Tory pledge positions Birmingham as ‘conference central’
THE pledge by the Conservatives to hold another three party conferences in Birmingham is further testament that the city is no longer seen as ‘too far north’, the director of the city’s largest independent conference venue has said.
An announcement at their party conference last month revealed that the Conservatives will return to Birmingham in 2016, 2018 and 2020 – giving the city a £50m boost – despite Labour leader Sir Albert Bore ruling out council funding for political events.
The Conservatives were not the only politicians in the city this year, however, with the Green Party also holding their autumn conference at city centre venue Conference Aston last month. These are just two examples which reinforce the industry research that named Birmingham as the most popular destination outside London for meetings, conferences and events last year.
Lucy Talbot, director at Conference Aston, has said she has heard comments from delegates all year round stating that they enjoyed coming to Birmingham, with bookers thinking it is no longer out of reach for events which would usually have been restricted to the capital.
She said: “A major conference client recently said it was ‘refreshing’ to get out of London and commented on how much better they were looked after in Birmingham. The city-wide modernisation and investment is now dispelling long-held myths that we fail to live up to second city status.
“By an increasingly vocal majority, it is no longer considered too far north and has instead become the natural place to host national conferences, carving out a reputation as a leading destination for business tourism.”
Conference Aston has recently finished a £5.4m redevelopment of its 30 meetings rooms, dining facilities and 163 four-star standard bedrooms and, while this is a drop in the ocean compared to other work in the city, Ms Talbot said this was a trend which needed to continue.
“Pivotal to the success has been the tremendous investment and the reputation of Birmingham is on the up. Convenience, 21st century infrastructure and talented people are our key assets and we should be rightly proud of our existing achievements,” she said.
“The flagship transformation of New Street station into the central hub of the British railway system is making waves. The planned HS2 line will bring more economic prosperity and new hotels, businesses and wider innovation are backed up by a vibrant nightlife, first class universities and even the city centre trams to come.
“It is now vital, in such a competitive national and international marketplace, for Birmingham to further enhance our reputation and prepare for the challenges ahead. The collective aim must be to make Birmingham the first city in as many ways as possible, so we must retain our pool of talent, attract new visitors and be ready to capitalise on the recovering economy.”
