Click to tweet Lib Dems return to @ACCLiverpool for spring conference
The Liberal Democrats will return to ACC Liverpool for their third party conference at the venue.
Around 2,500 delegates are expected to attend the three-day annual spring party political in March next year.
It will be the coalition government partner’s third visit to the city – in 2008 it held its spring conference in Liverpool, returning two years later in September 2010 for its main autumn gathering.
The Lib Dems were due to hold their autumn conference at ACC Liverpool in September this year but had to move the date and venue to avoid a clash with the Scottish Referendum.
Bob Prattey, chief executive of ACC Liverpool, home to BT Convention Centre and Echo Arena, said: “It was unfortunate that we were unable to accommodate revised dates this year due to our busy conference calendar and commitments to existing events but the return of the Lib Dems underlines the relationship we have built up with the organisers over many years.
“They have held two successful conferences with us so have the confidence and reassurance that we will deliver again.
“A third outing, this time for the spring conference, is proof that we are one of the leading venues in the UK for high profile events of this nature.”
The last time the party was in Liverpool for its main autumn gathering, Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats, was joined by 6,000 delegates and 1,600 global media. The event generated £10m for the local economy with 206 fringe meetings hosted at ACC Liverpool and around 300 additional fringe meetings taking place elsewhere in the city.
Lucy Hope, head of conference office at the Liberal Democrats, said: “We’re really excited about returning to ACC Liverpool. This is an important conference for the Party, the last before May 2015 elections, and we know that the fantastic facilities at ACC Liverpool, backed up by the hardworking and ambitious team there, will help us deliver a successful event. The commitment and enthusiasm the ACC Liverpool team and their partners demonstrate throughout our conference planning and execution is second to none.”
The party has been working closely with Liverpool Convention Bureau to secure accommodation in the region.
Emma Bellis, head of Liverpool Convention Bureau, said: “The city is always buzzing when a party conference is here, and I know hoteliers, restaurateurs and attractions will already have this one circled in their diaries for 2015.
“The strongest evidence of a city’s strength as a convention destination is returning visits, so the Liberal Democrats coming to Liverpool for the third time is a great advert for what we have to offer.”
ACC Liverpool hosted the Labour Party Conference in September 2011 which saw 11,000 delegates descend on Liverpool.
The venue is ideally located for high-security events of this nature, being effectively surrounded by water on three sides which creates a secure campus site and enables it to lockdown quickly and efficiently.
