LATEST NEWS

  • Tue 19 Jan 2010 –  BIC Makes it Mark by Winning New Event –  The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) has definitely made its mark by winning a two day tattoo convention called Bournemouth Ink, crammed full of interesting and unusual entertainment. The event is taking place on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th May in the BIC’s Purbeck Hall and Tregonwell Hall.
  • Fri 15 Jan 2010 –  You’ll Say I Do at the BIC Wedding Show –  You’ll say I Do at the Bournemouth International Centre’s (BIC) 2010 Wedding Show (Friday 5th – Sunday 7th February); one of the south’s largest and most popular events of its kind.
  • Wed 13 Jan 2010 –  Call for Trustees as Green Light is Given for Bournemouth’s New Leisure and Cultural Trust –  Bournemouth’s new leisure and cultural trust, BH LIVE is looking for trustees/non-executive board members.
  • Fri 08 Jan 2010 –  UK Dance Championships Waltz into Bournemouth –  Sequined outfits are at the ready as the annual UK Dance Championships (19th-21st January) waltzes into Bournemouth later this month; the three day event is taking place in the Bournemouth International Centre’s (BIC) Windsor Hall.
  • Fri 27 Nov 2009 –  BIC Voted Best Evening Experience at Bournemouth Tourism Awards –  The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) won Best Evening Experience of the Year at the Bournemouth Tourism Awards last night, held at the Carrington House Hotel.
  • Wed 02 Sep 2009 –  Bournemouth Releases Robust Business Tourism Figures –  The latest statistics, based on the UK Tourist Board’s Estimate of Delegate Expenditure, show that the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) and Bournemouth Pavilion inject £65m annually into the local economy through business tourism.
  • Thu 13 Aug 2009 –  BIC team win Labour Party vote! –  The Labour Party has chosen Bournemouth to host their Annual Conference at the Bournemouth International Centre and Pavilion in 2013
  • Wed 22 Jul 2009 –  Bournemouth Flies the Green Flag –  Bournemouth has raised its green credentials by winning the bid to host the prestigious Green Flag Award winners event next month.
  • Wed 29 Apr 2009 –  BIC Wins Business Worth £10.8m for Bournemouth –  The BIC conference and exhibitions sales team are on a roll
  • Fri 20 Feb 2009 –  Shorter Lead Times Result in Rush of Event Bookings for the BIC  –  Despite the economic slow down, the start of 2009 has seen some big bookings confirmed by the Bournemouth International Centre’s (BIC) Conference and Exhibition sales team.
  • Thu 11 Dec 2008 –  BIC and Pavilion Make the Energy Grade –  The recent government requirement for Display Energy Certificates (DEC) has demonstrated that the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) and Pavilion Theatre make the energy grade.
  • Tue 17 Jun 2008 –  BIC has Just the Ticket! –  The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) has launched an innovative parking scheme that offers visitors a guaranteed parking space in the BIC multi-storey car park, as its website sees major growth in ticket sales!

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Lib Dems make it a Double Booking at the BIC

Liberal Democrats

The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) has made a 'double booking', with the announcement that the Liberal Democrat party conference is returning to Bournemouth in 2008 and 2009, ensuring that Bournemouth is host to a major party conference for four consecutive years.

Attracting some 6,000 people, it will be the Party's first experience of the redeveloped and expanded BIC, and, like the Conservative Party in 2006 and the Labour Party in 2007, will be taking over the entire building for the September event.

The booking has been made following a series of detailed planning meetings and site visits which have been taking place since last autumn.  The flexibility of the facilities offered by the BIC and Pavilion to host the main conference itself was not the only reason the Party chose Bournemouth, explains Duncan Brack, Chair of the Federal Conference Committee for the Liberal Democrats.

"Lib Dem conference delegates regularly tell us that Bournemouth is one of their favourite destinations and we're always made to feel extremely welcome by the team at the BIC. We're therefore delighted to be returning to the town in 2008 and 2009 for what will be our key party conferences in the run up to the next general election," he said.

Cllr Michael Filer, Bournemouth's Cabinet Member with the Portfolio for Economy and Tourism added:

"This is wonderful news and a tremendous boost for our tourism and conference business. It means that the BIC and Bournemouth will have hosted 4 consecutive years of party conferences with the Conservatives in 2006, Labour this year and the Liberal Democrats now confirmed for 2008 and 2009.  This is a real coup for our top conference team, as securing conferences of this nature is no easy business".

Acclaimed by conference and event industry professionals as one of the UK's number one destinations, Bournemouth's attraction for organisers is a subtle balance of having a flexible, suitable venue together with a high quality environment.   Peter Gunn, managing director BIC / Pavilion explained:

"The LibDems choice is especially welcome as it helps to ensure that Bournemouth remains firmly in the frame as the professionals' favourite, delivering an all round high quality business and leisure experience that cannot be found anywhere else in the UK."

Bournemouth's location, transport links, selection of hotels within walking distance of the BIC and facilities for partners of delegates were reviewed by the Liberal Democrat Party conference organisers during the meetings and site visits. The Bournemouth International Conference Bureau (BICB) also played a major role in helping to secure the conference booking, by providing tours and  information on ancillary services and meeting facilities that are demanded by larger conferences.  And the conference's demand for the hotel bookings will be fulfilled by Bournemouth's Delegate Reservations Service.