Welcome to the Meeting and Event Planning Guide to Birmingham, a city guide for meeting professionals. Birmingham's unique mix of charm and character, paired with its reputation as the cultural center of Alabama, make it one of the finest meeting locales in the southern U.S. As the state's largest city, Birmingham's popularity stems from its true Southern soul, made apparent in every lushly green park, cozy restaurant and intriguing museum, as well as by its and friendly population. What's most captivating about Birmingham is its remarkable balance of urban and country atmosphere – the city is modern and exciting, yet nestled within a verdant, beautiful setting.
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, located less than seven miles from the downtown area, serves Birmingham and the surrounding region. The airport sees roughly 130 daily flights to 50 airports in 47 U.S. cities. Passenger services include free terminal-wide Wi-Fi, a business center and variety of full-service restaurants and shops. For added convenience, Birmingham is served by the 200-square-mile Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA), which serves Birmingham and surrounding Jefferson County cities. BJCTA operates 32 public bus routes and three downtown Dart Circulator routes, providing direct service to many of Birmingham's attractions and points of interest, including the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), which lies along the Dart Circulator Blue Line.
Lending to Birmingham's reputation as a world-class meeting locale, the city's impressive, cutting-edge BJCC is a sprawling venue located in the downtown district. Within a short distance of a variety of restaurants and entertainment options, the BJCC is only 7 minutes from the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. The BJCC offers such spaces as a 220,000-square-foot Exhibition Hall, 19,000-seat Arena, 3,000-seat Concert Hall and 1,071-seat Theater, in addition to 72 meeting rooms totaling 100,000 square feet of space – not to mention the 10-story Medical Forum facility equipped with cutting-edge technology and meeting spaces. What's more, the BJCC also features the on-site 757-room Sheraton Birmingham Hotel.
Birmingham offers many downtown attractions and cultural sites, many of which double as fantastic meeting venues. Get back to nature at the Vulcan Park and Museum, a 10-acre park atop Red Mountain, offering spectacular views of downtown Birmingham. The park is home to the 56-foot-tall statue of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge that has acted as a Birmingham icon since 1904. The Vulcan Center Museum features the private Electra Event Room with space for up to 200 guests, while the City Overlook outdoor patio can accommodate 250 guests. Oak Mountain State Park allows guests to get close-up views of hawks and owls in their natural habitat, thanks to its Treetop Nature Trail, as well as features an 18-hole golf course, two fishing lakes and a meeting room with vaulted ceilings and large windows overlooking the grounds. Barber Motorsports Park, home to the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama and its Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, home to more than 1,200 vintage and modern motorcycles, invite groups of up to 900 to slow down and enjoy its private event spaces. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute chronicle the civil rights journey through a series of moving exhibitions, as well as houses such private event spaces as its 300-person Rotunda. Finally, the interactive, sleek McWane Science Center is home to four floors of hands-on science exhibits geared towards all ages – who wouldn't want to climb inside the center's Hurricane Booth and experience Category 1 hurricane-force winds – as well as private rental spaces for up to 5,000 guests.
Birmingham's major industries include manufacturing, banking, insurance, medicine, publishing and biotechnology. Higher learning also holds a strong presence in the city, as Birmingham is home to such schools as the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Southeastern Bible College and Samford University.
