Birmingham’s business tourism sector is gearing up for an exciting summer, with the city’s venues already profiting from events moving out of London during the busy Olympic season.
Meet Birmingham, the city’s official business tourism programme, is capitalising on Olympics fever by encouraging organisers to base their events in the West Midlands, following a successful, inaugural Showcase, which gave the region’s venues, accommodation and travel providers the chance to take advantage of over 75 hours’ worth of face-to-face meetings with over 30 national buyers.
The Meet Birmingham Showcase, supported by Chiltern Railways, has already brought in nearly £100,000 in confirmed and provisional business, with more expected to be raised as a result of London’s sporting summer.
Ian Taylor, Commercial Director at Marketing Birmingham, the city’s strategic marketing partnership which operates Meet Birmingham, said:
“Birmingham is the events destination of choice outside of the capital, so it is appropriate that organisers consider the city as the perfect cost effective base, delivering a world-class visitor experience, during what will be an understandably busy London this summer."
“With more than 28,600 bed spaces in the city and wider region, world-class conference facilities and a diverse food scene recently recognised by The New York Times, Birmingham is justifiably proud of its conference and events offering for organisers and delegates.”
Meet Birmingham will be showcasing the city’s reputation as the event industry’s top regional UK location at a series of events in 2012 as it continues to promote itself as the country’s best connected events city.
Taylor continued: “The city is working harder than ever to attract more corporate events to the city.
“International Confex in March and IMEX in May are just two examples of events in this year’s industry calendar where we will be showing off the enviable offering that the city boasts, as we strive to remain the destination of choice in the business tourism world.”
Birmingham is hosting training camps for the two highest-profile international Track and Field teams at the Olympics, the USA and Jamaica, while venues including the Birmingham Hippodrome, Symphony Hall and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery will all be welcoming events as part of the Cultural Olympiad, the largest cultural celebration in modern Olympic Games history.
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