Tories set to boost Birmingham’s coffers by nearly £20m
BIRMINGHAM stands to receive a near £20m boost to its visitor economy as a result of staging this year’s Conservative Party Conference.
The conference, which is once again being staged at the International Convention Centre, begins on Sunday and runs until Wednesday (October 5).
Estimates calculated by the Marketing Birmingham Regional Observatory, the city’s official research arm, suggests the spend associated with the event will total £19.3m.
The estimate takes into account the spending by an expected 12,000 Conservative Party delegates and a record 1,500 national and international media on accommodation, travel, food & drink and recreation.
Hotel occupancy is set to peak at 98.2% on Tuesday, while an average 92% of city hotel rooms are estimated to be filled during the four-day event.
Cllr John Clancy, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “The conference provides a major opportunity to showcase an optimistic and vibrant Birmingham and I look forward to welcoming people to our young and exciting city.
“But this event is about so much more than visitor numbers.
“Post-Brexit, our cities are more important than ever to the UK economy and we are keen to work closely with ministers to ensure that Birmingham – Europe’s youngest city – plays a key part.”
This year’s conference – Theresa May’s first as Prime Minister – is the fifth to be held in Birmingham since 2008. It is the 13th political event to take place in the city in the last eight years.
Steve Hollis, Deputy and Interim Chair of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP), added: “The Conservatives’ return to the city is a clear endorsement of the party’s confidence in our ability to deliver first-class events.
“Greater Birmingham is one of our country’s economic success stories. It is one of the most enterprising city regions in Europe; its quality of life is attracting skilled workers and renowned employers from all over the UK and abroad.”
The conference is also likely to see the public unveiling of the LEP’s former chairman, John Lewis boss Andy Street, as the Tories’ official candidate for West Midlands Mayor.
Sir Patrick McLoughlin, chairman of the Conservative Party and a Midland MP, said: “We are delighted to be returning to Birmingham. For me it feels a bit like coming home; I grew up a few miles down the road in Cannock and also made my first ever conference address as a Cabinet Minister here.
“Our party is backing Birmingham and the Midlands Engine and has a fantastic relationship with the city – our conference has two more visits in 2018 and 2020 in the pipeline.
“As our new Prime Minister has set out, we are deeply committed to building a country that works for everyone. It is wonderful to see Birmingham thriving and I look forward to our candidate for West Midlands Mayor setting out their plans from the main conference stage, to make this area an even more prosperous and successful part of the country.”
