CONVENTION CENTRE DUBLIN OPENS

Taoiseach Brian Cowen will today officially open the fantastic new Convention Centre Dublin in the Docklands.

The Grand Canal Hotel have been lucky enough to get two sneak hard hat previews of the 8,000 capacity venue and we are really excited about seeing the finished product.

We can verify that, even at its early building stage, it is a truly impressive spectacle and will be a superb addition to the city's infrastructure, offering even better views of the city than the nearby Dublin Wheel.

The centre officially open at noon today with travel agents and other potential clients attending a gala dinner and view the facilities the new venue has to offer this evening.

A further 120 top global conference buyers, who have €500m worth of business on their books are also in Dublin as part of a business drive to coincide with the opening of the Docklands-based centre.

Built at a cost of €380m, the futuristic building on the river Liffey, designed by Irish-born architect Kevin Roche, can accommodate up to 8,000 delegates and includes a 2,000-seat auditorium, 4,500sqm of exhibition space and banqueting facilities for up to 5,000 guests.

Over its six floors, there are 22 meeting rooms, as well as an extensive carpeted room, with capacity for more than 3,000 conference delegates or up to 2,000 diners.
Spencer Dock Convention Centre Dublin Ltd (SDCCD), led by Richard Barrett and Johnny Ronan of Treasury Holdings and Harry Crosbie of the Point Village, will run the centre for the next 25 years until it reverts to State ownership.

The opening of the Centre is the latest boost to the tourism industry in the city, following on from the opening of the O2, Grand Canal Theatre and the Aviva Stadium in recent years. Our regular guest will tell you that we are well placed if you are attending any of these venues as they are only a short stroll from the door of the Grand Canal Hotel.

The first major conference, organised by the Construction Industry Federation, entitled The Economics of Ireland's Recovery, gets under way this Friday, while it is believed that there are up to 300 conferences booked, some for as far out as 2021.

Congratulations to all involved in the building and opening of the Convention Centre Dublin.