admin, Author at Millennium Point

Organisations within the West Midlands Combined Authority can now apply for a grant from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust to support their science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education projects. Not-for-profits, schools and colleges can apply for funding from £1,000 up to £20,000 from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust to fund their STEM projects starting in September 2021. Projects can be activity focussed or for the purchasing of resources and materials which enables STEM-related education to children or communities.

How do you apply?
Applicants will need to download and complete the application form on the Millennium Point website. The completed application should be submitted to [email protected] before 5 pm on Monday 30th November 2020.

Since 2018, Millennium Point Charitable Trust has donated over £969,000 through its annual grants process to a diverse range of projects across education, STEM-focused charities, sporting charities and museums. This year Millennium Point awarded £560,000 to fund over 60 projects across the region. Projects funded include ‘STEM stars’ from Aston Villa Foundation, a programme which engages young people in coding using football; and ‘Sensory STEM’ from Longwill School for the Deaf, Northfield, which will make science more visual and accessible to their pupils through science-based equipment and an enhanced curriculum.

Where does the money come from?
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust owns the 46,450 sqm landmark Millennium Point building on Curzon street in the eastside of Birmingham City Centre (opposite the future Curzon Railway). Millennium Point is “COVID Secure” and has 17 versatile event spaces capable of holding a variety of events from meetings to formal dinners. Profits from our commercial activity as a landmark public building and multi-award-winning conference and events venue feedback into the charitable trust, enabling it to donate and invest in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives. The grants scheme is our flagship initiative alongside the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship which funds at least one young person’s undergraduate degree each year at Birmingham City University.

Head over to our grants page and start your application. Applications close at 5 pm on Monday 30th November 2020.

Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands. Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint.

Young people aged 18-25 in the West Midlands can benefit from a six-month environmental leadership programme which is completely free. The programme is being offered by UpRising, an outstanding youth support organisation that offers a range of leadership, mentoring and employability programmes that help young people become leaders and better reflect and represent the communities they serve.

Uprising is an outstanding Youth Organisation offering a range of opportunities for young people to level up

What’s the programme?
The Environmental Leadership Programme is a free 6-month online green leadership programme for 18-25-year olds. It includes a series of virtual workshops and sessions designed to help participants develop the knowledge, skills and networks they need to become green leaders. Participants will also receive personal and professional development support during their time on the programme. All sessions will be held every Tuesday at 6-8 pm on Zoom.

Take part in expert-led, online workshops on topics like the green economy, creating a theory of change and media training
Learn how environmental change is made on a local, national and global level, directly from the people who are living and breathing it
Design and run an online environmental social action campaign
Be matched with a professional mentor

Who is eligible?
The programme is open to 18-25-year-olds who are living, working or studying in the West Midlands.

How to apply
Applications for the programme are now open and you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible in order to avoid disappointment. The application form takes 10 minutes to complete and can be completed here. Alternatively, you can find out more about UpRising and their range of exciting programmes on their website here.

This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to learn new STEM skills relating to the environment as well as shape themselves as future leaders within the West Midlands. For further news relating to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in the West Midlands keep following our blogs at www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/news

The shortlist for the CHS Awards 2020 has been announced with Millennium Point included alongside more than 30 shortlisted entries across 10 award categories. Now celebrating its sixth year, the CHS Awards provide UK hotels and venues with a fantastic opportunity to showcase their facilities. We’re delighted to announce that Millennium Point has been shortlisted for “Best Independent Venue” alongside the British Motor Museum and Horizon Leeds.

Millennium Point has 17 versatile event spaces, including a 354-seat auditorium that was formerly one of the first IMAX cinemas in Birmingham. Our venue has a team with more than 40 years combined experience in the industry and we are accredited by Venue of Excellence, HBAA and AIM from the Meetings Industry Association. Since the pandemic, our venue was one of the first to release a COVID response in our Client Protection Plan, which outlines our safety and hygiene measures. Recently, we have been accredited with ‘Safe, Clean and Legal’ for our outstanding work to make our venue COVID secure.

Related page: Venue Hire

West Midlands Venues dominate shortlist
Several hospitality and events venues from the West Midlands join alongside Millennium Point in the shortlist including Unique Venues Birmingham (UVB), Park Regis Birmingham, Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre and the British Motor Museum. This representation reinforces the important role the region plays in hospitality and events, tourism and trade – all at risk due to the current pandemic.

Virtual Awards
The Awards were due to take place at the LIVE Show, CHS Birmingham which had naturally been postponed to Spring 2021. The Awards will continue to go ahead as planned on the original date of 27 October, presented virtually with co-hosts and headline sponsors Delegate Wranglers and Preferred Hotels & Resorts.

“Rally together”
Emma Cartmell, Founder of CHS Group said, “Now more than ever we should recognise and celebrate UK hotels, venues and event spaces; particularly individuals who are consistently putting customer service and hospitality at the forefront of their businesses. We’re facing one of the most challenging years and winters, after a perplexing summer. We need to rally together and find comfort in our wins and achievements within our sector and look forward to a bright future that we will have again soon.”

Millennium Point took part in the global #WeMakeEvents demonstration last month alongside thousands of fellow venues to raise awareness for the issues currently facing hospitality and events industry worldwide during the pandemic.

