The Priory Rooms Meeting & Conference Centre, in Birmingham’s Business District, is highly-anticipating the launch of the Metro extension. Running through Birmingham city centre the new line will create a direct link between Snow Hill and New Street train stations and join the Metro to the Cross City Line and other main routes.

With a Metro stop right outside The Priory Rooms’ front door, Business Development Manager Beth Sadler expects that this fast, easy transport to and across the city centre in addition to the transformed retail and hospitality industry will make Birmingham the top destination for meetings and events!

Birmingham is bright, booming and brilliant, says Beth! It’s never been so exciting to work in the city centre. Everyone is beaming with pride as nearly £1 billion worth of investment comes to life. 2015 is Birmingham’s year to boast! The New Street station refurbishment with the Grand Central Shopping Centre featuring a flagship John Lewis store; the redevelopment of the Mailbox and Bullring Selfridges; and the new Resorts World set to be the biggest leisure and entertainment destination in the UK and the whole of Western Europe, have all transformed the look and feel of Birmingham. The revitalised city is attracting more business and tourism than ever before!

Beth and everyone at The Priory Rooms have been thrilled to share with colleagues across the meeting and conference rooms industry an incredible rise in bookings. Beth believes it is because Birmingham has become a UK hot spot for business growth, cultural development and investment. Major national businesses have set up offices in the Business District and over 18,000 new businesses were registered in Birmingham during 2014, more than any other city outside of London. In the same year foreign investment was higher than all the other LEP areas in the UK and international flight routes to Birmingham airport have been increased due to demand. With such a buzz in the city it was inevitable Birmingham was voted the most popular conference and event destination in the UK outside London in the British Meetings and Events Industry 2014 survey.

But surely this is just the start for booming Birmingham? Beth thinks. The new Metro extension, due to open this autumn, is only set to enhance the attractiveness of meeting in the city. It will connect even more commuters from across the country to Birmingham city centre and offer them a quick and easy way to travel through the area. The project, costing of £127 million, includes a new depot at Wednesbury and fleet of trams. Snow Hill train station will feature a £9 million viaduct with trams travelling through the city centre to New Street train station via The Priory Rooms on Bull Street and Corporation Street. In the next 5 years it will be extended to Centenary Square and along Broad Street and a second route is being planned to the International Airport and NEC. With the trams designed to evolve how people travel around Birmingham, they are estimated to bring 3.5 million passengers a year into the city’s business district, with 1,500 city centre jobs being created and a regional economic growth of £50 million a year. Alongside the outstanding retail and hospitality developments, providing a vast choice of quality accommodation, conference space, shops, restaurants and bars, Birmingham will simply be the place to meet.

With connected and competitive Birmingham set to attract more meeting and conference bookings than ever before the retail and hospitality industry are ready! Beth exclaims. The Priory Rooms have invested over £50,000 in their conferencing facilities to provide the top-quality services new customers to Birmingham expect. Most of the city’s hospitality industry have done the same, knowing the improved transport links to Birmingham from across the country make it a practical place to hold business meetings. The Priory Rooms are excited to have a Metro stop outside their front door enabling customers to easily get to their venue. With a great choice of shops, bars, restaurants and hotels on the doorstep, customers can experience the best of Birmingham after their meetings. The team look forward to welcoming more new customers through their doors!

Beth concludes, meet in Birmingham to meet the Metro extension, connecting you to a transformed city centre. Travel through booming Birmingham and experience the new retail and hospitality offerings that will make you want to keep coming back.

Meet the Metro; making Birmingham the place to meet.

Sources; Marketing Birmingham, Birmingham Mail Online