Big Data Returns To The ICC

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Big Data Belfast Returns To The ICC

Big Data Belfast 2022 will return to the ICC Belfast on Wednesday 25th May 2022.

Launching this year’s Big Data Belfast conference at the ICC Waterfront are EY Director Shay Cullen and Analytics Engines MD Dr Aislinn Rice. BDB#22 is an all-day conference which takes place on Wednesday 25th May 2022.

With support from headline sponsor EY, this year’s conference will present the very latest insights into the world of data, with a variety of speakers and panel sessions across a range of topics including AI & ML, Environmental Sustainability and Governance, Digital Transformation, and Business Analytics.

Now in its 8th year, Big Data Belfast 2022 is also supported by Aflac, Allstate NI, ASOS, Daily Pay, Invest NI, Magnite, MCS Group, Peak 6 and The Alan Turing Institute. In recent years, adoption of data-driven technologies has grown exponentially. Market intelligence agency

Gartner predict that by 2023, overall adoption of data analytics will increase from 35% (2021) to 50%.

The COVID-19 crisis has further accelerated the adoption of many of these technologies. A 2021 study by Google found that “32% of respondents accelerated or introduced initiatives around building out or improving the use of data analytics and intelligence” as a result of the pandemic. Big Data Belfast 2022 will be the ideal opportunity for organisations and individuals to connect with; and to learn from innovative business leaders from the technology sector and beyond. Attendees will discover how market leading organisations are adapting to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Analytics Engines MD Dr Aislinn Rice said: “We’re delighted to be bringing Big Data Belfast to the ICC this May. The conference has been a staple of the Northern Ireland tech event calendar and it’s very exciting to be able to welcome delegates back to our event space after a very successful 2019 conference.” She added: “We’re also delighted to welcome back sponsors such as EY, Allstate, MCS Group and Invest Northern Ireland. Their continued support is a testament to the incredible impact of the event. We’re also pleased to welcome new sponsors ASOS, Daily Pay, Aflac, Peak 6, Magnite and The Alan Turing Institute and we look forward to working with them over the coming months. We have an incredible line-up of technology and business leaders speaking at this year’s event and we’re confident that this is one local audiences won’t want to miss.” Roger Eigenheer, Head of the UK&I Delivery Centre at EY, the event headline sponsor, said: “We are proud to support Big Data Belfast as headline sponsor for this year’s event. Although the last two years have seen their fair share of challenges, it’s been remarkable to see how understanding big data and its applications has helped to keep communities and vital services connected in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. I have no doubt that this event will continue to bring brilliant ideas to the fore and we are delighted to work with the team at Analytics Engines again.” Shay Cullen, Director and Head of Data Platforms & Engineering EY, added: “The Big Data Belfast conference has established itself as high watermark both in terms of speakers and the quality of the event itself. We’re fortunate to have a host of pioneers in Northern Ireland across the full spectrum of tech disciplines, and this event is a fantastic opportunity to bring both local global minds together and we’re very excited to be supporting it as it returns to the ICC.”

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Local hotelier ‘hopeful’ of green light for Portrush project

Andras Hotels, Northern Ireland’s largest hotel group, has submitted revised plans for its project in at the former Londonderry Hotel on Main Street, Portrush.

The updated scheme, designed by conservation specialists Consarc Architects, will provide 83 guest bedrooms and public areas which will include a cafe, bar and restaurant.

Director of Andras Hotels, Rajesh Rana, said ‘We are excited at the prospect of moving towards a start date for this hotel. After lengthy discussions with the planners in the Department for Infrastructure, our architects have come up with a solution that marks a turning point in this story.

‘The designs they have submitted are heritage-led and will make a genuinely positive contribution to this listed building. This sensitive intervention preserves the best of the remaining fabric of the building while providing much needed tourism accommodation for the North Coast.

‘The Londonderry Hotel is in fact one of two listed buildings that we will restore as part of the same project. The second building is the former Northern Bank, located just across the road, which will be converted into serviced apartments.’

The planning application was approved by the Planning Committee at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in January 2019.

Mr Rana acknowledged the support the project has received from the Council, saying ‘The Council have been supportive of this project from the start. The economic development team and elected representatives understand the need to restore these buildings, which are located at the heart of an area that has been designated as in need of regeneration by the Department for Communities.

He went on ‘Our investment across the two buildings will total £10m and will create 48 jobs during the construction phase and a further 48 direct and indirect jobs when open and trading.

‘Our target now is to complete the project by the start of 2025 to be ready for the return of the Open Championship. That sounds a long way off, but with a lengthy lead-in time for detail design and contractor tendering, and up to 22 months for site works, we really need to have planning permission granted this spring to hit that target. The Council voted in favour of the planning application 3 years ago. We are now hopeful that the Department for Infrastructure will give the go-ahead to this important project.’

Mr Rana concluded ‘We have a number of projects that are good to go in Belfast, but we are desperate to invest outside of the city for our first time. So many people have commented on how much Portrush and the North Coast need this hotel and I am optimistic we can soon deliver this for the area.’