The virtual CHS Awards will take place on 27 October at 6:30 pm on Zoom with audience participation, live performances and cocktail making. To book your free ticket to attend, please visit chsawards.co.uk.

Gather your team and join us as we bring speed quizzing to our spacious Platform bar at Millennium Point.

On Wednesday 4th November from 6:30 pm, join our team at Millennium Point for a safe and socially distanced speedquiz. A speedquiz is a popular spin on the traditional pub quiz. To play you will need a smartphone or tablet as your teams answer pad where questions will be sent straight to your device. It’s fun, fast and no cheating! The top team will win a £50 bar tab for their party. After the quiz, the bar will remain open for you to relax and enjoy. Doors will open at 6 pm if you want to come early and get settled before the quiz starts at 6:30 pm.

We’ve enlisted the help of local speedquizzing legend Stoo Pittaway, who hosts numerous quizzes online and off in venues around Birmingham. Teams are 2-6 people with tickets priced at £5 per person (plus Eventbrite’s booking fee) and can only be purchased through Eventbrite.

Is this event allowed under current guidelines?
Yes, current UK guidelines on Coronavirus state that up to 6 people from different households can meet in this kind of setting. We have limited teams to a maximum of 5 and recommend that this comprise of as few households as possible.

Is Millennium Point safe?
Absolutely. Our team have worked hard to ensure that our award-winning-venue is COVID-secure. We have taken steps to ensure that our events are safe, clean and compliant with the latest government guidelines. Our measures include:

Limited and assigned seating
Table service
Clear signage
Packaged and bottled refreshments
Temperature checks on arrival
Deep cleaning before and after each event
Contactless/cashless bar
Sanitisations stations readily available for your use throughout the venue
PPE & training for all staff

We have run several socially distanced public events since reopening in July, and have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from guests. Millennium Point has recently been accredited with ‘Safe, Clean & Legal’ from Quality in Tourism for our outstanding measures to minimise the risk of the virus. For further information please see our website here.

Do I need to wear a facemask?
You will need to wear a facemask in public areas of the building (i.e. the Atrium on Level 0, on escalators, lifts and stairs) however, under the current guidelines, you do not need to wear a facemask during the event.

What is SpeedQuizzing?
SpeedQuizing is a fun and popular twist on traditional quizzing where teams use a SmartPhone or Tablet to answer questions. Each team gets their own buzzer and additional points are awarded for things like fastest team to answer.

Where is Millennium Point?
Millennium Point is the landmark public building on Curzon street in the Eastside of Birmingham city centre. We’re opposite the future Curzon Street Station, just a 15-minute walk from Birmingham New Street and Digbeth. Additional details on how to get here can be found on our website.

Our landmark building is easy to spot and easy to get to in Birmingham City Centre

Where is Platform?
Platform is our awesome level 1 space equipped with a fully licenced bar. It’s also available for private hire for meetings and corporate gatherings. For further information email [email protected] or call 0121 202 2200.

Two new unique and immersive film screenings are coming to our incredible big screen this autumn at Millennium Point.
Our Auditorium (formerly the IMAX cinema), in our Birmingham city centre-based venue, Millennium Point, will show two iconic movies, offering film buffs the perfect night out, with fan-favourites Ghostbusters and Back to the Future coming to the big screen. Both screenings will include a host of drinks served throughout and movie trivia, in partnership with The Wine Events Company.

Ghostbusters (1984) and Cocktails
Visitors can celebrate Halloween in style on Friday 30^th October with classic 80’s movie Ghostbusters, with The Wine Events Company offering several themed cocktails while guests enjoy the film. The team will be on hand to serve four delicious cocktails throughout the evening and there will also be live cocktail-making demos and fun movie trivia, creating a one-of-a-kind, immersive experience. Doors open from 6.30 pm, for a 7:30 pm start. Tickets are £34.95 (plus booking fee) per person and include four themed cocktails served throughout the event.

Back to the Future (1985) with Wine
The Wine Events Company then returns to Millennium Point in November with a screening of the iconic movie, Back to the Future, celebrating its 35^th birthday. Tickets include five glasses of wine which will be served during the film, with wine buff Tony Elvin carefully selecting five tipples for guests to enjoy. Doors open from 6.30 pm, for a 7:30 pm start. Tickets are £29.95 (plus booking fee) per person and include five glasses of themed wine served throughout the event.

Is it safe (and legal)?
Yes, the current rules for Birmingham state you can still attend this kind of event up to 6 people providing you adhere to social distancing measures. The Millennium Point team have worked tirelessly to implement a number of measures to ensure that the socially distanced screenings are safe for all to enjoy. These include reduced capacity in the auditorium from 354 to 181, wearing facemasks in public areas of the building, temperature checks, sanitisation stations and contactless/cashless experience. Similarly, tickets are only available to purchase in bundles with all seats allocated beforehand to ensure households are not mixing.

Above: Images from Millennium Point’s well-received screening of Sex & the City: The Movie in early August.

“Something normal”
This will be the 6th and 7th socially distanced screening our award-winning Birmingham-based team have organised since lockdown restrictions began to ease in July. Following our socially distanced family screening of Trolls: World Tour in July, one satisfied film-goer commented:

“I just wanted to say how great mine and family’s experience was watching trolls today. I was very anxious but was immediately put at ease from all things you had implemented to make it COVID safe. It was lovely to do something normal again with my child without a worry. So, thank you very much!”

