We have just come back from organising the highly successful conference and exhibition Voice08 on behalf of our clients Social Enterprise Coalition. The event took place at the brand new Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool. Known individually as the BT Convention Centre and the Echo Arena, this is an amazing venue! http://www.accliverpool.com/index.asp. Admittedly we had a few tense moments while we waited to hear whether the venue would be finished in time for the event but it all came good in the end! The Arena is now complete and the Convention Centre is due to be finished in April this year and will be truly spectacular, some real competition to the likes of the Brighton Centre and Manchester Central.
Facilities include a 10,000 seater arena, 3 auditoriums, 18 breakout rooms and a 3,725msq multi-purpose hall where we accommodated 78 exhibitors and 8 inflatable igloos! Voice08 welcomed over 1100 attendees throughout the 2 day event and the ACC was more than capable of accommodating them. The catering facilities need a little attention but once the teething problems are worked through, the service will be fantastic.
Voice08 itself was fabulous! The event brought together global companies and local businesses all working towards promoting the social enterprise cause, a market in the UK full of businesses with a conscience. The plenaries were packed with keen delegates listening to prestigious speakers including Tim Campbell, Claire Dove and Campbell Robb, Director General, Office of the Third Sector, as well as a message from Gordon Brown himself! Workshops gave delegates a chance to add their voice and could have continued all day! Delegates even had the chance to make their own meeting in the private VIP boxes which they promoted by parading around the exhibition with placards! It wasn’t all work though. The Fairtrade Fashion show ran throughout both days and Beatles puppets danced along to the Mersey Beatles to close the event - great fun! Let’s hope we get the chance to bring together an event better event next year and fully benefit from the finished Arena and Convention Centre!
PS We were allowed a little time away from the event and managed to sneak off to Alma de Cuba, an amazing Cuban restaurant/bar in a converted Polish Catholic church http://www.alma-de-cuba.com/. I have never tasted food like it - if you are ever in Liverpool, you must go there!
