A record number of delegates at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool boosted the city centre economy by an estimated £29m. Tony McDonough reports
Businesses in Liverpool city centre benefited to the tune of an estimated £29m during the Labour Conference earlier this month.
Around 18,000 delegates attended the conference, held at ACC Liverpool, Exhibition Centre Liverpool and the M&S Bank Arena for the second year running. Last year the event generated an estimated £20m for the city. It is set to return again in 2024.
This year’s conference, held across five days, included more than 515 fringe events. The exhibition centre housed a 2,200-seat auditorium for plenary sessions in addition to a 300-stand exhibition.
The arena was transformed into individual meeting spaces, and the interconnected Pullman Liverpool operated as the headquarters hotel for the conference.
Venue staff received a standing ovation during the closing session after a call by Johanna Baxter, chair of Labour’s National Executive Committee.
She said: “Please can we have a very well-deserved round of applause for all the venue security staff, our stewards, for making this the best Labour Party conference we’ve ever had.”
With the party riding high in the polls, a high expectation of a Labour Government over the next 12 months saw record numbers of businesses in attendance. Local businesses were given the opportunity to engage with the Labour Party through their SME Sunday event.
The day included roundtable discussions on a range of business themes with shadow cabinet members listening to attendees’ experiences to help design Labour policy.
Faye Dyer, chief executive of The ACC Liverpool Group, said: “We were really pleased to welcome the Labour Party and its thousands of delegates back for the fifth time, creating a buzz across our campus and the city.
“I’m really proud of my whole team who worked incredibly hard to deliver this complex event in collaboration with, and as advised by, our client and other authorities.
“The visitor experience is at the heart of everything we do and our security and stewarding staff in particular went above and beyond.
“We also worked closely in partnership with our catering partner Sodexo Live! and the Labour Party to deliver one of the most socially impactful conferences yet – both in terms of sustainability and working with local communities.”
In addition to this year’s outing, the Labour Party conference has taken place at the venue in 2011, 2016, 2018 and 2022. Each time it has provided a huge boost to hotels, restaurants, bars and shops.
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Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, also said: “The whole city works together to organise and deliver a major conference of this scale.
“We are thrilled that the conference will return to our venue next year and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with the Labour Party and all organisations involved in delivering this fantastic event.”