To book tickets for one of Millennium Point’s cinema screening, please visit:

Is Millennium Point a Cinema again?
No, Millennium Point’s Auditorium is neither an IMAX or a regular cinema and has not been since the closure of the Giant Screen Cinema in 2015. Instead, the space has been renovated as an impressive 354-seat auditorium available for private hire, which includes films screenings. These socially distanced screenings are one-off events organised by Millennium Point as part of our ongoing commitment to providing fun and affordable activities for the general public.

For enquires contact [email protected] or call 0121 202 2200.

Our multi-award-winning venue, Millennium Point, will be turning red at 8 pm on Wednesday 30th September to join events professionals from thousands of cities in more than 20 countries in solidarity for #WeMakeEvents.

What is it?
COVID-19 impacts all of us, and while we fully support the need to implement measures which protect people; we also need to underline the severity of the impact it is having on the events and hospitality industry. Despite us being six months further along in the pandemic, there is still little clarity on what the future holds for events and hospitality with no clear roadmap and little in the way of meaningful support for events venues and professionals in the UK.

This is a global movement of empowerment by event professionals to make the public and government aware of what the impact of COVID-19 is having on the events industry and how this will affect all of us. At 8 pm, we will light our building red alongside fellow Birmingham venues. Additionally, the movement across the UK will include, but not be limited to:

60 strategically placed shafts of white light beamed up into the night sky each one signifying 10,000 potential job losses.
Unique projections of what would be taking place inside venues, onto the outside of empty venues to demonstrate what is missing (and may never recover) without the industry.
A series of creative and art installations illustrating the numbers of event professionals either already out of work or at risk.

What does the events industry bring to the UK?
Events and Hospitality are woefully underestimated in its impact on the UK economy. Events facilitate trade; attract inward investment, drive exports; science and medical events disseminate knowledge and share research; events drive visitor economy, drive politics, arts, culture, community, provide safe spaces for marginalised groups and much, much more.

Putting this into local perspective the WMCA is the export capital of the UK, and in 2018 had 131 million visitors – an increase of 2.6% (+3.4m) over the past year. The number of day visitors increased by 2.7% (3.1m) and overnight visitors increased by 2.1% (0.3m). Visits to parks and gardens have increased by 3.8% and museums and galleries increased by 1.4% compared to 2017. The visitor and trade economy is driven by events and hospitality venues and attractions, without which many other industries and infrastructures will fail.

This year alone we have granted more than £360,000 to over 60 STEM projects and initiatives across the region, made possible by our venue.

What about our venue?
Millennium Point is a multi-award-winning conference and events venue and landmark public building, with commercial profits going to our Charitable Trust which invests over £5m back into the West Midlands to support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands. We are reliant on our events and conference venue and our building to ensure the livelihood of our charity through which we make a positive impact on communities locally. The lack of any clear guidance for venues and events or the provision of a roadmap by the UK Government, leaves us, like many, stranded without tools to protect our business or workers.

Despite our highly accredited work making our venue COVID-secure, or our successful series of socially distanced events we’ve hosted to provide entertainment for a nervous public; the exclusion of venues like ours from the Chancellor’s new job retention scheme not only undermines our work to protect our business, our staff and the impact of our charitable trust; but contributes to the series of false starts and ongoing suffocation of the events and hospitality industry during this pandemic.

#WeMakeEvents
Join us at 8 pm on social media as we light up our building in solidarity with our peers and say proudly #WeMakeEvents. You can follow, tag and chat to us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with hashtag #MillenniumPoint. For further information on the movement or to get involved please see here: https://www.wemakeevents.com/uk/

Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands. Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint.

Well, like many 18-year olds, this isn’t really how we planned to spend our big birthday. Nevertheless, we’re not going to let that stop us! Millennium Point is known today for three things: a multi-award-winning conference and events venue and a landmark public building home to Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment and Thinktank Science Museum; with commercial profits going towards the Millennium Point Charitable Trust who invest £5m each year into projects which support science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in the region.

Our landmark public building was the catalyst for the regeneration of the eastside of Birmingham city centre, and over the past 18 years we have welcomed over 1 million people (and sometimes animals) through our space-age sliding doors and as such have been, done and seen our fair share of weird and wonderful things. To celebrate 18 years here’s a year-by-year round-up of some of our personal highlights.

2002: Official Opening & Unveiling by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Of course, where better to start than where it all began? The year is 2002, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is going wand-to-sword with The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers at the box office; Apple released its second-generation iPod with an unprecedented 20GB of storage and Arsenal won the FA Cup Final with a 2–0 win over London rivals Chelsea. Meanwhile, Millennium Point was officially being unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday 2nd July 2002. The Queen was visiting the West Midlands as part of her Golden Jubilee tour around Britain, and following the unveiling of Millennium Point, she expressed that she had no doubt Millennium Point would be used to ‘inspire the next generation who will shape the technology and industry of tomorrow’.

You can read her full speech here.

2003: Betty Boothroyd Visits

We had the pleasure of hosting a visit from former West Bromwich MP, Betty Boothroyd, in 2003. Affectionately known across the nation as ‘madame speaker’, Betty Boothroyd was one of the most successful upholders of standard in the House of Commons. She is the only female to have served as a Speaker in the Commons as is one of only two living, former Speakers.

