The Waterfront Hall Logo.
  • My Tickets
  • About
    • Meet the team
    • Corporate Social Responsibility
    • Vision, Mission & Values
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • What's On
    • Music
    • Comedy
    • Family
    • Theatre
    • Sport
    • Visitor Experience
  • Your Visit
    • Upcoming Show Times
    • My Visit to Waterfront Hall
    • Accessibility
    • Safety and Security
    • Terms & Conditions
    • House Guidelines
    • Refund Protection
    • Re-usable Cup Scheme
    • Seating Plan - Waterfront Hall
  • Media Centre
  • Gift Vouchers
  • My Tickets
  • About
  • Basket
  • What's On
  • Your Visit
  • Media Centre
  • Home ›
  • Media Centre ›
  • Waterfront Hall & Ulster Hall shortlisted in Digital Event Awards

Waterfront Hall & Ulster Hall shortlisted in Digital Event Awards

     Send it to a friend
Article image for Waterfront Hall & Ulster Hall shortlisted in Digital Event Awards

Date

16th February 2021

Waterfront Hall & Ulster Hall have been shortlisted in the Best Venue offering Digital Event Facilities category at the Digital Event Awards 2021.

It was the year the world turned upside down. The two iconic venues in Belfast, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall, went from welcoming over 300,000 customers through the doors to having empty auditoria. The same rang true for our sister venue, ICC Belfast: a venue whose primary purpose is to generate economic impact for the city by welcoming national and international conferences with thousands of delegates.

It is without doubt that 2020 was a challenging year for the events industry.

We saw international travel come to a halt and the growth of digital technology in everyday life was accelerated. To survive, companies and venues had to adapt their offering to meet the ‘new norm’ in which we lived, and this included Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall bringing live entertainment to the safety and comfort of your living room.

The delivery of virtual events started in June 2020 when ICC Belfast pivoted the offering within a matter of months to meet the demands of businesses, and they have gone on to delivery product launches, conferences and award ceremonies. Before long, it was recognised that these learnings could be adapted to the delivery of entertainment events at Ulster Hall.

With the support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Organisation Emergency Programme, Live from the Ulster Hall was launched, catapulting a 158-year-old concert hall into a new era of streaming and on-demand content.

The series of four concerts which ran over the festive period had a total of over 13,000 plays of the content with an average of 2.1 viewers watching the performance per view. The series of concerts not only generated ticket sales income for local artists but enabled them to engage with new audiences on a global scale. Of all tickets booked, 35% of bookers were from outside of Northern Ireland, showcasing the widened geographical reach that Live from the Ulster Hall enabled with viewers from over 30 countries including China, Australia, Denmark and Japan.

Oonagh O’Reilly, Director of Sales and Marketing at ICC Belfast | Waterfront Hall | Ulster Hall commented, “It’s hard to believe that it has been almost one year since we delivered a large-scale, in-person event."

Despite the challenges faced, our commitment to business preparedness has been unwavering and we’re delighted to have been shortlisted in the Digital Event Awards.

"The learnings we gained from ICC Belfast’s pivot to virtual solutions was invaluable and provided a solid foundation from which developments could be made that are tailored to our entertainment offering. Hybrid is here to stay, and these advancements will undoubtedly benefit us long after we safely return to live events.”

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented, “Congratulations to the Waterfront and Ulster Hall team in being nominated for this Digital Event Award. Live from the Ulster Hall has been a terrific success and the Arts Council was delighted to support the series through our Organisations Emergency Programme, a vital funding scheme designed to help arts organisations respond to the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis by continuing producing creative work and to plan for recovery in the long-term.”

Winners for the Digital Event Awards 2021 will be announced at a virtual ceremony on 18 March 2021.


Related Articles

Article image for Belfast announced as host city for Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2026

News

Belfast announced as host city for Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2026

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray (L), alongside Charlie McCloskey, Director of Events and Customer Experience of ICC Belfast (R). The world’s biggest celebration of traditional Irish music and...

