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Index Of National Exhibition Group Venues in Birmingham
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The NEC Group is a company owned by Birmingham City Council and the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. It owns and operates Symphony Hall, the International Convention Centre (ICC), the National Indoor Arena (NIA), the LG Arena (LG) and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC).
These venues stage around 1,000 events annually that attract over 4.5 million visitors and contribute £2billion to the local economy. However, although the NEC Group makes a substantial operating profit, it requires a subsidy from Birmingham City Council to service the historical debt that financed the construction of these venues.
International Convention Centre (Index)
The International
Convention Centre (ICC) is in the Convention Quarter. The building,
which opened in 1991, has a stone-clad and blue-tinted glazed facade.
The main entrance is on Centenary Square, there is a long frontage on
Broad Street, and the rear facade stands on the Birmingham and
Wolverhampton Canal, opposite Waters Edge in Brindleyplace.
A neon sculpture by Ron Hasledon entitled "birdlife" stands above the main entrance. The interior contains Symphony Hall, ten convention halls and ten executive meeting rooms, all within an umbrella atrium.
The venues are arranged around the Mall: an internal thoroughfare which runs through the building from the main entrance on Centenary Square to the rear entrance on the Birmingham and Wolverhampton Canal. Two footbridges connect the rear entrance to Waters Edge at Brindleyplace.
The largest venues are Hall 3 which holds 3,000 theatre-style and Symphony Hall which holds 2,000. These two halls occupy the eastern half of the complex, nearest the main entrance. They stand either side of the Mall which is flanked by Halls 1, 4 and 8 that respectively hold 1,500, 825 and 300 theatre-style.
The remaining six halls are concentrated in the south-west corner of the complex, nearest the Birmingham and Wolverhampton Canal: Halls 5, 6, and 7 respectively hold 300, 120 and 135 theatre-style whilst Halls 9, 10 and 11 respectively hold 285, 205 and 345 theatre-style.
The mall contains a registration area, a business centre, a box office for Symphony Hall and several retail units including a florist and art gallery. It is connected by an elevated covered walkway to the Hyatt Regency Hotel at the corner of Broad Street and Bridge Street.
Links: Convention Quarter International Convention Centre Website
Symphony Hall (1991) is a 2,260-seat concert hall at the International Convention Centre on Centenary Square. It is the home stage of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Symphony Hall is a world-class venue inspired by the Musikverein in Vienna and the Concertgeobouw in Amsterdam. It contains a 6,000-pipe symphony organ, the largest in the UK; its acoustics can be adjusted by dampening panels, reverse fan walls, a canopy and U-shaped reverberation chamber.
The hall is protected from external noise by a double skin of concrete; low-speed ducts eliminate ventilation noise and the hall is mounted on rubber cushions that exclude external vibration.
Links: Convention Quarter Symphony Hall Website
The National Indoor Arena (NIA) is on King Edwards Road in the Convention Quarter. It is flanked by the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal to the east and the Birmingham and Wolverhampton Canal to the south and towers above the Old Turn Junction that links both these canals.
It is connected by footbridges to the Malthouse and Prince of Wales pubs on the opposite side of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal and to the numerous bars and leisure attractions at Brindleyplace on the opposite bank of the Birmingham and Wolverhampton Canal.
The dome-shaped building contains an indoor arena with a maximum capacity of around 12,700 which stages major showbiz and sporting events. The auditorium consists of three tiers: upper, lower and flat floor. The lower tier and flat floor seating can be reconfigured to suit each event.
The venue is often converted into a smaller theatre with a capacity of around 5,000 for more intimate concerts and comedy shows; the full capacity is generally reserved for megastar concerts and large-scale sporting events such as grand prix athletics.
Links: Convention Quarter National Indoor Arena
National Exhibition Centre (Index)
The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is located just beyond the eastern boundary of Birmingham at Bickenhill in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull.
The NEC, which was opened by the Queen in 1976, consists of 21 interconnected halls that contain total exhibition space of roughly 190,000 square metres. It is set amidst 628 acres of landscaped grounds that include woodlands, an ornamental lake, five hotels and 29,000 parking spaces.
The NEC is the largest exhibition venue in the UK and the busiest in Europe. It annually hosts around 160 exhibitions attended by over 2.5 million visitors. The site is so vast that shuttle buses are needed to ferry visitors from the car parks to the exhibition halls.
Layout of the National Exhibition Centre (Index)
The above map shows the layout of the exhibition halls. Halls 6-12 and 17-20 form a crescent linked by an atrium on the east side of the complex. This crescent partially encircles Hall 16 which is, however, detached.
The atrium is linked by a Skywalk to an n-shaped piazza on the west side of the complex which is flanked by Halls 1-5. This piazza, which overlooks Pendigo Lake, is connected to the LG Arena by an elongated pavilion.
Links: National Exhibition Centre Website
LG Arena at the National Exhibition Centre (Index)
The LG Arena at the National Exhibition Centre, which first opened in 1980, is named after its sponsor LG: the electronics giant. The Arena hosts showbiz spectaculars and major sporting events such as the Horse of the Year Show.
In recent years, the LG had become increasingly antiquated, particularly by comparison to other major indoor arenas such as the O2 in London Docklands, the NIA in Birmingham city centre and the MEN in Manchester.
