Harrogate Convention Centre is a
convention and
exhibition centre in
Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa w ...
,
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
History
Previously named Harrogate International Centre it was renamed Harrogate Convention Centre in April 2017. The centre has been described as being a "magnet for business conferences" and generates around £60 million per year into the local economy.
While Harrogate had been hosting conferences and exhibitions since the end of the Second World War, the 2,000-seat main auditorium opened in 1982 and was the host of the
Eurovision Song Contest 1982
The Eurovision Song Contest 1982 was the 27th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Harrogate, United Kingdom, following the country's victory at the with the song "Making Your Mind Up" by Bucks Fizz. Organised by the ...
. The venue has since expanded to include eight exhibition halls offering of space as well as ancillary facilities including a hotel. Further expansion took place between 2009 and 2014.
The Royal Hall holds 1,000 people, whereas the Queen's Suite holds up to 600. The Royal Hall is
grade II* listed building which is a former concert hall designed by
Frank Matcham
Francis Matcham (22 November 1854 – 17 May 1920)Mackintosh, Iain"Matcham, Frank" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, accessed 7 July 2019 was an English architect who specialised in the design o ...
and Robert Beale.
The between April 2013 and December 2018, the director of the conference centre was Simon Kent. Since January 2019, the director is Paula Lorimer.
In April 2020, the centre was converted into an
NHS Nightingale Hospital in response to the
Coronavirus pandemic of 2020. The
centre
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
* Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentri ...
was furnished with 500 beds.
Notable events
The
Liberal Democrats have held the
Liberal Democrat Federal Conference at the centre on six occasions since the party's formation in 1988.
[Roger Mortimore and Andrew Blick, ''Butler's British Political Facts'', Palgrave Macmillan 2018, p. 274 & 275.]
See also
*
List of venues in the United Kingdom
References
External links
Harrogate Convention Centre website
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Harrogate
Exhibition and conference centres in England
Commercial buildings completed in 1982
Event venues established in 1982
1982 establishments in England