Blackpool set for conference event shop window

Artist's impression of the proposed new conference centre for Blackpool

The resort and its new £25m conference centre plans will be at the forefront when VisitBlackpool and the Winter Gardens Blackpool target meeting and event organisers at this year’s International Confex in London.

Event organisers from across the UK will attend International Confex, taking place on March 1 and 2 at Olympia.

The Blackpool stand will be one of almost 1,000 at the event which will be attended by around 7,500 UK meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition professionals.

They are responsible for events in both the UK and overseas, including agencies and professional conference organisers, corporate companies, associations and exhibition/event organisers.

The Government announced last month that the proposed Winter Gardens conference centre will be part-funded from Lancashire’s Growth Deal allocation.

Hope are high that it could help the resort to attract major conferences once again when it opens in spring 2019.

It will offer over 6,150 square metres of exhibition and conference space.

VisitBlackpool tourism manager Mandy Tythe-McCallum said: “It is vital for Blackpool to have a presence at events such as International Confex.

“This is the UK’s leading meeting and events show for both national and international organisers and it gives us the opportunity to talk about Blackpool, its plans for the future and all the resort has to offer meeting and event’s organisers.”

Blackpool’s new conference centre will as a standalone building be able to accommodate up to 2,000 people and if used in conjunction with the rest of the Winter Gardens it will increase the capacity allowing the venue to host over 7,000.

Michael Williams, managing director of the Winter Gardens, said: “Confex is the first opportunity to showcase the brand new conference and exhibition centre to those that will be making use of it for years to come.”

Coun Gillian Campbell, deputy leader of Blackpool Council said: “It’s an opportunity to promote the resorts conference offer, and its plans for the future to organisers who might not have visited the resort for some time or even considered Blackpool for their itineraries .”