Michael Williams explains how the Winter Gardens Blackpool is working hand-in-hand with the local council to ensure the venue is a key part of the town ’ s levelling up agenda

ow the largest venue of its kind in the North of England , the Winter Gardens Blackpool state-of-the-art Conference and Exhibition Centre opened its doors in February 2022 following multi-million-pound investment from multiple stakeholders .

The £ 30m funding for the development was jointly provided by Blackpool Council , Growth Deal ( Lancashire LEP ), Coastal Community Fund and Blackpool Entertainment Company Ltd , with the clear aim

of providing a world-class experience for conference and exhibitions customers from across the UK and the world .

The Conference and Exhibition Centre ’ s own 2,400sqm of dedicated ‘ blank canvas ’ space can be adapted exactly to specific event themes and requirements .

High tech partitioning technology allows single events within the space to be divided into individual experiences , such as a main conference area linking to breakout rooms , dining spaces or other uses . State-of-the art audio and visual technology , with specialised acoustics , means sound quality is maintained throughout .

Adjoining the historic , existing Winter Gardens complex , the new Conference and Exhibition Centre is split over two floors , with an exhibition space on the first floor and a conference space with a capacity of 1,200 on the second floor .

The Conference and Exhibition Centre itself can then be further

“ While keen to maintain the historic elements that contribute to the town ’ s huge , unique , iconic appeal , Blackpool is also undergoing massive changes and developments that support its place as an attractive , modern conferencing destination .“

- Michael Williams

connected to the wider venue , as required , with each individual space providing its own unique character and experience , from the famous Empress Ballroom to the Arena , Spanish Hall , the Pavilion and Horseshoe , through to the Olympia Exhibition Hall and the Opera House , as well as the Baronial Hall , Derham Lounge and Renaissance Room .

Together , the new Conference and Exhibition Centre and Winter Gardens provide 12 distinct venues , all under one roof , offering a total of 4.9 acres of connected conference , meeting , event and exhibition space , with a total event capacity of over 7,000 .

But while significant investment has been put into providing a first-class conference and exhibition experience inside the venue , that works comes within the context of a much wider investment programme in Blackpool itself .

While keen to maintain the historic elements that contribute to the town ’ s huge , unique , iconic appeal , Blackpool is also undergoing massive changes and developments that support its place as an attractive , modern conferencing destination . Major developments include :

Superfast broadband

In 2021 , Blackpool was connected to the North Atlantic Loop , a much-anticipated connection to a subsea , fibre optic cable network under the Irish Sea , that has the capability to deliver some of the world ’ s fastest , most resilient internet speeds , securing