The fourth Labour Party Annual Conference held at ACC Liverpool generated a record economic impact for the city and brought thousands of delegates to the region.
A total of 12,500 delegates attended the five-day event, generating an estimated £20m in economic benefit. The conference is set to return to the venue in 2023.
The conference, which was held across the entire campus of the waterfront venue, was officially opened by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer followed by days of plenary sessions, more than 350 fringe events, key note speeches and networking opportunities. Exhibition Centre Liverpool, part of the ACC Liverpool campus, was transformed into a 2,200 seat auditorium for plenary sessions in addition to a 300-stand exhibition.
Fringe meetings took place in the convention centre, also part of ACC Liverpool, as well as at venues across the city. The venue’s interconnected hotel, Pullman Liverpool, operated as the headquarters hotel for the conference. The pinnacle of the conference was Tuesday afternoon when Mr Starmer delivered his speech to a packed conference hall.
Faye Dyer, managing director of The ACC Liverpool Group, said: “We were really pleased to welcome the Labour Party back to our venue for the fourth time, having last taken place in the city in 2018.
“A total of 12,500 delegates attended the event which created a fantastic buzz, not only on our campus but across the entire city.
“Through the hundreds of fringe events, the conference provided our local community with a platform to engage directly with government leaders and MPs and, as a result, help to shape the future of the city region and potentially influence government plans. We are really pleased that they have confirmed their return next year.”
Stakeholders across the city worked together to deliver this year’s successful conference including Marketing Liverpool, Liverpool Convention Bureau, Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police.
Chris Brown, director of Marketing Liverpool, said: “The contribution of a large event of this scale on the region is hugely significant as reflected in the major economic impact it generates. In addition to the financial benefits, it enables us to showcase the entire city to a world audience.
“We want to create a lasting positive impression on all visitors and hosting these illustrious events where delegates can experience the vibrancy of the whole city provide the perfect opportunity to allow us to do this. It is great news that the conference is returning in 2023.”
In addition to this year’s outing, the Labour Party conference has taken place at the venue in 2011, 2016 and 2018.
David Evans, General Secretary of the Labour Party, said: “We would like to thank ACC Liverpool and the city of Liverpool for hosting this year’s Labour Party conference. It was an incredible conference which surpassed our expectations.
“We are delighted that the wonderful showcase that Liverpool provided us with led to over 10,000 people joining the Labour Party during and since. We are proud that Liverpool is a Labour city, thanks to all who made it a great week, especially the ACC Liverpool staff who are incredibly professional and friendly.”
ACC Liverpool has welcomed thousands of delegates through its doors this year to a wide variety of conference including NHS ConfedExpo, the International Symposium on Phototropic Prokaryotes and KFC. Forthcoming conferences include UK Stroke Forum, the British Society for Immunology and Travel Counsellors Annual Conference.