Article image for Ulster Hall plays host to fundraising spectacular in aid of Sólás

News

Ulster Hall plays host to fundraising spectacular in aid of Sólás

Autism and additional needs charity Sólás has hosted a musical extravaganza at Belfast’s Ulster Hall to raise for a new purpose-built community facility. Among the young performers on the night...

Article image for BWUH Ltd. appoints Chief Executive

News

BWUH Ltd. appoints Chief Executive

Following a competitive recruitment process, Rob McConnell has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of ICC Belfast Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall (BWUH Ltd.). Rob is a Board Director...

Article image for Rory Gallagher statue unveiled at Ulster Hall

News

Rory Gallagher statue unveiled at Ulster Hall

2025 will mark the 30th anniversary of the legendary musician’s passingA commemorative statue of legendary composer and musician Rory Gallagher was revealed today at Ulster Hall, honouring his life, music...

Article image for Belfast to honour music icon Rory Gallagher with statue unveiling and special event at Ulster Hall

News

Belfast to honour music icon Rory Gallagher with statue unveiling and special event at Ulster Hall

Belfast is gearing up to honour legendary blues guitarist Rory Gallagher with a day of celebration at The Ulster Hall. Starting with the unveiling of a new statue at 1pm...

Article image for Proparamedics to support event safety for hundreds of thousands of Belfast event-goers

News

Proparamedics to support event safety for hundreds of thousands of Belfast event-goers

Safety for all event goers is a top priority for the Waterfront Hall, Ulster Hall and ICC Belfast. The company behind the three venues, BWUH Ltd., which hosts hundreds of...

Article image for Waterfront Hall hosts community panto performance of Beauty and the Beast

News

Waterfront Hall hosts community panto performance of Beauty and the Beast

It’s officially Panto season and a group of very special community and voluntary organisations were among the first to enjoy this year’s fun-filled production of Beauty and the Beast at...

Article image for 'Our Wonderful World' Concerts Inspire NI Primary School Pupils

News

'Our Wonderful World' Concerts Inspire NI Primary School Pupils

Ulster Orchestra's 'Our Wonderful World' Concerts Inspire Primary School Pupils Across Northern Ireland The Ulster Orchestra’s exciting new Primary Schools Concert series promises to captivate the imaginations of P4-P7 pupils...

Article image for Entertainment Chief: Night-time economy future trajectory

News

Entertainment Chief: Night-time economy future trajectory

Pictured: Acting Chief Executive of ICC Belfast, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall, Iain Bell and Night Czar for Belfast and Northern Ireland, Michael Stewart in conversation. Acting Chief Executive of...

Article image for Snow Patrol to play intimate Ulster Hall gig to celebrate album launch

News

Snow Patrol to play intimate Ulster Hall gig to celebrate album launch

Snow Patrol are coming to the iconic Ulster Hall in Belfast on 13 September 2024 for a SOLD OUT gig to celebrate the release of their new album. On 0...

The Belfast Waterfront Logo.
The Ulter Hall Logo.

BWUH Ltd is registered as a company in Northern Ireland

Registration Number: NI635764
Registered address: 2 Lanyon Place, Belfast, BT1 3WH

Sign-up to our mailing list below:

By submitting your email address, you agree to receive updates in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

  • What's On
  • Events this week
  • Events this month
  • Talking Sopranos
  • Bluey's Big Play
  • Sip & Savour 2025
  • Redefining the Alpha
  • Your Visit
  • Upcoming Show Times
  • My Visit to Waterfront Hall
  • Accessibility
  • Safety and Security
  • Terms & Conditions
  • House Guidelines
  • Refund Protection
  • Re-usable Cup Scheme
  • Seating Plan - Waterfront Hall
  • About
  • Meet the team
  • Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Vision, Mission & Values
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Venues
  • Privacy Notice
  • Cookies
  • Disclaimer
  • Copyright
  • Sitemap

© Waterfront Hall 2025

Customer Service 028 9033 4455

  • Instagram LogoInstagram.
  • Instagram LogoTwitter.
  • Instagram LogoFacebook.
  • TikTok LogoTikTok.
X