Belfast has underlined the growing legacy potential of business events after a major medical conference combined a £510,500 economic boost with an initiative to inspire the next generation of surgeons.
Around 500 delegates attended the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS) Annual Scientific Meeting at ICC Belfast from 24-26 June, generating an estimated half a million pounds for the Northern Ireland economy.
Supported by the Belfast & Northern Ireland conference subvention scheme, funded by Belfast City Council and Tourism Northern Ireland and administered by Visit Belfast, the three-day conference welcomed delegates from across the UK alongside international speakers under the theme Inter-Faces.
Alongside its scientific programme, which featured around 190 research posters, the conference concluded with a dedicated careers event for 120 sixth-form students from schools across Northern Ireland.
The students met practising oral and maxillofacial surgeons to learn about the specialty, one of the smallest surgical disciplines in Northern Ireland, where only eight consultants are currently practising. The event aimed to encourage more young people to consider a career in the specialty, which requires qualifications in both medicine and dentistry.
Students also visited the Saving Faces Art Project, a touring exhibition by BP Portrait Award-winning artist Mark Gilbert, featuring portraits of patients before, during and after facial surgery.
Jude Abrahams, head of business events at Visit Belfast, said: "Hosting the BAOMS Annual Scientific Meeting is a significant achievement for Belfast and reflects the city's growing reputation as a destination for major international conferences.
"Events of this scale deliver real economic benefit. Just as importantly, this conference leaves a lasting legacy. By connecting local students with leading surgeons, it helps inspire the next generation of specialists here in Northern Ireland."
Hilary West-Hurst, school improvement lead at the Education Authority, added: "Giving young people the chance to meet professionals and explore career options first hand makes a real difference. Events like this open students' eyes to paths they may never have considered."
Ross Moffett, sales director at ICC Belfast, said: "We were proud to welcome BAOMS and its delegates to ICC Belfast. Conferences of this calibre show the strength of Belfast as a destination for international business events. It was especially rewarding to see the venue used on its final day to inspire local students."
Local conference ambassador Peter Ramsay-Baggs, a Belfast-based consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon, said hosting the conference had created an important opportunity to showcase the profession.
"As one of a small number of oral and maxillofacial surgeons working in Northern Ireland, I understand how important it is to encourage more young people into the specialty," he said.
"Hosting BAOMS in Belfast gave us a welcome opportunity to show students what this career involves and the difference it can make to patients' lives."
The conference adds to ICC Belfast's growing portfolio of international medical and scientific meetings and highlights the increasing emphasis destinations are placing on demonstrating the wider social and educational legacy of business events alongside their economic impact.