However, the Arena has now been refurbished and features improved seating, better backstage facilities and more hospitality zones. The capacity has also increased from 11,000 to 14,000.
Links: LG Arena Website
Hotels at the National Exhibition Centre (Index)
Crowne Plaza
The Crowne Plaza @ the National Exhibition Centre is on Pendigo Way; it contains 242 guest rooms & suites equipped with cable and satellite television and high-speed internet access. There is a bar, a cocktail lounge and a fine dining restaurant that overlooks Pendigo Lake.
Other facilities include a staffed business centre, 11 custom-designed meeting suites and a 280-space car park. A complimentary shuttle runs to Birmingham Airport and the International Railway Station.
Links: Hotels
Express by Holiday Inn
The Express by Holiday Inn is a 4 storey budget hotel with 179 guest rooms at the entrance to the NEC on Bickenhill Parkway; the hotel serves a complimentary continental breakfast; live sport is screened in the bar area; pets are allowed subject to conditions; and there is a chargeable 280-space car park.
A complimentary shuttle operates to the NEC and Birmingham International Railway Station.
Links: Hotels
Hilton Metropole
The Hilton Birmingham Metropole @ the National Exhibition Centre is one of the largest conference hotels in the UK; it contains 790 guest rooms, 33 suites, a business centre, executive lounge and 33 meeting rooms for up to 2000 delegates.
Cocktails are served 24/7 at the Lounge Bar. There is an English-style pub, the Millers; an informal buffet restaurant, the Boulevard; and an international fine diner, La Primavera.
Other facilities include a health club and fitness centre with a jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, cardio equipment, weights, a beauty salon and indoor pool. Secure car parking is provided.
Links: Hotels Hilton Metropole Website
Premier Inn
The Premier Inn @ the National Exhibition Centre is a budget hotel on Bickenhill Parkway.
The bedrooms contain satellite television and a modem/telephone point; high speed chargeable internet is available. The restaurant serves breakfast at a surcharge; other facilities include meeting rooms and a car park. Park & fly packages are available.
Links: Hotels
Ramada Encore
The Ramada Encore @ the NEC is a 166-room hotel on Bickenhill Lane. the facilities include 8 meeting and function rooms, a free car park and the HUB lounge bar and restaurant.
Links: Hotels
Bars and Eateries at the NEC (Index)
The NEC contains numerous bars and eateries including the following:
BB's Muffins (muffins, baguettes, sandwiches, premium coffee)
Damn Fine Sandwich Company (speciality sandwiches, choose bread and filling)
Exhibitionist (table service restaurant and bar in contemporary surroundings)
Food & Bar (self-service offering sandwiches, salads, hot and cold meals with seating for 200)
Food Bank (self-service restaurant offering hot and cold meals)
Foodcafebar (coffee, wine, sandwiches, snacks etc)
Food Express (sandwiches, salads, snacks and drinks)
Food Market (served in takeaway containers for customers on the move)
JD Wetherspoon (traditional British meals, popular international cuisine, alcoholic and soft drinks)
Pasty Presto (Cornish pasties with choice of fillings, baguettes, soup, salads, organic where possible)
Piazza Deli (fresh deli style dishes)
Subway (sandwiches, salads, wraps, cookies, muffins)
Birmingham International Railway Station (Index)
Birmingham International Railway Station, which opened in 1975, serves the National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham International Airport. It has an annual passenger footfall of around 2.6 million. Vehicular access is from Station Way off Bickenhill Lane.
The station is connected by covered walkways, escalators and travelators to the National Exhibition Centre and by the SkyRail Air Link, an elevated cable-hauled people-mover, to the airport terminals.
The facilities include a 2225-space car park, taxi rank, coach and bus interchange. The station is served by bus routes 38, 58, 73, 676, 900 and 966. Buses for Birmingham city centre terminate at Moor Street next to the Bullring. There are also waiting rooms, snack bars, retail units, cycle storage and a bureau de change.
Links: National Railway Enquiries
Train Services from Birmingham International (Index)
Birmingham International is on the Birmingham Loop of the West Coast Mainline; it receives regional services from Coventry, Northampton and Wolverhampton and direct intercity services from London Euston.
Some regional services between Birmingham New Street, Birmingham International and Coventry also stop at Lea Hall, Stechford and Adderley Park stations in east Birmingham.
Birmingham International is also a mid-point station on the Bournemouth - Manchester Line and the terminus of the Birmingham - Aberystwyth Line and the Birmingham - Chester Line.
The typical off-peak weekday service consists of eight trains per hour on the West Coast Mainline: four southbound to London Euston and four northbound, one of which terminates at Birmingham New Street, one at Coventry, one at Northampton and one at Wolverhampton.
There are also generally two trains per hour on the Bournemouth - Manchester Line, one of which terminates at Manchester Piccadilly and one at Bournemouth. There is also one train every other hour to Aberystwyth on the Birmingham - Aberystwyth Line and one every other hour to Holyhead on the Birmingham - Chester Line. The Holyhead and Aberystwyth services run alternately.
Check this information with National Railway Enquiries on 08457484950.
Links: National Railway Enquiries
Diversion Theft
A jeweller was robbed of a case containing 500 rings worth £50,000 whilst loading his car outside Hall 20 on the evening of Sunday 20/03/10. His attention was diverted by one of the thieves who said his car had been hit; a second then lifted the case from his car (News Archive 18/03/10)
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