More than £200 million of public and private investment in hotels, retail units, transport links and venues, along with a thriving creative and digital industry, are revitalising Bournemouth as the must-do destination for business events.
New research from the National Coastal Tourism Academy (NCTA) also reports a revival in coastal tourism and encourages local organisations to work together to attract more business events and support economic growth. It says, “The most successful destinations are those that have had strong leadership, a clear strategy for destination management and collaborative partnerships across the public, private and tertiary sectors. Establishing the right product market fit for each destination is essential.”
Next week, a team from Bournemouth International Centre will present Bournemouth’s proposition in coastal business events to influential buyers attending The Meetings Show at London’s Olympia.
Social enterprise BH Live, who operates the venue, is working with town partners to pull together all that Bournemouth offers in venues, accommodation, hospitality and attractions to create a portfolio of exciting, value-added products to tie in with client event objectives, values and themes.
“Aside from the scale and flexibility of the town’s main business event venue, Bournemouth International Centre, customer feedback and research tell us that destination plays a huge role in bringing a more diverse range of events to the region,”
says BH Live Director of Venues, Pat Coyne.
“The Meetings Show is a great platform to show all that we offer and we’re looking forward to a busy and productive show.”
Visit the team on stand J200, AIM Pavilion, The Meetings Show, 14-16 June 2016.
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Notes to the editor
For further information about BH Live and Bournemouth International Centre contact;
Elizabeth Symmons, PR & Corporate Communications Executive, BH Live
Elizabeth.Symmons@bhlive.org.uk
About Bournemouth International Centre (BIC)
Bournemouth International Centre is managed and operated by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council. Hosting over 45 conferences and exhibitions a year and with licensed capacity for 10,000 delegates, it is the South’s largest and most versatile event venue. The centre attracts major players in the public and private sector, bringing millions of pounds into the local economy through employment, business tourism and partner organisations.
More than 118,000 people attended business events at Bournemouth International Centre in 2015/2016, boosting the local economy by an estimated £53.7million through business tourism. Clients included the Royal College of Nursing, Liberal Democrats, Green Party and the Trading Standards Institute.
The next 12 months are looking equally buoyant, with GMB, LGA, the Association of Stoma Care Nurses, Royal College of Emergency Medicine, and the Association of Surgeons in Training all choosing the coastal destination to debate hot topics and shape the agenda for their sectors.
Bournemouth has also been singled out by Technation as the fastest growing digital economy in the UK with a vibrant, start-up business community. Bournemouth International Centre has been awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the second year running and BH Live’s Hospitality team won this year’s Bournemouth Tourism Award for Best Dining Experience.
For more visit bic.co.uk
About the National Coastal Tourism Academy (NCTA)
The National Coastal Tourism Academy (NCTA) works to accelerate growth in the visitor economy focused on improving the visitor experience, supporting industry and bridging gaps in research for coastal tourism development. For more on the latest 2016 Coastal Tourism research, visit coastaltourismacademy.co.uk/
About The Meetings Show
Run by Centaur Exhibitions, The Meetings Show is the premier event for the UK inbound and outbound meetings industry. Organised by meeting professionals for meeting professionals, the show features destinations across the UK and around the world, and suppliers ranging from hotels and venues to technology providers and leading industry associations. The Meetings Show’s comprehensive exhibitor list is balanced by a wide ranging education programme featuring around 100 separate sessions, a dedicated conference for meeting professionals working in the association market and extensive networking.
themeetingsshow.com
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 nearly three million visits a year and £35 million turnover, the organisation is changing lives and is at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy.
In 2014/15, BH Live hosted more than 400 shows, sold over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment tickets, clocked up 2.2 million leisure centre visits and welcomed 93,000 conference and exhibition delegates. An estimated £48.5 million was also generated for the local economy. For more visit bhlive.org.uk
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