§ Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ What assessment they have made of the activities of the Northern Ireland Events Company since its creation. [HL45]
§ Baroness AmosAn evaluation of the achievements and considerations for the future of the Northern Ireland Events Company was carried out in 2000. A further review was carried out in 2003. Both reviews recognised the importance of events to Northern Ireland and the contribution of the Northern Ireland Events Company. The 2003 review pointed out that the full potential for an events strategy was not being realised due to the lack of a coherent integrated events and tourism strategy. Excellent Events now features as one of the five winning themes within the NITB Tourism in Northern Ireland strategic framework for action 2004–07. Ongoing discussions about the future arrangements for events are taking place with DETI and NITB.