- Wed 06 Aug 2008 – Bournemouth Gets on Board with Event UK – Surf’s up for the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) and Bournemouth International Conference Bureau (BICB) at Event UK.
- Fri 25 Jul 2008 – Leading UK Energy Company Returns to the BIC for Fifth Visit – Scottish Southern and Energy (SSE) are returning to the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) this week for their Annual General Meeting.
- Fri 18 Jul 2008 – BIC is the Only English Resort Venue to Make Finals of the World’s Best Congress Centre Award – Up against international city venues, the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) was the only English resort venue to make the finals of the 2008 International Association of Congress Centre’s (AIPC) Apex Award for World’s Best Congress Centre.
- Tue 08 Jul 2008 – Bournemouth Hotels Voted Best Value in the World – Bournemouth hotels have been voted the best value hotels in the world, by a survey of guests who use website hotel.info.
- Thu 03 Jul 2008 – Come and Tour Behind the Scenes the BIC and Pavilion – The Bournemouth International Centre and Pavilion Theatre and Ballroom are going to be open to the public, for behind the scenes tours, every Friday from July to September this year.
- Wed 25 Jun 2008 – Busy Times Ahead for the BIC – The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) has a busy couple of weeks ahead what with hosting the Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards (TSI) Conference and Exhibition and welcoming back the Local Government Association (LGA) for the ninth time!
- 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!
- Fri 18 Apr 2008 – Ideal Home Exhibition Touches Down in Bournemouth – Bournemouth will be all action from Thursday 28th until Sunday 31st August as the popular Ideal Home Exhibition lands at the Bournemouth International Centre, on the same weekend as the new Bournemouth Airshow.
- Thu 21 Feb 2008 – BIC Bride of the Year – Hundreds of brides-to-be recently attended the successful Wedding Show at the BIC which saw Rachel Bunce from Salisbury scoop the Bride of the Year title
Pavilion restoration work to start
The first steps have started to restore the Pavilion.
The first steps to restore Bournemouth’s historic Pavilion to its former 1930s glory are about to start with the demolition of an unsightly extension.
Council Leader Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin, Cabinet member for major projects Cllr Bob Chapman and developer Trevor Osborne will come equipped with sledgehammers to deliver the first blows to the building’s West Terrace on Wednesday December 5th.
The much-maligned West Terrace, also known as the Oasis Bar, was constructed in 1975 as an extension area for exhibitions. Its arrival marked the loss of open terraces with clear views of the Lower Gardens and of the sea.
Cllr Chapman said: “Demolition of this eyesore will be a key moment in the town’s history and a turning point for the Pavilion. Over the years the building, which in the 30s was a landmark and performance venue to be proud of, has become tired and sorely needs major renovation.
“This work should take around a month to complete – then the public will begin to get a flavour of how the Pavilion looked in its heyday, with its open-air terraces restored.”
The Trevor Osborne Property Group, which is building a £46million leisure development on the site of the Bath Road North Car Park, is funding the £13million-plus restoration of the Pavilion.
Mr Osborne said: “The demolition of this 1970s extension is just the first step of a major restoration project. When completed, the Pavilion will be one of the best theatre and arts centres on the South Coast. We’re working closely with English Heritage to ensure that the restoration reflects the original plans for the building so that it can be enjoyed, once again, to its full potential.”
The new development next to the Pavilion will include restaurants, an outside amphitheatre, rooftop public gardens with sea views, an interval court and a casino. The project has support from English Heritage and the South West Regional Development Agency.