Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) recently welcomed more than 600 delegates from across the UK and overseas for Humanists UK’s Festival of Humanism.

Held from 12–14 June to coincide with World Humanist Day, the festival brought together Humanists UK members, activists, patrons and supporters for three days of keynote presentations, panel discussions, networking opportunities and entertainment. The event was delivered with support from the BIC’s Conferences and Exhibitions team, who worked closely with organisers to host a programme featuring more than 40 speakers across the weekend.

The Festival of Humanism is Humanists UK’s flagship annual gathering and marked another successful large-scale conference hosted at the BIC, underlining Bournemouth’s appeal as a destination for national association events.

Among the high-profile speakers were broadcaster and Humanists UK President Janet Ellis MBE, academic and broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts, geneticist and author Dr Adam Rutherford, Labour peer Lord Alf Dubs, and Humanists International President Maggie Ardiente.

Delegates attended a packed programme exploring topics ranging from science, ethics and public policy to human rights, history and international affairs. Bournemouth East MP Tom Hayes formally welcomed attendees and highlighted Bournemouth’s longstanding connections to the humanist movement.

Throughout the weekend, speakers addressed a wide range of contemporary issues, including the ethics of space exploration, refugee rights, freedom of thought, education policy and the global challenges facing non-religious communities.

The Festival of Humanism represents the type of national conference and association event that delivers significant benefits to Bournemouth’s visitor economy, bringing hundreds of delegates to the town and generating demand for local accommodation, hospitality and transport providers.

Event organisers praised the BIC’s venue teams, sharing that staff were “helpful and proactive” and that the BIC was an “excellent festival venue”, with “comfortable rooms with good sound and vision”.

Bournemouth International Centre is operated by registered charity and social enterprise BH Live in partnership with BCP Council.

On behalf of BH Live, Sarah Stainer, Conference and Exhibitions Manager, shared;

“We were delighted to welcome Humanists UK’s Festival of Humanism to Bournemouth International Centre, demonstrating the flexibility of the venue and the expertise of our Conferences and Exhibitions team.

“It was a pleasure to work alongside the Humanists UK team to help create a memorable and successful event, and it was fantastic to receive such glowing praise from their team. Events like this are helping to establish Bournemouth as the go-to destination for businesses looking to organise events on the South Coast.”

As one of the UK's leading conference and exhibition venues, the BIC continues to attract a diverse programme of national and international events, reinforcing Bournemouth’s reputation as a premier destination for business events and conferences.

Upcoming conferences, exhibitions, and events include Bournemouth Creed Comic Con, Royal Statistical Society, European Conference on Visual Perception, and many more.

The venue also welcomes a diverse programme of live entertainment and events, including gigs, concerts, stand-up shows, screenings, exhibitions, and more. Upcoming events include Bournemouth Brick Festival, South Coast Darts Showdown, plus performances from UB40, Westlife, Miriam Margolyes, and much more.

For more information about conferences, exhibitions, and events at the BIC, visit bic.co.uk/conference.

More information about the BIC, including What’s On, is available online at bic.co.uk.