Destination
I
f you mention Birmingham or
the West Midlands in the world
of exhibitions, one particular venue
comes to mind: the NEC.
The 182,000sqm venue is the
biggest in the UK and has been
a central part of the country’s
thriving exhibition ecosystem since
it first opened in 1976. The NEC
Group was purchased by private
equity giant Blackstone in 2018 for
a reported £800m, which hints at
further evolution on the horizon.
But, as Kathryn James, managing
director – conventions & exhibitions
at the NEC Group, tells EN, the
venue is just one element of a region
that should be extremely attractive
to organisers.
“Birmingham stands proudly
on the world-stage as a confident,
ambitious and aspirational city,
shown in our people, our culture
and our ambitious personality to be
a city always evolving and always
striving to provide visitors with
fresh and exciting experiences,”
she explains. “Fuelled by the
youngest population in Europe, with
a rich history and diverse mix of
nationalities, a world-class cultural
scene, Michelin-starred dining
and titles for having the highest
quality of life and being the most
entrepreneurial UK city outside of
London, Birmingham is a dynamic
destination that delivers.”
Suzanna Reid Barreiro da Silva,
commercial director at Unique
Venues Birmingham, adds:
“Birmingham is 130 years old and
over the years has transformed into
a highly diverse, multicultural city.
It is one of the most vibrant cities in
the country and is full of confidence,
aspiration and spirit. With the
wonderful unique venues that
the city has to offer and with the
multimillion investments underway
across the city, Birmingham is a key
destination for events.”
The central position of
Birmingham within the UK, and the
easy connectivity, is another major
pull.
“We benefit massively from our
venues being so easily accessible by
air, rail and road,” continues James.
“This means delegates can reach
their destination with ease, while
organisers can be confident that
their events will grow in venues
where anything is possible.”
For both Birmingham and the
West Midlands as a whole, there
are exciting developments on
the horizon, adds Nicola Hewitt,
commercial director at the West
Midlands Growth Company: “These
are unprecedented times for the
West Midlands, with domestic
and international visitor numbers
at record levels, and the region
welcoming the highest proportion of
business visits of all UK areas.
“With Birmingham hosting the
Commonwealth Games in 2022
and two new HS2 stations opening
four years later, this is the West
Midlands’ time to shine. We invite
organisers to come and speak to us
to find out how they can join forces
with a confident, dynamic region,
which hosts events like no other.”
Having benefitted from arguably
the biggest investment into its
offering in Europe in recent years,
Birmingham also boasts the most
inward investment from overseas
and UK businesses over any other
UK region outside of central
London. The city centre itself has
benefitted from a development ‘Big
City’ plan, that launched in 2012
and which, over two decades, will
continue to act as an umbrella for
over £5bn worth developments,
which will drive more new business
to the city.” EN
The epicentre of
UK events
Birmingham and the West Midlands have a
comprehensive event offering, and big changes on
the horizon. EN take a trip up north to learn more
The ICC in
Birmingham, part
of the NEC Group
May — 29