Events Centre

kub

BAM are a huge company and have massive projects on the go all over Europe. They have a vested interest in that site, i cannot see them walking away.

Rhinohippo

Passed it this evening. Looks like there has been quite a bit of recent activity on the site.

DylanGLC

With no convention centre, Cork is losing out on millions from large-scale events - Fora
https://fora.ie/cork-convention-centre-2-3287386-Mar2017/?utm_source=more

THE GROUP RESPONSIBLE for promoting Cork as a conference destination says the lack of a dedicated facility has stifled the city’s chances of attracting major events.

Cork Convention Bureau (CCB) chairman Seamus Heaney told Fora that having a purpose-built conference venue in Ireland’s second-largest city is now “an absolute must”.

“With that, everything else would fall in place,” he said. “I think you’d get more (hotel) room stock because it would create more demand. The same with the airport – you’d get better access to routes because you’d have more demand.”

Heaney’s comments come the same week that planning minister Simon Coveney said final plans for the long-delayed Cork Events Centre will be brought to government “within days”.

In late 2014, Heineken Ireland and construction giant BAM won a tender to develop the historic Beamish and Crawford factory into a 6,000-capacity events centre. Heineken has since pulled out of the project and BAM has teamed up with events operator Live Nation.

However, little has happened on the site – even after a high-profile sod-turning event before the general election last year.

Some parts of the old building have been demolished but construction is yet to begin, which puts in doubt the centre’s targeted 2018 opening date.

Some €20 million in government funding has been earmarked for the project, however BAM has requested a further €12 million in funding – which would bring the total cost of the development to €65 million, according to numerous media reports, with the balance coming from private sources.

Coveney told the Evening Echo newspaper this week that BAM will soon bring to government the final costings and design plan.

A spokesman for BAM declined to comment when contacted by Fora.

Heaney told Fora that ”it is a little bit more difficult” for Cork to attract conferences compared to Dublin as ”we don’t have the capacity” that the capital enjoys. At the moment, the city can only cater for events with up to 1,000 delegates.

“We don’t bid for 2,000- or 3,000-person conferences because we wouldn’t have a hope of staging them in Cork,” Heaney said.
Last year, a total of 8,000 conference delegates came to Cork. According to data compiled by Fáilte Ireland, that was worth about €11.5 million for the local economy.

There will be 20 events in the city this year and each visitor is estimated to spend roughly €1,645 on accommodation, food and drink, and souvenirs. That would generate €12 million for the region, according to CCB.

To put the figures in context, Fáilte Ireland says business tourism in 2015 was worth about €669 million for the entire island of Ireland.

Heaney added that “a business tourist is worth two to three times that of a leisure tourist” and will “always come back” for a holiday.

When asked what assets Cork has over other European cities, Heaney said one of the key messages CCB promotes is that it is “a walking city”.

Road and rail access to Dublin is also crucial, especially when it comes to attracting visitors from the US.

Cork attracts a lot of ‘incentive travel’ from the states, Heaney said, which is when companies reward employees for reaching certain targets by taking them on trips abroad.

“A lot of incentive business suits us because they might be looking for two cities,” he said. “If we can get them into Dublin, make it three nights in Dublin and two nights in Cork, then they will come down on the train.”

Heaney said convention travel is “very different to a lot of other businesses” because conference locations are often rotated each year.

“Once the event happens, it’s gone,” he said. “We can’t increase our turnover. We have to start from the very beginning of the year and try to win new business.

“The €11.5 million we did last year, that’s gone and won’t be repeated for three to four years,” he said. “All you can hope for is the legacy.”
However, he said timelines for booking conferences have become shorter in recent years.

“One time they were booked five years in advance. Now they’re down to two or three years, which is good.”

Heaney added that demand for sufficient exhibition space at venues has spiked in the last five years or so.

“A couple of years ago it was break-out rooms,” he said. “Now it is about making sure they have exhibition space, because a lot of conferences are funded by the amount of exhibitors they can have.”

DylanGLC

Simon Coveney was just on 96FM news discussing th Event Centre, saying the government was expecting the new money needs weeks ago so it should be quick once they finally do get it. The news presenter said BAM are expected to give the new plans to the government today

j8wk2feszrnpao

DylanGLC wrote: »

Simon Coveney was just on 96FM news discussing th Event Centre, saying the government was expecting the new money needs weeks ago so it should be quick once they finally do get it. The news presenter said BAM are expected to give the new plans to the government today

I'm looking for actions, not more words.
Until then, Simon is just waffling.

