Open to all businesses in the Borough seeking to build knowledge, understanding and skills to plan and develop future visitor experience product.
The aim of Strand 2 - Capacity Building Workshops is to better equip businesses, those starting out or wishing to gain additional knowledge, in the development and delivery of visitor experiences. It is open to any business based Ards and North Down who are currently running or interested in developing a visitor experience. If not all spaces are filled then consideration will be given to businesses based outside the borough who can deliver an experience within the destination.
If all spaces are not filled, consideration will be then be given to businesses lcoated outside the Borough who will deliver experiences in Ards and North Down in the future.
A series of two hour workshops will help develop skills to enable delegates to ultimately deliver experiences that align with the Tourism Northern Ireland Embrace a Giant Spirit (EAGS) theme. The workshops will be delivered on behalf of Ards and North Down Borough Council by Lara Goodall Consulting, who bring extensive experience in delivering similar programmes across Northern Ireland. These workshops will take place in locations in either Bangor or Newtownards, Tuesday 3rd February 2026 - Tuesday 26th May 2026.
We are delighted to offer this series of workshops, detailed below, to help you build and refine your visitor experience. You may book any or all workshops that interest you however tickets are limited to one ticket per business per workshop. If an additional member of your team also wishes to attend, please answer the question when prompted on the booking link and a member of the Tourism Development team we will contact you if a place becomes available.
Please note that these workshops will be held in Bangor and Newtownards. Please take a note of the venue related to your booking(s). Information on workshop content, venue and dates is below:
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Date | Time
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Venue
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Workshop Content
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3rd February 2026 | 10am
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Ards Blair Mayne Leisure Complex, Newtownards.
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Market Opportunities & Customer Segments -Understand who your priority customers are by exploring NI visitor trends and defining the target markets your experience should focus on.
Register now
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24th February 2026 | 10am
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Bangor City Hall
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Aligning with the Embrace a Giant Spirit Brand -
Learn what makes an experience truly “Embrace a Giant Spirit” and how to design product offerings that are authentic, big-hearted and original, rooted in local stories of land, water, sea and legend.
Register now
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25th March 2026 | 10am - 12noon
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Ards Blair Mayne Leisure Complex, Newtownards
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Ideas Generation & Uniqueness -
Use mapping insights to generate and refine experience ideas, focusing on creating distinctive products that stand out in the Borough’s offer.
Register now
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14th April 2026 | 10am - 12noon
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Bangor City Hall
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Customer Journey Mapping -
Walk through your experience from your visitor’s perspective, identifying key “wow” moments, pain points and improvements to ensure a seamless, memorable journey.
Register now
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5th May 2026 | 10am - 12noon
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Ards Blair Mayne Leisure Complex, Newtownards
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Story crafting for Experience Design -Develop compelling stories that express your local identity and authenticity, and form the foundation for how you present and market your experience.
Register now
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26th May 2026 | 10am - 12noon
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Bangor City Hall
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Commercialising & Selling Your Story -
Turn your developed idea into revenue by learning how to price for trade and consumer markets and choose the right channels to take your product to market.
Register now
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To register your interest please complete the relevant registration form via this link to TicketSource.
For information on Strand 1 - Product Development and Mentoring >> click here
