The Convention Centre Dublin (CCD), currently under development on Spencer Dock, has fixed a date for its opening – September 1st, 2010 – according to the centre’s CEO Nick Waight. The development is proceeding according to schedule and budget.
The optimistic mood surrounding the project is supported by the amount of collaboration that has come from different sides. The CCD project is managed by the NEC Group, and many of its staff comes from the UK’s premier conference centre in Birmingham, the ICC. The level of experience that they bring gives Waight the confidence that the venue will open as scheduled.
The building is designed by Irish architect Kevin Roche and it is said to be the first major state building since the foundation of the Republic of Ireland. Its costs amount to €380 million and it is the second most expensive conference venue ever constructed in Ireland and the UK, after the ICC.
Recognised as the first carbon neutral international convention centre, the CCD, situated in Spencer Dock beside the River Liffey, is Ireland’s first world-class, purpose-built convention centre. It will facilitate international conferences, meetings and stand-alone banqueting events for associations and corporate clients across a variety of industries including design, finance, legal, medicine, pharmaceutical, research and technology.
The venue is configured to accommodate from 8 to 8,000 participants in 22 purpose-built meeting rooms. It includes a 2,000-seat auditorium, 4,500 square metres of exhibition space and banqueting facilities for up to 3,000 guests.
The Convention Centre plays a key role in the Government’s goal to double business tourism in Ireland by 2012 to €1 billion. Over 200,000 international delegate days are already confirmed which helps support Ireland’s business tourism goal of €1billion by 2013, based on research by Fáilte Ireland. These international delegates to date will bring €62 million to the economy through stays in hotels, taking taxis, dining out and enjoying some of Ireland’s many visitor attractions and activities.