Betty visited Millennium Point after retiring from that role and being invited by the University Of The First Age, who arranged a televised link between Betty and children and young adults in South Africa, who she discussed politics with. She then delivered a powerful speech encouraging young people in attendance at Millennium Point to think about politics and how it affects the world around them.

Betty received an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law award and was named the millennium’s first Life Peer before also being appointed the Order of Merit, which is one of Britain’s highest honours gifted by Her Majesty The Queen. Her reputation of being tough yet very charming led to a more accessible parliament to the public and we are honoured to have hosted such a truly loved icon here at Millennium Point.

2004: Christmas Lights Switch-On

The 2004 Christmas Lights Switch-On took place on Sunday, November 21st 2004. Families from across the city came to Millennium Point for the festivities, which included a funfair and BRMB ‘Party at the Point’ concert (and that was just the warm-up!) The then Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Mike Nangle, was given the responsibility of getting Christmas underway with the switch on of the evening as crowds gathered. After the big-switch-on, synchronised images of the lights around the city were beamed onto giant screens at Millennium Point, while revellers stuck around to celebrate.

2005: Planetarium opens at ThinkTank

Our resident spaceman visiting the Planetarium to celebrate 50 years of the Apollo Moon Landing

Birmingham’s first Planetarium – and the UK’s first digital planetarium – opened to the public on Saturday, December 17th 2005 as the new centrepiece of a £2 million upgrade for the award-winning Thinktank Science Museum at Millennium Point. With seating for up to 70 visitors per show, the new Planetarium boasted a projection dome measuring 10 metres in diameter and gave Brummies a chance to find out all about the Universe from their doorstep. At the time of opening the Chief Executive of Millennium Point and Thinktank Dr Nick Winterbotham said local people had been waiting for this kind of initiative since the world’s first Planetarium opened in 1923.

The attraction has continued to be at the cutting edge of technology throughout the years, and the new 4K planetarium system has brighter and sharper images than ever before, as well as crystal clear surround-sound. It remains the only one of its kind in the West Midlands. Special events held at the planetarium over the years have included evening astronomy talks, solar observing and even theatrical productions.

2006 – Recycle It brings an environmental message to ThinkTank

(Image Credit: ThinkTank Science Museum)

ThinkTank was built to amaze and inspire and has hosted countless exhibitions over the years that have done just that. In 2006, the ‘Recycle It’ gallery was installed to highlight the benefits of an environmentally friendly attitude to youngsters. Using unique, eco-friendly lighting set up, the first non-halogen lit gallery to be installed at Think Tank brought a positive message to visitors about what they can do to help save the planet while learning about the journey everyday items take once discarded if they are being taken care of properly.

2007 – From Millennium Point’s Atrium With Love
In May 2006, the Atrium of the building was used to host a theatrical extravaganza, From Ithaca With Love, a modern retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey, which was the launch event of the New Generation Arts Festival. For his swan song, former band manager, marketing guru and film producer Martin Woods had decided to put together a special performance for the inaugural New Generation Arts Festival. It would be From Ithaca With Love, a modern comedy take on the classic The Odyssey, and the Millennium Point atrium was chosen as the venue.

When asked about the event Woods commented: “When Greece won the European Cup the commentator said ‘we’ve come home, we’ve found Ithaca’, and I felt that Millennium Point was like finding our Ithaca.”

2008 – The Dark Knight Cometh

The Dark Knight was deemed an instant classic on release back in 2008, with its reputation and impact continuing to grow over the years. Now rated as the fourth-best movie of all time on IMDB, the movie is the first Hollywood film to have been partly shot using IMAX format cameras. This worked out perfectly for movie fans in Birmingham, who got to see The Dark Knight in all of its glory on our IMAX screen, one of only four in the UK at the time. Six scenes from The Dark Knight were shot in IMAX, including the now-iconic opening segment with The Joker robbing a bank. The Auditorium is now available to hire for private screenings. We have also launched our exciting Festive film and food package for anyone looking to put a quirky spin on their festive office party – find out more here.

Bonus Trivia: Here’s a bonus nugget for all you comic book and movie fans out there. Over a decade later, Batman would return to our giant screen in our new 354-seat auditorium for a one-off screening of 1966 classic Batman starring Adam West. The screening was organised by local multi-media collective Geeky Brummie in partnership with Not Another Comic Con to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the caped crusader.

2009 – Children in Need – Pudsey Does Bhangra

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(Video Credit: BBC Asian Network)

Children in Need is one of the biggest charity initiatives in the UK, both as a fundraising drive and TV event. We were incredibly proud to take part in 2009 with a Bollywood themed party broadcast to the nation. Joanne Malin, taking the Children In Need helm for the first time, presented live from Millennium Point alongside BBC Asian Network’s Adil Ray and Tommy Sandhu, and of course Pudsey Bear. Spectators were able to try their hand at dhol drumming, take part in a Bollywood dance workshop and have their photos taken in the Asian Network Bollywood photo booth, in return for a donation to Children in Need. You can find a clip of the event above.

