or management responsibilities.
The programme will also include workshops, instructional sessions, special interest groups, free paper sessions and industry updates.
Each congress is expected to generate more than £2.2m in economic benefit for the Liverpool city region.
Mike Kimmons, chief executive of BOA, said: “We first came to ACC Liverpool during its inaugural year in 2008 and were immediately impressed by the venue, expert staff and wonderful location.
“When we were looking for a hub for our congress we were able to negotiate an excellent package as we were planning for the next seven years. We found this is an efficient and effective way of doing business, particularly in the recession when everyone is looking for a competitive deal.
“The venue and the city have continued to progress and develop over the past four years and we anticipate a successful conference when we return in 2015 and beyond.”
The British Orthopaedic Association, a registered charity, has more than 4,000 members worldwide.
