The Bournemouth International Centre (commonly known as the BIC/ˈbɪk/) in Bournemouth, Dorset, was opened in September 1984. It is one of the largest venues for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and events in southern England. Additionally, it is well known for hosting national conferences of major British political parties and trade unions.
In recent years, both Labour and the Conservatives have held their conferences at larger venues in urban centres, such as Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, but the BIC has continued to host the Liberal Democrat Conference.[5]
Venuesedit
The BIC's location on the seafrontPurbeck Hall in August 2018
At opening, it comprised two halls, the Windsor Hall and the Tregonwell Hall as well as a leisure swimming pool which has since been closed to provide further conference and exhibition space.
The venue's Windsor Hall has a concert capacity of 6,500 (standing) or 4,000 (seated) and is one of the bigger indoor music venues in England,[6] often included on the arena tours of major artists. This hall has the largest tensile grid in Europe – a tensioned mesh comprising 30 miles of steel wire hung above the stage which can suspend approximately 90 tonnes of weight.[7]
In 1990, the circular Purbeck Hall was added at a cost of £6 million.[7]
The Solent Hall can house exhibitions or hold up to 2,000 people for standing music concerts. As part of a refurbishment costing £22 million, this hall controversially replaced the popular swimming pool and wave machine in 2004 after an unsuccessful campaign to save the facility.[7][8]
^Adido. "About The BIC · BH Live". www.bic.co.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
^UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^"BIC to get £1.8m upgrade (and here's what's planned)". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
bournemouth, international, centre, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, march, 2013, learn, when, remove, this, te. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations March 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Bournemouth International Centre commonly known as the BIC ˈ b ɪ k in Bournemouth Dorset was opened in September 1984 It is one of the largest venues for conferences exhibitions entertainment and events in southern England Additionally it is well known for hosting national conferences of major British political parties and trade unions Bournemouth International CentreExterior of venue c 2018 AddressExeter RdBournemouth BH2 5BH EnglandCoordinates50 43 00 N 1 52 41 W 50 71667 N 1 87806 W 50 71667 1 87806OwnerBournemouth Christchurch and Poole CouncilOperatorBH LiveBuilt1982 84Inaugurated16 August 1984Opened6 September 1984 1984 09 06 1 Renovated2004Expanded1990Construction cost 19 5 million 73 2 million in 2024 pounds 2 Classroom style seating10 50Banquet ballroom2 500 Purbeck Hall 1 300 Solent Hall Theatre seating6 500 standing or 4 045 seated Windsor Hall 1 100 Tregonwell Hall Enclosed space Total space6 982 m2 75 150 sq ft Exhibit hall floor1 973 m2 21 240 sq ft Breakout meeting1 000 m2 11 000 sq ft Ballroom2 748 m2 29 580 sq ft Parking650 spacesWebsiteVenue WebsiteIn June 2022 it was announced that the building would undergo a 1 8 million refurbishment 3 Contents 1 Conferences 2 Venues 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksConferences editThe BIC has hosted national conferences of political parties and trade unions Neil Kinnock attacked the militant tendency at the Labour Party Conference there in 1985 and Margaret Thatcher made her last Conservative Party Conference speech at the venue in 1990 4 In recent years both Labour and the Conservatives have held their conferences at larger venues in urban centres such as Birmingham Manchester and Liverpool but the BIC has continued to host the Liberal Democrat Conference 5 Venues edit nbsp The BIC s location on the seafront nbsp Purbeck Hall in August 2018At opening it comprised two halls the Windsor Hall and the Tregonwell Hall as well as a leisure swimming pool which has since been closed to provide further conference and exhibition space The venue s Windsor Hall has a concert capacity of 6 500 standing or 4 000 seated and is one of the bigger indoor music venues in England 6 often included on the arena tours of major artists This hall has the largest tensile grid in Europe a tensioned mesh comprising 30 miles of steel wire hung above the stage which can suspend approximately 90 tonnes of weight 7 In 1990 the circular Purbeck Hall was added at a cost of 6 million 7 The Solent Hall can house exhibitions or hold up to 2 000 people for standing music concerts As part of a refurbishment costing 22 million this hall controversially replaced the popular swimming pool and wave machine in 2004 after an unsuccessful campaign to save the facility 7 8 Managed by social enterprise BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council the BIC is operated alongside its sister venue The Pavilion Theatre and Ballroom See also editPavilion Theatre and Ballroom List of venues in the United KingdomReferences edit Adido About The BIC BH Live www bic co uk Retrieved 23 December 2017 UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark Gregory 2017 The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain 1209 to Present New Series MeasuringWorth Retrieved 11 June 2022 BIC to get 1 8m upgrade and here s what s planned Bournemouth Echo Retrieved 16 June 2022 BBC NEWS VOTE 2001 RESULTS amp CONSTITUENCIES Bournemouth West news bbc co uk Retrieved 9 October 2022 Bournemouth will host the Lib Dem conference today with party poised to back revoking Article 50 Bournemouth Echo Retrieved 9 October 2022 Bournemouth International Centre The BIC Retrieved 9 March 2024 a b c Bournemouth venue marks 25 years 9 September 2009 Retrieved 24 December 2017 Letter to the Editor Council should never have closed BIC swimming pool Bournemouth Echo Retrieved 27 January 2020 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bournemouth International Centre Bournemouth International Conference Bureau This article about a Dorset building or structure is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This article about an English sports venue is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bournemouth International Centre amp oldid 1212607446, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