2010 – Gunther Von Hagens – Body Worlds

The Body Worlds exhibits are one of the most successful travelling exhibitions in the world. On display since 1995, they have attracted more than 50 million visitors in over 140 cities across America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. We welcomed the unique works to Millennium Point in 2010, bringing a truly awe-inspiring and thought-provoking piece to Birmingham. The exhibitions were conceived to educate the public about the inner workings of the human body and to show the effects of healthy and unhealthy lifestyles. They aimed to inspire visitors to become aware of the fragility of their bodies and to recognize the anatomical individual beauty inside each of us.

This fascinating work is still on tour, for the latest news about this visit the official website.

2011 – IMAX Refurbishment

Slightly before it’s 10th anniversary the IMAX underwent a £400,000 refurbishment where it lost the titular branding and transformed into a state-of-the-art 4K cinema, the Giant Screen. Our IMAX screen had long been an attraction prior to its refurbishment. However, the transformation brought it up to date with evolving cinematic technology. It also meant the screen was no longer bound to the IMAX library (which was quite limited for releases at the time) and instead opened up this impressive space to a much larger audience, allowing a wider variety of content to be screened including more cinematic releases and major live events such as the Olympics.

While the Giant Screen would eventually close in 2015, both iterations of this groundbreaking cinematic experience are still remembered fondly by Brummies as part of Birmingham’s evolving cultural and technological progress at the turn of the century.

Their legacy lives on, however, in the Millennium Point you have come to know today. The foyer of the cinema on level 1 was transformed into the flexible open plan event space Platform. This space features an in-situ, fully licenced bar and slick audio-visual equipment including multiple HD repeater screens and PA system. The installation of a new white screen and 4K digital projector means that the former cinema, now known as the Auditorium, is still a key attraction for client events held at our multi-award winning venue. To this day, the quality of the auditorium remains outstanding and has become the home for major events in the region such as the Birmingham Film Festival and VSFighting.

2012 – Millennium Point welcomes AC-12

In this scene, the camera is looking down on level 4 of the building. You can see our escalators and a glimpse of our auditorium.

Steve Arnott, Ted Hastings (like the battle) and Kate Fleming all called Millennium Point home in the first series of BBC crime drama Line of Duty. Jed Mercurio’s gripping series, centred on the efforts of a police anti-corruption unit to tackle ‘bent coppers’, transformed our meeting complex into interrogation rooms as the case of DCI Tony Gates unfolded. Millennium Point was used for internal shots of the Police headquarters – most notably in episode three of the first series – where you can see our iconic Atrium, glass elevators and space-age looking escalators! The first series was famously filmed in Birmingham with several other landmarks and familiar sites including the Grade II listed pub in the Jewellery Quarter, The Queens Arms and Broadstreet also spotted in several scenes.

The show has gone on to be recognised as one of the BBC’s most successful projects and we are proud to have played our part in its opening series.

2013 – ‘Worlds Coolest Car Park’?

Millennium Point multi-storey Car Park at night time (image credit: Elliot Brown)

Now, the terms ‘car park’ and ‘cool’ don’t often go hand-in-hand, but we have always set out to be different… In 2013, the Jennens Road multi-storey, which glows blue at night, was one of ten facilities vying for the title of Coolest Car Park in the World. The cuboid structure which sits next to Millennium Point is one of many Birmingham buildings built in the ‘Brutalist’ style of architecture. The car park is owned by Birmingham City Council and designed by its in-house architects Urban Design. Next time you think Millennium Point; as well as remembering (obviously) that we’re a multi-award winning events & conference venue, landmark public building and charitable trusts; remember that we’re also the home of a super cool car park!

2014 – Millennium Point Launched the Young Innovator Prize (Millennium Point Scholarship)

Then 17-year old Malik Sheryar-Karamat from Ark St Alban’s claim the sponsorship prize.

Today, we’re delighted to see that there is a significant emphasis made by the government and local authorities on skills pertaining to roles in science, technology, engineering and maths (known collectively as ‘STEM’) both in education and in business (although there is still a long way to go in bridging the STEM skills gap and addressing wider issues such as inequality and diversity). Back in the early 2010s, however, this was not the case.

In 2014, Millennium Point’s Charitable Trust arm partnered with our tenants, Birmingham City University, to launch the Young Innovator Prize. This initiative was designed to encourage young people to consider careers in STEM by offering one lucky winner a fully funded undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment. A call was put out to school leavers across the West Midlands region and six young hopefuls were selected to compete in a live final of the competition the following March. The launch event took place in our Atrium space in December 2014, where our then CEO Philip Singleton announced the competition alongside (then) Dean of BCU’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment and engineer and popular BBC Presenter Kate Bellingham, known for presenting the BBC 1 Tomorrow’s World. The first final was hosted by popular comedian, writer and broadcaster Robin Ince and saw then 17-year old Malik Sheryar-Karamat from Ark St Alban’s claim the sponsorship prize. Malik graduated with 1st Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering in 2018.

In 2017, the Young Innovator Prize was overhauled to what it’s known today as the Millennium Point Scholarship. This overhaul was part of a wider refresh that the Millennium Point Charitable Trust was undergoing in order to increase the visibility and impact of the charity’s contributions back into the West Midlands region. The scholarship is still running today, with the most recent winner, 28-year old Shennice Talburt, being crowned back in March this year.

Scholarship 2020 Finalists (From Left to Right) Kallum Wright, Chloe Copeland, Shennice Talburt, Lauren Davies, Amber Kelsey.

