For a facility known primarily for its vast exhibition capacity, it may come as a surprise to some that the NEC hosts over 400 conferences per year. The key transport links that make the venue such an attractive prospect for exhibitions also serve to offer conference organisers unique scope for their events.
The NEC’s Venue Sales Director Stephen Richards said that whilst the conferencing facilities are well used, the NEC team has been working hard to develop this side of the business.
“In many respects it’s still our best kept secret”, said Stephen. “There is a perception that we are purely an exhibition venue, but we have 34 different size conference rooms that are regularly is use. We have facilities for smaller business meetings, whilst our biggest suite can accommodate up to 750 people.”
In the last year or the NEC has adjusted the way it promotes and manages what it terms the conference & live events side of things. Adrian Evans joined as Account Director to specifically develop the conferences that are held there and when it comes to this side of the business, The NEC is also looking to work in tandem with Birmingham’s ICC, a venue that is part of the same group but one that has historically worked on a more autonomous level.
“There is definitely scope to increase the amount of conferences that we host”, said Stephen. “We have some of the best facilities for them in country, and we’re confident that our offering is a match for any other conference venue.”
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