In a survey run by one of the event industry’s best-known magazines, Conference and Incentive Travel, readers voted the BIC well within the top ten UK venues. The BIC narrowly missed out on being placed in the top five, all of which included major cities, but secured a vote large enough to get a special editorial mention.

Readers were asked, without prompt, to nominate the best purpose-built conference venues across the UK. In what turned out to be the closest run category throughout the entire poll, of 38 nominated venues, the BIC just missed out to venues and centres in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

Clive Tyers, head of conferences, exhibitions and events for the BIC, said: “The people who read these magazines are professional event organisers who are, quite rightly, very demanding of venues. For the BIC to be so closely placed against some of the largest cities in the UK I think that it is a well deserved achievement for Bournemouth and something to be incredibly proud of. With the £22million redevelopment has created a modern, bigger and betetr venue that provides fantastic facilities and premium service.”

Kerry Baggott, editor of Conference and Incentive Travel magazine was equally enthusiastic about the facilities the BIC has to offer: “While Bournemouth didn’t come in the top five, it certainly came very close. The BIC is one of the top convention centres in the South and the fact that Bournemouth has invested huge amounts of money means that the competition will hot up in the future.”