Wirral entrepreneurs Vikki Sweeney and Lindsey Devlin have been running local wedding shows since 2016 – now they are scaling up with a major event at Exhibition Centre Liverpool. Tony McDonough reports

Vikki Sweeney and Lindsey Devlin are to scale up their wedding show business with a major event at Exhibition Centre Liverpool in 2024.

They set up Bridal Show in Wirral in 2016 and have hosted more than 40 wedding shows at local venues in the borough. Now they are about to take their venture onto a new level with The Wedding Show Liverpool at the huge waterfront venue.

“This is the perfect opportunity to scale up what we’ve been successful in delivering for brides and grooms across Merseyside and Cheshire for eight years,” said Vikki.

“Over this time, we’ve attracted a wide range of local suppliers who appreciate our dedication and have bought in to our personal approach.”

Lindsay added that many of their existing suppliers will be part of the show, which takes place on February 10 and 11, 2024. They are also looking to bring new wedding-related businesses on board.

She explained: “With such a huge space at our new venue, we know we can offer our couples so many more options to help with their wedding planning, all under one roof.”

Exhibition Centre Liverpool is part of the ACC Liverpool complex that also includes the M&S Bank Arena. Earlier this month it celebrated its 15th birthday. Since opening in 2008 it has welcomed 8.3m people and generated an estimated £2.1bn for the city centre.

The arena, which in May hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, has welcomed more than 3,000 entertainment events including the MTV Europe Music Awards and artists such as Sir Paul McCartney and Beyonce.

And the campus has hosted a multitude of conferences including the Labour Party Conference, BBC Studios Showcase and multiple industry expos and conferences. It was home to the International Festival for Business in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

The Wedding Show Liverpool will feature three catwalks a day, live music, demonstrations and a VIP lounge.

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Colm Graham, exhibition, partnerships and hospitality manager, at ACC Liverpool, said: “We’re looking forward to working with The Liverpool Wedding Show as our new partners and organisers of what has always been a popular event for suppliers and visitors.

“We were impressed by their aim to deliver a diverse, inclusive, accessible and sustainable event and hope our relationship, like any successful marriage, flourishes in the years ahead.”

Tickets costing from £8, with a free bride or groom ticket for a limited time, will be on sale at midday on 21st July from www.ticketquarter.co.uk. Any suppliers looking to exhibit should email hello@the-wedding-show.co.uk