ICC Belfast Head of Production Selected for Global Leaders Programme
A technical production leader at ICC Belfast has been selected for an international programme recognising the highest performers in the global events industry.
Dave Young, Head of Production at ICC Belfast, has been named in the 2025 cohort for the prestigious 2025 AIPC Future Shapers programme, alongside representatives from Cape Town, Sydney, Paris and Miami. He is the only UK and Ireland representative selected.
AIPC is the International Association of Convention Centres. With members from over 60 countries, it is the industry body dedicated to professional convention and exhibition centre management.
Dave’s selection for the Future Shapers programme is recognition of his outstanding contributions to convention centre management and event production over two decades.
Since joining the team at ICC Belfast in 2020, Dave has made significant strides in transforming the technical production department at Northern Ireland’s only purpose-built convention centre. His leadership has enhanced customer experiences and supported the successful delivery of some of the largest business events in Northern Ireland, including CYBERUK, One Young World, and the UK Space Conference.
Dave Young has previously been named Event Technologist of the Year at the Event Tech Awards in 2021 and he has been recognised as one of the 50 Most Influential Event Technology Professionals.
In addition to his role at ICC Belfast, Dave is the chair of the AEV Technology Working Group and is a regular speaker at Event Tech conferences and meetings, the next of which will be Event Tech Live in November at ExCeL London.
Iain Bell, Acting Chief Executive of ICC Belfast, stated:
“I wholeheartedly endorsed Dave Young’s nomination for the AIPC Future Shapers programme for 2025. His remarkable transformation of our technical production department over the past four years has been nothing short of inspiring."
Dave’s innovative approach has led to the successful delivery of some of the most significant business events in Northern Ireland. His investment in team development and the use of cutting-edge technology means ICC Belfast can offer truly industry-leading production excellence.
"Dave is an innovator, an expert and a technical leader and we’re thrilled to see him getting the opportunity to further develop his skills along with the best in the world.”
Dave Young, Head of Technical Production at ICC Belfast said:
“I am honoured and excited to have been selected for the 2025 AIPC Future Shapers programme. It’s a leadership development opportunity on a global scale like nothing else."
My nomination reflects the hard work and dedication of my entire team at ICC Belfast, so I'll be looking forward to bringing my experiences back home to support and mentor the next generation of event technical producers.
Dave’s selection for the AIPC Future Shapers 2025 cohort continues ICC Belfast’s legacy of excellence in the convention industry, following colleagues Laurel Gray, Head of Events in 2023, and Ciara Davidson, Head of Governance and Stakeholder Engagement, who led the international team which won the final Future Shapers pitch competition in Costa Rica earlier this year.
