The Birmingham area has long been touted as one of the best places for conferences in the UK. Its relatively central location and good travel links make it easy to get to for international meetings, and there are many fantastic conference venues in and around the Birmingham and Solihull area that organisations can take advantage of.
If proof was needed of this, one needs look no further than recent statistics from Birmingham's hotel industry. The sector has seen a major boost in occupancy rates recently, and the number of conferences being held in the city is thought to be why.
In September, 82 per cent of all the hotel rooms in Birmingham were booked out. This is an increase of seven per cent compared to September 2013, as well as being 16 per cent higher than August 2014. Overall, this is the highest rate of occupancy the Birmingham hotel industry has seen since records began in 2003.
So what has caused this sudden rise in hotel occupancy? According to the experts, it is the number of conferences held in the city. Emma Gray, director of marketing services for Marketing Birmingham, said: "The sheer number of high-profile events taking place in September has generated an unprecedented peak in hotel occupancy across the city.
"From conferences and concerts to sporting fixtures and exhibitions, Birmingham is well placed to accommodate its growing number of national and international guests." The city is the most popular destination for events outside London, which is no surprise.
Businesses in the Birmingham and Solihull area are very used to accommodating guests from a variety of backgrounds, as they have plenty of experience in doing so! Venues like Cranmore Park have excellent facilities in order to provide conference delegates with everything they need.
"The city is perfectly placed to host events of this scale and prestige – so it is welcome news that hotels across Birmingham are taking advantage of this valuable opportunity," said Michael Mason, general manager of the Crowne Plaza Birmingham City Centre hotel.
