There’s a feel good factor about Bournemouth that makes it a very special place to be. We call it our coastal vibe. And it’s highly infectious.
It’s where top live acts, businesses and influential groups come to make a big splash – using Bournemouth’s dynamic feel and stunning location to bring audiences and delegates in their thousands to our venues.
Everywhere you look in the centre of town, you can see cranes and construction teams at work. It’s evidence of an upwardly mobile destination basking in commercial confidence and investment.
More than £220 million of public and private sector funding is currently being pumped into Bournemouth – from the airport at Hurn all the way down to the seafront. Under construction are new and refurbished hotels, a new shopping and entertainment complex, new apartment blocks and studio accommodation, a new train station frontage and a radically upgraded transport infrastructure to connect it all together.
Our two universities are a major attraction for the best creative talent. Students from both Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth have won Oscars and BAFTAs. So good is the student experience, many stay here to work and start businesses. Big names in insurance and healthcare settle here to recruit from a huge pool of local talent. In February 2015, the town won the accolade of being the UK’s fastest growing digital economy.
In the middle of it all – right on the coast – sits Bournemouth International Centre, the South Coast’s largest and most versatile event venue, and its vintage, Art Deco neighbour, Bournemouth Pavilion.
Aside from the big gigs and touring shows, these venues bring new money into the local economy every year through conferences, exhibitions and gala occasions. That’s around £46 million to secure the future of hotels, shops, bars and restaurants – the beating heart of any town centre.
While they may not have the following of Kaiser Chiefs, the charisma of Peter Pan, or the ooh-aah appeal of Wheels or the Bournemouth Air Festival, these events give thousands of professional delegates the chance to experience our unique brand of hospitality for the first time. So if you’re here for a conference or business meeting, be warned. Once you get that coastal vibe, you’re hooked!
2015 conference and exhibition agenda in brief
JUNE
- Association of Breast Surgery
- Royal College of Nursing
- Trading Standards Institute
AUGUST
- Bournemouth Film and Comic Con
SEPTEMBER
- Liberal Democrats
- Rotary District 1070
- Green Party
- Bournemouth Pavilion Wedding Show
OCTOBER
- Rotary 1145
- Society of Local Authority Chief Executives
- National Children & Adult Services
- Rotary District 1120
- Ladies Association of Barbershop Singers
- Skipper Expo Int.
See bic.co.uk for further details
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Notes to the editor
About BH Live
BH Live is the South Coast’s leading operator of leisure and event venues – a social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives. With over 2.5 million visits a year and over £31 million turnover, the organisation is changing lives – placing it at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy.
In 2013/14, BH Live hosted 423 shows, sold over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment tickets, clocked up 1.8 million leisure centre visits and welcomed 88,000 conference and exhibition delegates which contributed over £45 million to the local economy.
For further press information:
Elizabeth Symmons
PR & Corporate Communications Executive, BH Live
Elizabeth.Symmons@bhlive.co.uk
01202 451866