Conference Banquet

Great News! The ICONS 2019 conference banquet will be hosted in the historic and iconic Belfast City Hall situated in the heart of Belfast city centre. Belfast City Hall opened its doors on 1 August 1906 during a great time of prosperity for the city. Today, the magnificent building is a lasting memorial to Belfast's success and a great source of civic pride. The new City Hall was designed by Alfred Brumwell Thomas in the Baroque Revival style and constructed in Portland stone. The incredible building cost £369,000 to complete, the equivalent around 128 million pounds today but remains an extraordinary beacon of success and civic pride for Belfast. City Hall has many connections with the famous ocean liner Titanic. Viscount William Pirrie who was Lord Mayor in 1896-1897 just before City Hall’s construction, was also managing director of Harland & Wolff Shipyard. He is the man credited as having the idea for both ambitious builds. He used many of his skilled workmen in the fit-out of City Hall which is why the interiors today are considered an incredible insight into the finish of Titanic’s lounges and suites, the ship’s carving paneling being very similar.