Theresa Morrissey Featured in Business Eye Magazine

The article takes readers behind the scenes of the Eikon Exhibition Centre, which is proudly operated by the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society, and explores its remarkable journey from the historic King’s Hall Complex to becoming Northern Ireland’s leading events venue.

Read the article in full below

We’re chatting in a completely empty 5,100 square metre space that makes up the principal hall of the Eikon Exhibition Centre, and to describe it as big is something of an understatement. It’s one of two large purpose-built exhibition halls that can be found on the site, which is located west of Lisburn, close to the M1 Sprucefield Interchange. The Eikon Hall was completed back in 2015 after the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society vacated the King’s Hall Complex in South Belfast, its home for almost one hundred and twenty years. “In the first year, the Eikon hosted a wide range of events, many of which had relocated from the King’s Hall, and all reported increased visitor numbers at the new Venue,” says Theresa. “Organisers quickly appreciated the flexibility, size and scale of this campus, and its geographical location outside of the city yet centrally located in Northern Ireland. Over the years, more events have come on board and in response to the growing demand for event space, the Society opened the Logan Hall in Spring 2018. Named after Dr. Ernie Logan OBE, a great supporter of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society, this contemporary hall increased the Venue’s internal events space to 10,600 square metres.”

 

Like every venue, the Eikon Exhibition Centre was closed by the Covid pandemic. “The Society demonstrated great resilience during this period and used the time to continue to develop facilities including the construction of an additional 2,400 square metres of internal space and the erection of a covered external event facility. September 2021 saw the successful delivery of the 152nd Balmoral Show which was the first major event to take place in the Province after the Pandemic.”

The Venue as a whole is well known as the home of the annual Balmoral Show, and it’s clear that the additional space, large car parks and easy access has allowed the annual agri-food showpiece to thrive in a way that it couldn’t have done had it remained at its old Belfast site. “The Show has successfully evolved, attracting large crowds from both the rural and urban populations. We have 55 acres here, and use extra lands for car parking, so there is plenty of opportunity for an event of its scale to continue to develop. It’s an event that is right at the heart of Northern Ireland as a region,” Theresa adds. “The Show aims to educate, entertain and promote all that is excellent in the agri-food sector by showcasing innovation and best practice in farming and food.”

 

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the mission going forward for the Eikon Exhibition Centre is clear-cut. “We are focused on ensuring the Eikon Exhibition Centre remains Northern Ireland’s premier destination for events. Significant investment has gone into delivering this impressive standard and we will continue to invest to ensure that organisers and promoters come to us as their first choice.” But what does she see as the Eikon Exhibition Centre’s advantages over alternative venues in a competitive market? “We have a unique offering within Northern Ireland” she says. “It’s the adaptability of our Venue which is unique. The Venue can accommodate events from 2,000 square metres; it is this flexibility that enables organisers to grow and expand their event at their own pace. We’re also ideally positioned close to the M1 and A1 Sprucefield Junction with over 4,000 free car parking spaces on-site. The Venue’s position adjacent to the main Dublin to Belfast economic corridor enables its events to attract visitors from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. 70% of Northern Ireland’s population live within half an hour’s travel time and more than half the population of the entire island within 90 minutes.” The Eikon’s selling points go further than that. The main halls have no less than 14 full-scale loading doors with everything at ground level, making access easy, whatever the size of the item or vehicle being brought inside. Most importantly the Venue’s team is solution driven and once an organiser decides to host their event at the Eikon they will benefit from the team’s knowledge and experience which will drive forward the successful delivery of their event.



Looking to the future, Theresa Morrissey says that the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society is committed to an investment programme aimed to ensure that the Eikon Exhibition Centre remains “state of the art”, innovative and importantly delivers value for money for clients and visitors. “As part of our sustainability commitment, we are working on a major energy efficiency programme at the moment. We also invest continuously in planned maintenance to ensure that the quality of the Venue remains just as exceptional in ten years’ time as it is today. We listen to what our event organisers and customers tell us on an ongoing basis and adapt our offering as required.”

As for her wider role as Group Executive Director of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society, Theresa Morrissey is kept busy with overseeing the delivery of the Society’s charitable objectives. “We have a strategic plan in place which sets out a vision for growth and sustainability over the next three years, and the focus is on enhancing our educational activities which connect and inspire people’s appreciation of sustainable farming and local quality produce. It’s an industry that faces many challenges, and we see it as our role to promote an agri-food sector which produces enough food to feed 10 million people. That is an incredible statistic.”