The competition will open again later this year for students looking to study at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, for more information please see here.

2015 – The Last Performance at Millennium Point’s Giant Screen Cinema.

The foyer of the Giant Screen Cinema in 2014. This is now our event space Platform.

We mentioned earlier the transition from IMAX to the Giant Screen, well, following 14 fantastic years, the cinema at Millennium Point was closed, and what better way to say goodbye than with one last epic movie night? The movie chosen for the final performance was from the world-famous fantasy film series and the second-highest-grossing film of 2014 – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. With the incredible sound quality and a 70ft x 41ft cinema screen, over 100 people were able to sit and enjoyed the show.

Both iterations of the cinema as an IMAX and the Giant Screen is something that was close to the hearts of Brummies and something that many will still reference today. Unfortunately, the closure was a sign of the times with increased competition and a rapid decline in attendance, it was no longer sustainable for the charitable trust to uphold. Their legacy lives on, however, in the Millennium Point, you have come to know today. Recently, we returned to our cinema roots with a series of socially distanced film screenings of some classic films including Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Sex & the City: The Movie and the newly released Trolls: World Tour. This series was well received by the public and is something we will look to revisit on a more regular basis so watch this space!

The foyer of the cinema on level 1 was transformed into the flexible open plan event space Platform. This space features an in-situ, fully licenced bar and slick audio-visual equipment including multiple HD repeater screens and PA system. The installation of a new white screen and 4K digital projector means that the former cinema, now known as the Auditorium, is still a key attraction for client events held at our multi-award winning venue. To this day, the quality of the auditorium remains outstanding and has become the home for major events in the region such as the aforementioned the Birmingham Film Festival and VSFighting.

Our Auditorium is the home of several major events including Birmingham Film Festival and can be hired now

2016 – Gallery 37 Season

(Video Credit: Puch Records)

On September 10th 2016, we hosted a free music and art showcase event called Gallery 37 in our main atrium space here at Millennium Point. The programme explored space as a theme, making our Atrium the perfect venue thanks to the futuristic interior. Participants of Gallery 37 were able to showcase their work to a room filled with live musicians, poets, spoken word performers, dancers and many other great creative talents.

Local street food provider, Taste and Liquor, was on-site serving up an array of delicious fresh food, and attendees enjoyed live performances throughout the day from Apples and Snakes, Beatfreeks, Sticky Toffee, Paul Steadman, Terri Walker and RoxXxan. The showcase featured a range of masterclasses and workshops with creative career advice and industry events to get involved in. Overall the event was a great initiative with lots of opportunities for people to learn new skills and network, while also just having a great time. We look forward to honouring our ongoing commitment to support and encourage education amongst youth across the West Midlands, with many more fantastic events like this!

2017- Ball Mania in the Atrium

In May of 2017, for just a few days, Millennium Point hosted a crazy, one-off event at the Atrium event space called ‘Ball Mania’. Lights and music helped complete the atmosphere and guests were able to escape the reality of an exhausting 9 to 5, to see just how deep they could bury themselves in the 200,000 plastic balls flooding our Atrium space. The ball pit created was the largest in the country, and to add to the experience, we dotted huge, adult-sized inflatables around the space as props for games like catch, tig and hide and seek.

Although a one-off event for us here at Millennium Point, Ball Mania was part of a UK wide tour and followed on from a similar, successful event in Manchester.

2018 – Platform launches after refurbishment
In 2018, we launched Platform, a brand new flexible event space which is adjoined to our 354-seat Auditorium. The official launch night was held on a mild September evening and saw the cream of Birmingham’s business world invited to see it ahead of reopening. With entertainment throughout the night from Elegant Entertainment, free-flowing drinks, mouth-watering food from the brand new menu and even an interactive mirror photo booth and photo wall, guests experienced the height of hospitality throughout.

Formerly the foyer for the Giant Screen Cinema, this level 1 space was transformed over the summer months into fit-for-purpose open-plan space. In addition to a new look and feel in-line with the Millennium Point Events branding, new features included a built-in bar, presentation facilities and dedicated AV equipment. Since launch, Platform has remained one of our most popular spaces and has seen a wealth of events from exhibitions, conferences and AGMs to formal dining, Christmas parties and even an eSports tournament!

Check out space on our venue page or you can book a contact-free guided tour by calling our friendly events team on 0121 202 2200 or via our online contact form.

2019 – MiniBrum rolls into town

MiniBrum has been a roaring success since its opening in Thinktank Science Museum at Millennium Point in May 2019. Funded partially by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust, MiniBrum was created by Thinktank in collaboration with schools, families and community groups. It allows children under 8 to explore and question their understanding of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) world around them. The Thinktank based role play city, centred around the famous Old Joe clock tower, is truly a one-off experience and has been enjoyed by people of all ages in the months following its launch. From shopping at the Bullring to going on a barge down Gas Street Basin, Mini-Brum is as entertaining as it is educational.

Its 750 square metres is split into five different zones, with a phone in each so you can call and book a table at the cafe, an appointment at the doctors or the station to check if your train is on time. MiniBrum will be back open along with the museum over the next few months, for more information please visit their website.

2020 and beyond
So now we’re in 2020 and, like many businesses, we’ve had to adapt to changing and uncertain times. However, that hasn’t stopped us achieving our goal of supporting local communities and STEM in the West Midlands.

