Weston Park

A city-wide makeover, a host of major exhibitions centres and innumerable meetings venues have changed Birmingham’s fortunes. Ben Lerwill takes a look at seven very different locations

BIRMINGHAM'S reputation has come on so far in recent times that to even mention smoke stacks and post-industrial gloom seems hackneyed. England’s second city has been transformed both physically and mentally – extensive renovations and restorations around the centre have kept the ugly jibes to a minimum, while in more general terms the city has dev-eloped into a genuine cultural hub and can boast of being the continent’s busiest convention city.

Hundreds of major conferences, exhibitions and events take place each year, largely thanks to the city’s household name venues – the NEC, the NIA and ICC. A mixture of easy transport links, flexible facilities and quality service means their popularity will certainly continue, while countless other Birmingham venues have real industry appeal for precisely the same reasons. The convention bureau describes its product as ‘Europe’s finest event city’, and there’s more than enough variety to bring substance to this claim.   

Wow Factor
Name: Ardencote Manor Hotel & Spa
Address: Lye Green Road, Claverdon,
Warwick, CV35 8LT
Tel: 01926 843111
Email: katymacvarish@ardencote.com
Web: www.ardencote.com

Set in its own 42-acre grounds on the outskirts of Birmingham, Ardencote is a classic country pile with strong appeal for business groups. There are no less than 16 conference suites on site (the largest of which can take up to 250 delegates), with 75 suitably grand bedrooms to cater for overnight events. Its meeting capabilities are just half the charm, of course – it also boasts the double rosette-winning Lodge Bar & Restaurant, a nine-hole golf course and extensive leisure facilities. In addition, The Ardencote Spa offers a comprehensive range of therapeutic, holistic and stress-busting treatments – just the thing to recuperate from intensive brainstorming. The property recently won Large Hotel of the Year at the Heart of England Tourism Awards.

Quirky Venue
Name: Teamworks Karting
Address: 202 Fazeley Street, Birmingham, B5 5SE
Tel: 0870 900 3020
Email: info@teamworkskarting.com
Web: www.teamworkskarting.com

Teamworks Karting sits just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre, though pedestrianism will be the last thing on your mind when you get there. The high-octane venue is home to the fastest karts in Europe and a 750m indoor race track. Corporate groups can don personalised race suits, receive safety and instruction briefings, then make like Schumacher and go head-to-head with colleagues. For less pacey purposes, there are three different exclusive-hire function spaces on site, including a conference area for up to 150 and a briefing room for up to 96. The venue’s own catering team can meet particular event requirements.       

New Kid on the Block
Name: Radisson SAS Hotel
Address: 12 Holloway Circus, Birmingham, B1 1BT
Tel: 0121 654 6000
Email: info.birmingham@radissonsas.com
Web: www.birmingham.radissonsas.com

The Radisson SAS Birmingham, officially inaugurated in January 2006, is a winner for a number of reasons. Its glass 39-storey design is spectacular, its location is virtually unbeatable and its meeting facilities are extensive. The second and third floors of the 211-room property are dedicated to business events, offering 10 different meeting spaces. The largest of these, the Lunar Suite, can take 130 theatre-style. Additional perks for guests include free broadband, a gym and spa.   

Money No Object
Name: Weston Park
Address: Weston-under-Lizard, Nr Shifnal, Shropshire, TF11 8LE
Tel: 01952 852100
Email: enquiries@weston-park.com
Web: www.weston-park.com

Weston Park is one of the convention bureau’s furthest lying members, but the chance to hold an event in centuries-old opulence among original Gainsboroughs and Constables makes both the transfer (30 minutes from central Birmingham) and the expense worthwhile. Over 1,000 acres of parkland mean that outdoor activities are readily available, while meeting and dining options are similarly rife indoors. Up to 120 delegates can be accommodated for conferences, with larger numbers possible in marquees, while guided tours of one of the country’s most prestigious stately homes can be incorporated into dinner packages for all those history buffs among your guests.

On a Shoestring
Name: Aston University
Address: Conference Aston, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET
Tel: 0121 204 3011
Email: conferenceaston@aston.ac.uk
Web: www.aston.ac.uk/conferences

Academic venues often provide attractive solutions for groups on a budget, and so it proves with Aston University. A sizeable campus means a wide scope of different venues, ranging from the main building’s Great Hall – which can accommodate up to 900 delegates – to over 50 smaller seminar and syndicate rooms. The university also boasts three further conference suites, each holding between 100 and 200, and 16 lecture theatres. All in all, you’re unlikely to find it fully booked.  

Wired Up
Name: Thinktank at Millennium Point
Address: Curzon Street, Birmingham B4 7XG
Tel: 0121 202 2333
Email: events@thinktank.ac
Web: www.thinktank.ac

Technology is very much the name of the game at Thinktank – the entire complex was designed to embrace and examine scientific progress. Part-museum, part-live events venue, the city centre attraction has forged a name for itself as one of Birmingham’s top meeting venues since its 2001 opening. Facilities are numerous. The 180-seat Thinktank Theatre offers capabilities for both video-conferencing and delegate voting, while for larger events the venue can provide a temporary exhibition hall and the 3,600m2 open-air Millennium Square. Also on site is an IMAX theatre – complete with a 70ft-wide screen – and the recently unveiled 70-seat Planetarium, showcasing the latest in digital technology.  

Small But Perfectly Formed
Name: The Coleshill Hotel & Function Centre
Address: 152-156 High Street, Coleshill, Warwickshire, B46 3BG
Tel: 01675 465527
Email: 9130@greeneking.co.uk
Web: www.coleshillhotel.com

Just out of town and sitting three miles from both the NEC and Birmingham Airport, The Coleshill Hotel is one for smaller groups in search of a homely, effective venue. The hotel itself boasts just 23 bedrooms but compensates with a bucketload of traditional appeal. There are four separate event areas, including the restaurant, which can take up to 60, The Nook, ideal for intimate functions and holding just 10, and the Cameo Suite, a one-time cinema which has been renovated to accommodate meetings for up to 200 delegates.

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