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Jun 2020

Last Updated: 19/06/2020

Business

Harrogate Convention Centre ready to re-open in September

by Vicky Carr

| 19 Jun, 2020

With the NHS Nightingale set to move out at the end of July, Harrogate Convention Centre is bringing in new measures to keep events operating safely from September. The news has been welcomed by local hospitality businesses.

Harrogate Convention Centre's was set to host the Conservative Party Spring Forum in early April.

Major events could return to Harrogate Convention Centre in the autumn, according to the council, bringing a much-needed boost to the local economy.

The centre is currently occupied by the NHS Nightingale hospital, but with the current contract set to run out at the end of July, discussions are being held with event holders to enable visitors to be welcomed safely..

Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the convention centre, said it is awaiting confirmation from the NHS about whether the contract will continue, but in the meantime is working to ready itself for events to return when government guidance allows.

The convention centre is offering additional space for free, including its landmark auditorium, in order to enable social distancing. A spokesman for the council said:

"Much work will need to be done to return the convention centre back to normal from its role as a Nightingale hospital supporting the national response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“That will involve more than just cleaning. We will be putting measures in place to ensure future events can go ahead safely and in line with social distancing rules.

“We look forward to welcoming back clients as soon as we are able to.”

A convention centre document shows that measures being planned include social distancing signs and markers, checking the temperature of everyone entering the building, and working with organisers to implement one-way systems around the venue. Male and female toilets could be opened to all visitors at events where there is a heavier attendance by one gender, and a holding area could be introduced outside the venue for queuing.

The venue is also looking at introducing cameras which allow visitor density to be checked to help organisers and convention centre staff to identify any areas where social distancing needs to be enforced. Longer days and extra dates are also being offered to organiser to help spread visitors over a longer period of time.

Sandra Doherty, Chief Executive of Harrogate District Chamber Commerce, said events returning to the convention centre would be "fantastic news for Harrogate's hospitality industry and the town itself". She added:

“Some accommodation providers had feared the convention centre and exhibition halls might have been out of commission until next spring, which would have been a disaster for many of them.

“Those who rely on the conference and exhibition trade can now look ahead to the rest of the year with a little more certainty. October and November are particular busy months, with the halls hosting a number of major shows, including Country Living and Knitting and Stitching.

“The creation of the Nightingale Hospital in the Convention Centre put Harrogate centre stage in the fight against Covid-19. Being able to host a 500-bed emergency hospital demonstrates its capabilities. We now need to capitalise on this and use it as a powerful selling tool to win new conferences, event and fairs.”

Among those preparing to go ahead are the Knitting & Stitching Show in November and the Country Living Christmas Fair in December, both run by Upper Street Events, which has been liaising with the convention centre. A spokesman said:

"The venue advised us some time back that they would be contracted with the NHS until the end of July. They then plan a deep clean and to complete some development work, they will be operational for ‘normal’ business from September.

"For this reason, we are continuing to plan the events. We are expecting some detail in the next few weeks on how the events industry should unlock and we will then be able to give guidance on visitor and exhibitors expectation, as you will have seen from other industries such as retail."

Meanwhile, the Homebuilding and Renovating Show, has been postponed from November to February next year, with organisers also planning to return to their normal November dates at the end of 2021.

Comic convention Thought Bubble has also announced that this year's event will be virtual and it plans to return to the convention centre in 2021.