P.lane78

yawn .....:(:(:(

ofcork

Apparently the money hasn't been asked for yet!!

xabi

https://twitter.com/EoinBearla/status/847568053873377280

BullBlackNova

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/cork-club-owners-in-events-centre-appeal-446548.html

Paul Montgomery, owner of Rearden’s, on Washington St, and Joseph O’Sullivan, of Pentagon Entertainments, who owns The Hanover, off Washington St, have lodged An Bórd Pleanála appeals against Cork City Council’s decision to grant planning to BAM for its revised student apartment complex.

Mumha

BullBlackNova wrote: »

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/cork-club-owners-in-events-centre-appeal-446548.html

As much as I want to see the Event Centre happen, I can see the point he is making ...

Mr Montgomery says he has concerns that student apartments so close to established night-time venues, without adequate noise-mitigation, could lead to conflict over noise and difficulties in the renewal of annual licences for businesses in Cork’s entertainment hub.

With extra student accommodation being built even closer to their venues, you could see a shed load of noise abatement complaints going into the City Council, even though those two have long established businesses in that location. Clearly they are seeking assurances that those apartments are adequately sound proofed, rather than just slapped up. Presumably this is Coveney's fault as well.

j8wk2feszrnpao

Mumha wrote: »

Presumably this is Coveney's fault as well.

Nothing is ever his fault.

D'Agger

I actually agree with the concerns over the student accomodation, they need to be properly planned out

Mumha

munstermagic11 wrote: »

Nothing is ever his fault.

It's so magnanimous of you to say so, though his stupidity in re-opening the Irish Water debate was certainly his fault.

Mumha

D'Agger wrote: »

I actually agree with the concerns over the student accomodation, they need to be properly planned out

Yeah I don't think that's unreasonable.

j8wk2feszrnpao

Mumha wrote: »

It's so magnanimous of you to say so, though his stupidity in re-opening the Irish Water debate was certainly his fault.

Tell Simon we said hi.

Mumha

munstermagic11 wrote: »

Tell Simon we said hi.

I'll be at the match tomorrow so I certainly will pass on your good wishes if I see him

And say hi to Mehole for me.

j8wk2feszrnpao

Mumha wrote: »

I'll be at the match tomorrow so I certainly will pass on your good wishes if I see him

And say hi to Mehole for me.

I sure will, as soon as YourHead vacates the area.

Mumha

munstermagic11 wrote: »

I sure will, as soon as YourHead vacates the area.

Ah yes, another opportunity for your friend to rest money in his wife's bank account.

DylanGLC

"Meanwhile, BAM has submitted final designs and costings for the event centre to the team at Cork City Council overseeing the project. The document, which it is understood includes a request for another €12m in public funding, will be forwarded to the Department of Arts, for further consideration."

Well, at least there is that.. hopefully this can start to be built before Christmas

calnand

Oddly that article doesn't mention that Monty has his own student apartments.

flo8s967qjh0nd

Seems like the sort of objections that could be dealt with quickly by the developers and the complainants reassured. It may not even get to ABP.
That's IF BAM wanted to get on with this development. That's a big if.

P.lane78

So from my reading of the current situation from the outside obviously, is that the 12 mill figure was banded around and that Simon and Paschal are ameniable to giving this money. If not would the hopeful heir apparent leave it fester away. I really hope this happens to be honest, but after seeing this years marquee I am worried the gigs will be crap anyway , but I live in hope

DylanGLC

Sometimes I feel they don't even care if they can do it or not, but it would leave them with a really bad name (I think they have one now for people in Cork but if it actually goes ahead this will be forgotten about eventually)

ofcork

calnand wrote: »

Oddly that article doesn't mention that Monty has his own student apartments.

His are in Victoria cross though.

P.lane78

Lets hope everyone muddles through and somehow gets this done

Rhinohippo

P.lane78 wrote: »

Lets hope everyone muddles through and somehow gets this done

It should be a big boost to the city centre area.

opus

No huge changes as far as I can see although spotted a few people in hard-hats wandering about.

DylanGLC

Would it kill them to just remove that big mound of debris.. May as well do it now while nothing else is happening, then when they get the extra funding they can start building faster. Hopefully their plan to get construction started by September will go ahead..

Rhinohippo

DylanGLC wrote: »

Would it kill them to just remove that big mound of debris.. May as well do it now while nothing else is happening, then when they get the extra funding they can start building faster. Hopefully their plan to get construction started by September will go ahead..

Yes, it's really ugly looking. An eyesore.

P.lane78

Rhinohippo wrote: »

Yes, it's really ugly looking. An eyesore.

If only we could get five or six people with shovels and high via vest on site ....