Conference Venues Birmingham

Birmingham is widely regarded as England’s second city and provides a perfect location for a conference; it is in the middle of England and is easily accessible by all forms of transport.

The city is constantly improving to cater for events such as conferences and exhibitions, and this is to be expected as it is the fourth-most visited city in the UK from foreign visitors. There is an endless list of hotels to choose from within Birmingham, with over 27,000 beds and a similar amount of car parking spaces. 

The origins of Birmingham go right back to the Roman era. It is thought that Romans settled after the invasion of Britain in the first century, and built a fort and civilian settlements whilst they were here. After this, little is known until the middle ages about Birmingham until it is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. In the 12th century, Birmingham was given a charter to open a market, known as The Bull Ring, which is still there today, albeit in a slightly more modern form compared to almost 900 years ago. Trading grew in the town, particularly with wool, and it became an important centre for traders from nearby towns getting their required goods. Textiles remained an important industry right through to the 17th century in the Birmingham area until the emergence of the metal industry. During this time, English Civil War broke out, with Birmingham reportedly providing much of the materials to supply weapons for the parliamentarian forces. The industrial revolution began and helped shape Birmingham for the future. Transport was greatly increased, with the arrivals of canals and railways helping Birmingham establish itself. The Second World War badly affected Birmingham, with thousands of people killed and more injured. During the blitz, thousands of homes and hundreds of factories were destroyed which meant Birmingham underwent major regeneration. The development has continued through to today, and has created some world class conference and exhibition venues in Birmingham such as the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and the International Convention Centre (ICC). 

A good conference away is usually defined, not by the conference itself, but the location and things you can do away from working. It’s a tough choice of what activities and attractions to recommend in Birmingham because there are actually so many options and it depends on the different tastes and personality of visitors. Aston Hall is one of Birmingham’s treasures. It features an art gallery, a sporting achievements section, and a history of Birmingham and a display of key events that happened in the region’s past.  If you fancy catching a film in a unique environment, then a visit to Electric Cinema is worthwhile. It was built in 1909 and is the oldest working cinema in the UK today, with decor styled from the 1930s. If seeing modern things is more your thing then Birmingham will not disappoint. The LG Arena shows performances throughout the year from musicians from around the world. For those who prefer retail therapy away from work, The Bull Ring offers the usual high street shops and brands in one space. 

Within Birmingham there are over 200 restaurants which cook cuisine from 27 different areas of the world. For those with a spicy pallet, Birmingham is particularly famed for its Indian and Bangladeshi food, in particular the balti dish. This has led to parts of the city becoming nicknamed the ‘Balti Mile’ and another area the ‘Balti Triangle.’ The Lasan Restaurant also won the title ‘Best Local Restaurant’ on acclaimed chef Gordon Ramsay’s ‘The F Word’.

It isn’t just the food in Birmingham that has been nationally recognised. Conference Aston has been recognised nationally with awards for hosting big events. There are many hotels in Birmingham that can match precise specifications and requirements of conference holders.  

Birmingham is easily reachable by road, rail and air. The motorways M5, M6 and M42 give easy and quick access into Birmingham. Birmingham International Airport is just 10 miles away from the centre, whilst Birmingham New Street train station is in the middle of the city centre.

Birmingham has all that there is to offer. Business, accommodation, food, entertainment and a good nightlife are all readily available in Britain’s second city.

View all conference venues in Birmingham