Anchoring Innovation at Stena Sphere 

Choosing the ‘UK’s best venue’ made sense as Stena AB employs over 16,000 people across Europe approximately 2,500 of which are on its seven Irish Sea ferry routes.  Stena Line established its Belfast operation in 1995 and since then, the city has established itself as Stena Line’s largest European business hub.

Paul Grant, Stena Line Trade Director (Irish Sea) said:

We’re delighted to bring senior colleagues from other Stena Sphere companies to Belfast to highlight our development and the exciting journey Northern Ireland is on.

“Our Belfast hub has grown rapidly and today we now operate seven ships on three routes from Belfast Port. The commitment from Stena Line over the last 28 years to Northern Ireland has been unwavering as has their financial support for our Irish Sea routes with more than £500m of investment in state-of-the-art ships and port facilities over the last decade alone, servicing growing freight and tourism demands."

Source: Stena Line Press Release.

The spaces used in ICC Belfast were transformed to bring this year’s conference theme ‘Care for each other and the future’ to life. The Studio was utilised for the forum’s inspirational panel discussions. Dan Stena Olsson, the CEO and owner of Stena AB, gave his keynote speech beneath custom lighting and cardboard trees that the ICC Belfast production team worked with local events company, Rebel Events, to bring to life.

Stena Sphere Forum showcased ICC Belfast’s flexible spaces with the support of the award-winning event management team who delivered something truly special for attendees. 

Senior Event Manager at ICC Belfast, Laurel Gray said, "As the Event Manager for the Stena Sphere Forum 2023, I was delighted to showcase how our flexible spaces can be transformed to bring any event to life."

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and it was impressive to see how the set design and the materials used complemented Stena Line’s theme of caring for the future and others.

"As the only Green Meetings Gold certified purpose-built conference venue on the island of Ireland, we are delighted to work with clients who care about the impact they have on the environment as much as we do.

Typically used for conference registration, the Riverside Foyer was reimagined for this event and was used for lunch service. With views of the River Lagan, the scene was set to showcase the venue's rich maritime heritage, complementing the local, sustainable food served by in-house partners, Hospitality Belfast. 

Hall 2 had a unique setup that represented Stena’s emotional ties to their Swedish heritage. Rebel Events took this space and made it truly spectacular by working with our event production team to illuminate the stage with a forestry-themed setup, meaning keynote speakers could fully immerse themselves in their presentations. The stage design not only celebrated the roots of the corporation but left delegates with a memorable experience that cemented their dedication to sustainable practices.

Production Manager at ICC Belfast, Phil Adair said:

The aim was to deliver something truly unique that showcased our production capabilities and delivered on the client's sustainability vision. The final output was fantastic, and you could see from the reaction in the room how impressed delegates were with the event.

Stena AB made the most of their visit to Belfast by tapping into the rich cultural and historical offerings of the city. For their conference they added performances by traditional Irish dancers, accompanied by rhythmic drumming from The Hit Machine. Beyond ICC Belfast, they explored the iconic Titanic museum, immersing themselves in the maritime heritage of the area. They chose to host their gala dinner in beautiful Belfast City Hall, making the most of this compact city.

If you are interested in collaborating with ICC Belfast’s team of experts, let’s connect and explore how we can support you in achieving your event objectives.