Achievements with the Millennium Point Charitable Trust

In the 2019/20 financial year, The Millennium Point Charitable Trust has contributed over £5.5m to supporting the growth of STEM in the region.
The Millennium Point Scholarship had a second record year for applications increasing 65% over 2019. Following the live final at the start of March, all five finalists have since received additional support and coaching through their next steps. Three past winners have now graduated from university, most with first-class honours with three more currently in higher education.
We’ve given over £561,000 in grants and funding to over 60 STEM projects and organisations in the region.
We continue to support Thinktank Science Museum with a donation of £250,000
Equipment at Bishop Vesey Grammar School, funded by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust, was used to produce vital PPE for local organisations struggling during the PPE shortage.

Achievements in our landmark public building

Our live acoustic gigs performed in our venue and live-streamed through Facebook live have been viewed over 23,000 times.
Over 300 people to have attended our socially distanced film screenings
Our venue has been accredited “Safe, Clean and Legal” by Quality in Tourism for our outstanding work implementing measures which protect against the spread of Covid-19

Now, more than ever, the region needs to come together to overcome the challenges that the current pandemic is causing us. We will continue our work supporting the region and facilitating opportunities for growth both in STEM and the wider community through our landmark public building, award-winning venue and a charitable trust. For more information on what we do or how you can collaborate on our objectives, please get in touch.

We’re delighted to announce the latest recipients of the Millennium Point Charitable Trust grants initiative.

Building on the continued success of the programme, The Millennium Point Charitable Trust received 170 eligible applications from not-for-profit organisations, schools and colleges from across the West Midlands region – a 55% increase from the last round of funding in 2019. This year we have granted more than £560,000 to STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) projects and initiatives across the region. Projects funded include ‘STEM stars’ from Aston Villa Foundation, a programme which engages young people in coding using football; and ‘Sensory STEM’ from Longwill School for the Deaf, Northfield, which will make science more visual and accessible to their pupils through science-based equipment and an enhanced curriculum.

What’s the Millennium Point Trust’s Grants initiative?
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust’s Grants initiative provides funding annually to not-for-profits, schools and colleges across the West Midlands. Applicants can apply for up to £20,000 to fund their STEM-related project providing they meet the criteria and can demonstrate a measurable impact in STEM education. Since its launch in 2018, Millennium Point Charitable Trust has donated over £969,000 to successful recipients funding a diverse range of projects across education, STEM-focused charities, sporting charities and museums.

Where does the money come from?
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust owns the 46,450 sqm landmark Millennium Point building on Curzon street in the eastside of Birmingham City Centre (opposite the future Curzon Railway). Profits from our commercial activity as a landmark public building and multi-award-winning conference and events venue feedback into the charitable trust, enabling it to donate and invest in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives. The grants scheme is our flagship initiative alongside the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship which funds at least one young person’s undergraduate degree each year at Birmingham City University.

To learn more about our events and conference venue or how booking with us can widen your company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR), please get in touch.

When is the next round of funding available?
Information on the next round of applications will be made available soon, you can register your interest by emailing [email protected] or by keeping a watch on our dedicated grants & funding page. As the Millennium Point Charitable Trust, we are constantly reflecting and improving our projects to ensure they stay relevant, accessible to those who benefit from them and impactful to STEM in the region, for further information on the wider charitable operations, opportunities available or to get involved, please get in touch.

Millennium Point is a multi-award-winning events and conference venue with a range of meeting and conference spaces ideal for hosting your next Lecture.

Larger Lectures & Talks
The Auditorium at Millennium Point is a spacious 354-tiered seated (115 with social distancing) theatre. Our giant screen measures 24m x 12m in size, with a 6.2m x 2.3m stage underneath, perfect for presenting lectures and showcasing presentation slides and video content to engage an audience. This remarkable space is connected via a striking twin curved staircase to our open-plan Platform space on level 1. Formerly one of Birmingham’s first IMAX cinemas, this space has previously been used as a premium lecture theatre for Birmingham City University and other educators for its impressive size. The Auditorium is currently available to hire from £2,500+VAT.

Platform is a 200sqm open plan space on level 1 of Millennium Point. It features integrated wireless presentation facilities, 4 x digital displays and PA system. Additionally, it has a fully licenced bar, restrooms and flexible sound dampening walls. Platform can hold up to 70 theatre style with social distancing making it an attractive setting for a larger sized lecture. Platform is available from £850+VAT

Both Platform and Auditorium can be combined for £3,000+VAT

Smaller Lectures & Seminars
For smaller lectures, we recommend the Connect meeting and events suite on level 2 of Millennium Point. This suite has four inter-connected rooms with collapsible walls, which can accommodate up to 35 theatre style in the main event space or 15 in the smaller combined space with social distancing. Connect is the preferred choice for smaller Lectures or seminars. Connect features integrated wireless presentation facilities in all rooms including multiple digital display screens and 2 x projector screens. This space also includes an integrated PA system, adjustable RGB lighting and temperature controls, hot drinks machines and restrooms. Connect is available from £275+VAT.

Lastly, our Level 4 suite offers a simple alternative for smaller lectures with the main space, Engine capable of holding up to 20 theatre style with social distancing. Like our other spaces, Engine features projection facilities and optional PA equipment. Engine is available from £520+VAT.

