Birmingham is officially Britain's second city and a manufacturing, engineering and commercial powerhouse. Located at the center of England, this hard-working city was once known as "The Workshop of the World." Its great manufacturing and engineering tradition is the foundation of its current reputation as one of Britain's most important commercial centers. Birmingham meeting venues reflect much of this history.
Birmingham International Airport (BHX) is a thriving modern airport located just six miles to the east of Birmingham. It handles approximately 9 million passengers each year, served by regular direct services to North America, India and many other global destinations. Birmingham is also served by excellent motorway and high-speed rail services, connecting with all of Britain's major cities, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff, Bristol and Plymouth.
Chief among Birmingham convention venues is the National Exhibition Centre, which is also one of Europe's largest convention and exhibition venues. Located eight miles to the east of the city and adjacent to BHX, the National Exhibition Centre is a huge 620-acre exhibition venue offering 2.15 million square feet of flexible, multi-purpose exhibition space in 20 massive and interconnecting halls, making it one of Europe's finest trade fair venues. Situated alongside the NEC is the LG Arena, which recently held Rotary International's 100th Convention Plenary Sessions, accommodating all 16,000 delegates. Meanwhile, in the city center, the International Convention Centre (ICC) provides 10 halls and 10 executive meeting rooms capable of accommodating up to 8,000 delegates in a superb modern environment.
This thriving commercial city is also famous for its high-energy downtown area, which includes the world-class Birmingham Symphony Hall, the National Indoor Arena, the International Convention Centre and a wealth of shops, restaurants, hotels, bars and nightclubs.
Hotel venues in Birmingham comprise more that 27,000 hotel beds in and around the city center, Birmingham's hotel stock includes some of the UK's finest business accommodations, including the Hyatt Regency, the Hotel Du Vin, the Copthorne, the Crown Plaza, the Malmaison and the spectacular Radisson Blu along with a range of other properties to suit every budget and every taste.
Other central and unusual venues for meetings or corporate hospitality events include the historic Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the Birmingham Town Hall and the world-class Birmingham Symphony Hall.
There's also a wonderful range of dining venues in Birmingham, led by two Michelin-starred venues, Simpsons and Purnells; as well as a range of excellent traditional eateries. Birmingham is also famous for its authentic ethnic cooking, especially the ubiquitous “Balti” curry, said to be named after the cast-iron pot that the food is cooked in.
