Wates Construction, the contractor responsible for building the venue's 68,000 sq m new exhibition space and additional car parking facilities, held the event to celebrate the placement of the building's roof.
The development includes two new event halls totalling 3,300 square metres. Providing an extra 20% capacity, and with its improved flexibility, it will allow multiple events to run alongside each other.
The 'topping out' ceremony, also attended by senior figures from Harrogate's council and community, is a pagan tradition historically held to bring luck when construction of the upper most point of a new building is complete.
To mark the occasion, Wates Construction presented HIC Director, Angus Houston, with gifts customary of topping out, a yew tree, to be placed on the upper most part of the building to appease tree-dwelling spirits: wheat to symbolise abundance; and oil to signigy liberty and prosperity.
Cllr Mackenzie, who is also Chair of the HIC Board, commented: "This is a very important development for Harrogate International Centre, and demonstrates our confidence in the successful future for our venue. The fact that the project is on time and on budget is to the credit of the council's officers, our consultants, and to Wates Construction. We are also very grateful to Yorkshire Forward for their substantial contribution and for their unfailing support at all times".
Angus Houston, Director of HIC, added: "The ceremony marks the next stage in our development. The new halls will soon be open brining more visitors than ever to the centre and to the town. It is a very exciting time."
Dave Price, Business Unit Director for Wates Construction, Yorkshire, commented: "Wates Construction is very prod to be part of such a high profile project for HIC. This topping out ceremony symbolises a big step in the construction process and it is important to mark build milestones to acknowledge what has been achieved and to punctuate our progress in the delivery of this significant project".