Destination Spotlight: Birmingham

Key Information

Birmingham Population: 1,074,000

Number of venues: 231

Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice

Birmingham Convention Bureau: Meet Birmingham

Birmingham is one of the greenest cities in the UK

Birmingham is an amazing city, not to be underestimated. It’s a city full of surprises and hungry to help event organisers create successful and memorable events.

While London’s history dates back some 2000 years, England’s second city - Birmingham - is a relative youngster. Previously a medium-sized medieval market town, it expanded dramatically during the industrial revolution of the 1700s. Other industrialised northern cities specialised in coal or raw materials and it was Birmingham that made them into products of value. Now the city’s industrial importance has waned, and it has relied on its talent for innovation, to emerge as a cosmopolitan cultural centre, home to Europe’s largest library, the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. It boasts some of the finest German-style Christmas market outside of Germany - large festive extravaganzas with German beer, choirs, carol singing, and festive cheer, lasting from mid-November to just before Christmas Day.

Not surprisingly, Birmingham is a major events and conference destination, with a myriad of superb facilities suitable for events of all kinds.

Key Information

Birmingham Population: 1,074,000

Number of venues: 231

Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice

Birmingham Convention Bureau: Meet Birmingham

Birmingham is one of the greenest cities in the UK

Travel Information

Airport: Birmingham Airport (10 Mins from City Centre)

Trains: Birmingham New Street, Birmingham Moor Street

Buses: Birmingham Coach Station (National Express)

Metro: Travel Midland Metro

Taxis: TOA Taxis, A2B Radio Cars, Castle Cars Taxis

Points of Interest

Conferences & Meetings in Birmingham

Birmingham has developed from its industrial origins into a modern, high-tech, cultural hub with superb transport links and excellent conference and meeting venues. The city’s foremost venues are the International Convention Centre (ICC) and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). ICC has 13 meeting rooms and 20 exhibition auditoriums and NEC, which is located close to the city’s airport, offers numerous meeting rooms and 20 large exhibiting halls - spanning over 200,000 sq metres.

The city has a wide choice of business hotels with more in development. Some primary examples include La Tour with 174 bedrooms and nine function rooms for up to 150 delegates; the Macdonald Burlington, a 16 meeting room, 114 bedroom property. The 212-room Copthorne Birmingham, with six function rooms, has capacity for up to 220 persons and Malmaison Birmingham with its 189 bedrooms, is able to host up to 70 persons in its five meeting rooms.

Birmingham International Airport provides service between many cities in UK and Europe. There’s somewhat limited access to North America with flights to Newark, NJ and New York JFK. With its central location the city is serviced by a good road and rail network to all areas of England, Scotland and Wales.