Ross Moffett was appointed Sales Director of ICC Belfast, Waterfront Hall, and Ulster Hall in July 2024. We sat down with him to talk about his vision for the future of conferences in Belfast.
How have your previous experiences in sales and leadership shaped your vision and strategy for ICC Belfast?
I joined ICC Belfast earlier this year after forging a career in sales in the renewable energy market. I established and grew the sales team there, and together we secured rapid growth into new markets, which was key to the company’s business development. Our client list was the envy of our competitors.
A lot of my sales experience has been based on building relationships and spending time understanding exactly what our customers needed, wanted and could afford. I love sales that are based on these foundations – it’s selling a solution, not just a product.
While renewable energy might seem a surprising route in to my current role, I’ve always had a passion for live events. I started out my career running a music promotion called Pop Up Original. We hosted shows in Belfast, Derry, and Dublin, focusing not just on gigs, but on educating young musicians about the music industry, hosting workshops on everything from marketing to record labels. So I guess I’m bringing this insight on live events into the role at ICC Belfast.
I feel really fortunate to be able to showcase Northern Ireland’s only purpose–built convention centre, as well as selling a top notch programme of entertainment at our sister venues, the glorious Waterfront Hall and the iconic Ulster Hall.
It’s a dream role for me to lead a sales team who developing partnerships with our clients to support the delivery of world-class business events experiences in the city I’ve grown up in.
I’m really passionate about Belfast. Throughout my life it has been transformed and reimagined. It’s such a buzz to see the pubs, shops and restaurants bustling with visitors all year round. People are flocking here for city breaks and it’s really snowballing.
What key insights have you gained about the events and conference industry since joining ICC Belfast, and how have they influenced your approach?
For a conference organiser, I fully understand that the decision to bring thousands of delegates to Belfast is a big one and it’s deeply considered.
This is not quick, transactional business: we build long-term relationships, established on foundations of trust and service excellence.
We recognise it’s a competitive space with many factors at play. There are certain things we can tick boxes on, like cutting edge technology, fantastic AV and IT, excellent quality reliable catering, and modern flexible space.
Our magic ingredient comes from our team’s drive to create memorable experiences. Our team are committed to treating every visitor like royalty and we work alongside event organisers to meet and exceed their expectations.
We’ve earned our stripes with recent big name clients like Ebay, Porsche and Astra Zeneca. Through CPI, we’ve delivered The International Conference of Composite Materials (ICCM) and the European Symposium for Clinical Pharma and we were thrilled with the success of One Young World at the end of 2023.
In the past couple of years, we’ve received numerous top international conference and events industryawards, so it’s not just a matter of taking our word for it!
I think Belfast may start out on a longlist as a curiosity, but when event organisers come here they can see we’re fulfilling a lot more than curiosity value, and we’re delivering a truly competitive offering. If anyone hasn’t been here, I’d say the first step is to come and experience it for yourself.
How do you see collaborations with Professional Conference Organisers like CPI contributing to the success of ICC Belfast and the city as a leading destination?
Collaborations with PCOs like CPI are crucial to our long term success. We know this business is all about reputation, trust and reliability. Word of mouth, particularly from PCOs who have hosted an event in our venue, has a powerful influence on whether we are on or off the lists being put forward to clients.
We’re very proud to be associated with CPI who are driving the industry forward and professional events standards upwards – that aligns closely with our positioning and ambition.
Several members of our team are industry leaders in their own right, so we value the opportunity to work alongside the very best in the business.
What makes Belfast an ideal location for hosting large-scale events and conferences, and how does ICC Belfast stand out in such a competitive landscape?
It’s a privilege to sell not just our own fantastic award-winning events facilities and services at ICC Belfast, but to wrap the incredible hospitality and warm welcome of Belfast around everything we offer too.
Belfast is definitely a city that conference and event planners are putting on their wish-lists more and more; it was recently named by the industry as Best Events Destination UK.
First of all, Belfast has incredible connectivity. Our nearest regional airport connects to all the major cities right across the UK and is only 8 minutes from our venue, we have hourly trains to Dublin and a 90 minute express bus service to Dublin airport and on to Dublin city centre. Many conveners and delegates tell us their journey to Belfast was faster than their usual commute!
Belfast itself is a really walkable city, with an excellent selection of 4 and 5 star hotels offering nearly 5000 rooms to suit every budget, all within easy walking distance of ICC Belfast.
Food and drink are really important in this part of the world and our on-site catering epitomises Northern Ireland’s love of hospitality. We’ve recently achieved ISO 20121, the internationally recognised standard for sustainable hospitality in the events industry. We have local farmers, growers and even a brewer crafting produce exclusively for our events.
In Belfast city centre, delegates can enjoy the rest of Belfast’s hospitality scene, which includes outstanding food and drink, from Michelin star restaurants to Bib Gourmand bistros, artisan cafes and fresh produce markets; at night, the pubs and bars cater for every mood and of course music is always woven into the night’s craic!
So it’s a combination of award-winning events facilities, outstanding service and the wrap-around experience of a city that is easy to reach and even easier to enjoy after hours.
Looking ahead, where do you see ICC Belfast in five years, and what are your aspirations for your role as Sales Director?
It’s a really exciting time to be driving forward the events industry in Northern Ireland. Our government has recognised the economic potential to grow Northern Ireland as a business events destination. As the region’s only purpose-built conference venue, ICC Belfast is right at the heart of this ambition. I’m looking forward to bringing this to fruition; there is no shortage of capability at ICC Belfast. We have world–class facilities, industry leading people and a vibrant destination visitorscan’t wait to experience for themselves.
I’m personally proud to play a role in bringing this vision to life. With the support of our internal team and partners, I’m confident we can establish Belfast and ICC Belfast as the top choice for hosting business events. There will undoubtedly be challenges, but that’s what sets us apart—we rise to the occasion and make great things happen on our world-class stage.