Additional benefits at no extra cost
To ensure the very best for your event, all costs include a dedicated event manager who will work with you from initial enquiry through to on the day delivery and an AV technician to manage technical aspects of your lecture on the day.

Convenient location regardless of how you travel
Our award-winning venue is located on Curzon Street in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Millennium Point is a 15-minute walk from Birmingham New Street Station and major inter-city transport links. Millennium Point has an onsite 900 space multi-story car park owned by Birmingham City Council, which is easily accessible from the M6, M5 and M42.

Make a big impression with Live Video Streaming
Take your event online with our live video streaming packages, perfect for larger events without the stress of social distancing. Hosted on a dedicated page on our website for up to 100 delegates, our professional videography team will work with you to make it look slick and seamless with HD video and audio. Hybridising your event with one of our live streaming packages means more convenience for your delegates and a wider reach for your event without the concerns of capacity, social distancing or cancellation due to COVID-19.

For more information please see Live Video Streaming at Millennium Point

Social Distancing & Safety Measures.
Our highly accredited team have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that our venue is safe, clean and compliant with the latest government guidelines on coronavirus. Our measures include increased hygiene and cleanliness, social distancing and enhanced technology to minimise the risks to your event with compromising its scope and your vision. Our work has awarded us with “Safe, Clean and Legal” accreditation from Quality in Tourism alongside our certification from Venues of Excellence, HBAA and MIA.

We understand the risk of hosting an event during these uncertain times, which is why our new temporary flexible booking policy allows you to move or cancel your event at no additional cost should it be affected by the impact of COVID-19. To read a full breakdown of measures we have taken please read our Client Protection Plan

Book your free guided tour now
Enquire now for your free no-strings guided tour. A member of our friendly events team will provide a contact-free guided tour of the space, or you can choose a guided virtual tour over the video communication platform of your choice.

Get in touch by calling 0121 202 2200, emailing [email protected] or by using our quick enquiry form.

The Caped Crusader returns for one night only to Millennium Point’s giant screen auditorium in the eastside of Birmingham city centre. On Thursday 24th September 2020 from 7:30 pm we will be hosting a one-off screening of Christopher Nolan’s genre-defining superhero movie, ‘The Dark Knight’ as part of our ‘Millennium Point Presents…’ series of socially distanced film screenings in our large Auditorium. This will be the first time in over a decade since The Dark Knight has been at Millennium Point, originally screening in the former IMAX back in 2008. Tickets cost £15 per person and include two drinks within the price of bottled beer, a glass of house wine or soft drink. Doors open at 6:30 pm for film lovers to relax in our level 1 space with the fully licenced bar before the start of the film at 7:30 pm. Additional drinks and snacks can be purchased from our cashless and contactless bar throughout the screening.

Win two tickets to The Dark Knight by heading over to our Facebook page and taking part in our competition.

The Dark Knight is the second instalment of the Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy and a sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins. The film centres around the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice and save Gotham from the Clown Prince of Crime and from itself. It features an all-star cast including Christian Bale and supported by Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman. The film received eight award nominations at the 81st Academy Awards and won two for Best Sound Editing and Ledger was posthumously awarded Best Supporting Actor. The film is considered one of the best superhero films of all time and marks Ledger’s final film, with his iconic performance as the Joker redefining the superhero movie villain.

(Video Credit: HD Retro Trailers)

Tickets and what’s included
The film will be screened in Millennium Point’s spacious Auditorium with a giant 24m x 12m screen, the former home of the IMAX cinema which closed in 2013. Tickets cost an equivalent of £15 per person and include two drinks of bottle beer, a glass of house wine or soft drinks, with additional snacks and beverages available to purchase at our fully licenced bar throughout the screening. Tickets are available in bundles of 2-4 with assigned seating as part of Millennium Point’s highly praised measures for social distancing in line with the latest government guidelines on COVID-19.

Read more about our social distancing measures: Millennium Point is Reopening for Events

Keeping you safe in uncertain times
The award-winning events team at Millennium Point has been working hard to implement new hygiene and safety measures, to ensure all government guidelines are met. We are certified “Safe, Clean and Legal” by Quality in Tourism. The Auditorium, which at full capacity can host 354 people, has been reduced to 181 seats to allow for physical distancing between cinemagoers, and all seats will be allocated in advance to pre-paid ticket holders. A deep clean will be carried out between performances and all screenings will be contactless and cash-free. Our staff have been fully trained and will be wearing protective PPE. Specific details for measures we have taken can be found on the booking page.

“Something normal”
This will be the 5th social distanced screening our award-winning Birmingham-based team have organised since lockdown restrictions began to ease in July. Following our socially distanced family screening of Trolls: World Tour in July, one satisfied cinemagoer commented:

Tickets are on sale until Thursday 24th September at 11am. Get your ticket now and enjoy a little slice of normal with one of cinemas greatest superhero films.

Is Millennium Point a Cinema again?
No, Millennium Point’s Auditorium is neither an IMAX or a regular cinema and has not been since the closure of the Giant Screen Cinema in 2015. Instead, space has been renovated as an impressive 354-seat auditorium available for private hire, which includes films screenings. These socially distanced screenings are one-off events organised by Millennium Point as part of our ongoing commitment to providing fun and affordable activities for the general public. For more information on hiring our giant screen auditorium see here.