EUROPE – The Brighton Centre, situated on the UK’s south coast, says events hosted by the venue in 2012 boast an economic impact of £170m (US$267m).
The figure is a 25 per cent increase on the same period in 2010, prior to its renovation, according to venue chiefs.
“Despite challenging financial times and an ever growing competitive market, since our renovation we have seen a rise in new bookings, as well as some very high profile events,” says Howard Barden, General Manager of the Brighton Centre.
In 2012, the Brighton Centre won the Labour Party Conference for 2013, welcomed the Council of Europe to host its penultimate UK event and hosted the Liberal Democrats’ Autumn Conference. Other non-political events included, the Association of British Neurologists Conference, Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Conference, Brighton Marathon pre-race event, the Taekwon-Do World Cup and the Tesco Wine Fair.
As part of the refurbishment, which completed in early 2012, works have stripped back the interior of the venue, extending the venue’s useable footprint by 620sqm. Both auditoria received new seating, the entire venue was redecorated and rebranded, and state-of-the-art technology was also installed. The venue has made use of new floor-to-ceiling windows in the foyer and restaurant, allowing a panoramic view of the historic Brighton seafront.
“The refurbishment programme has greatly enhanced the delegate and visitor experience, keeping the venue competitive and relevant on both the national and international conference venue scene,” says Howard. “We now see the Centre as being an extremely competitive facility, proven by client bookings made, extending right up until 2024, and enquiries as far ahead as 2030.”
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