The International Development Research Council (IDRC), the world's leading professional association for corporate real estate executives, will hold its annual world congress in the Waterfront Hall in the Laganside, Belfast in September. The IDRC said the decision to choose Belfast acknowledged the progress made by groups like Investment Belfast and the Laganside Development Corporation in transforming the Laganside area into "a thriving hub for business investment, high-tech employment, culture and sports". The council has more than 3,200 members worldwide and Michael Graham, of the Valuation and Lands Agency in Belfast, is IDRC's local representative.