In a galaxy not so far away – in fact, just a 15 minute walk from New Street station and 5 minutes from the new Primark – Millennium Point was taken over by the good, the bad and the bantha fodder of the Star Wars universe.
On Saturday 4th May, to celebrate Star Wars Day, Millennium Point became the Galactic Senate, as characters from the movies took over all of our event spaces for their Galactic Summit.
CONNECT
After a brief welcome, Lord Vader was making full use of the wireless presentation facilities in Connect with his ‘How to aim’ workshop – with a practical demonstration next door in the Connect Conference suite. There’s enough space for 120 delegates, then there’s definitely enough space for a little target practice. Rey was brought in as a consultant on the workshop following plummeting numbers in the Empire’s monthly happiness survey, which mostly sited Lord Vader and Kylo Ren as horrible bosses.
ATRIUM
Things got a little tense when Rey ran into Kylo, it’s a good job there’s plenty of space in our Atrium – so much that you can even park a Millennium Falcon (or other space ship) here, great if you’re looking to show off the latest model in a public space!
AUDITORIUM
Heroes & villains alike set aside their differences over popcorn to test out the giant screen. Those Stormtroopers, they’re so vain! Any excuse to watch themselves. I’m sure they would have preferred it to be filled out to its 350 capacity, but oh well boys – maybe for The Rise of Skywalker?
*Spoiler alert* Darth Vader is Luke’s farther!
PLATFORM
After the workshop in Connect and film in the Auditorium everyone was ready for a drink at the Cantina. Platform is just a few steps from our giant screen and presentation space, with a built-in-bar that overlooks the vibrant bustle of our central ATRIUM. If you held a party, workshop or performance here, you can be sure the space is exclusively for you, as this space isn’t open to members of the public.
Word gets around fast of the visit, as fans couldn’t resist getting a selfie or two outside ThinkTank.
After a jam-packed day of events around Millennium Point, it was time for the Galactic Summit to finish.
If you’re looking for a venue to hold your next event and would like to take a tour of our spaces, give our lovely events team a call on 0121 202 2200 or email [email protected].
Did you know that Millennium Point is actually a charity? Last year alone we contributed more than £4.8 million back into the region. It’s our aim to support the growth of science, technology, engineering and Maths (STEM) throughout the West Midlands.
Each year, not-for-profits and schools across the region can apply for funding that enables them to start projects supporting this aim, some have included; a careers convention with workshops and panel discussions encouraging more girls to take up careers in STEM, building a 3D printing and robotics lab in a school allowing students to gain experience in advanced technology or setting up a scholarship for a free undergraduate STEM degree.
Applications for our 2019 Grants programme 2019 are now open. We have 3 levels of funding:
• Under £2,000 (all entities)
• Under £2,000 (school specific)
• £2,000-£20,000 (all entities)
Applications for the 2019 scholarship will close at 11:59pm on 31st May.
To download the criteria and submit an application, visit the grants page. Or contact a member of the MP team on 0121 202 2200 or [email protected].
Call us geeky, but we love a good STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) activity here at Millennium Point! So we thought we’d put together some egg-cellent Easter activities you can do with the kids this Easter break – from rainbow rubber eggs and edible jelly bean slime, to egg drops and stop frame animation…
Rainbow Rubber Eggs
Who doesn’t want to bounce a real green rubber egg!?
You’ll need: jars, eggs, food colouring and vinegar.
You can teach children the power of osmosis, the coloured liquid will move between membranes (leading to such colourful eggs), but will never change the colour of the egg yolk.
For more information and to find out how you can to do it, click here.
Sparkly Salt Crystal Easter Eggs
A nice easy one with lots of science to boot!
You’ll need: Pipe cleaners, mason jars, salt, clothes pins, magnifying glass and scissors.
With this experiment you can learn all about ionic bonds, evaporation, molecule attraction and the chemical properties of salt and water.
For more information and to find out how you can to do it, click here.
Edible Jelly Bean Slime
Slime is pretty cool on its own, but you can eat this slime too – which makes it even cooler!
You’ll need: Jelly beans, a mason jar and corn starch.
This is a great experiment to introduce toddlers to science and slime; and you don’t have to worry about them putting it in their mouths – if anything, it’s encouraged! It’s also a great sensory activity for any children with autism and ADHD.
For more information and to find out how you can to do it, click here.
Easter Egg Drop
Decorate your egg, pad it out and then drop it out a window – will it survive the fall?
You’ll need: Raw eggs, various containers and padding – such as: bubble wrap, cotton wool, bin bags, food containers, string, tape, egg crates…
This is a fun way to get children thinking like an engineer – should I wrap it in something? Make a parachute? You can let them be as creative as you like! You can also set some design challenges to keep things fresh – perhaps they have to use a cardboard box or it has to fly?
For more information and to find out how you can to do it, click here.
Jelly Bean Stop Frame Animation
For all those budding directors, why not make your own film? You’ll be surprised at how much effort goes into this activity!
You’ll need: Jelly Beans (or other materials you can move around – it could be playdoh), a large foam board and a stop motion app.
Heard of Wallace and Gromit? The technique used to create the wonderful cheese filled world of Wallace is stop frame animation. This is a great activity to get kids using technology in a creative way. To make this an Easter activity, why not give it an Easter theme and have the story based around a bunny or chick?
For more information on this experiment and to find out how to do it, click here.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading though these Easter activities. Here at Millennium Point we’re passionate about STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths), it’s the reason our charity is here – to support and invest in STEM projects across the region.
Let us know if you do any of the experiments – we’d love to see your pictures!
Laura Avis, 17, from Redditch, was last night (March 27th) named as the winner of this year’s Millennium Point Trust Scholarship programme.
Laura, who is set to begin studying Film Production Technology at the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University (BCU), secured a fully paid-for degree, after presenting to a panel of top industry judges and a captive audience during a live final event at Millennium Point.
Laura said: “Winning the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship programme is a dream come true and I’m so grateful to be given this incredible opportunity to kickstart my career.
“It’s important that young people are aware of the wide range of exciting STEM-related careers that are available to them and I am keen to tackle the misconceptions surrounding the subject. My chosen degree course is a proven example of this as it combines the art of film with the intricate technical detail that is also required in this line of work, and I can’t wait to get started.
“I’m very proud of all the other finalists. They are all so passionate about their chosen subjects and I wish them the very best of luck in their careers in the future.”
We’d like to say a huge congratulations to all of the finalists on this year’s Scholarship programme. The level of passion for their chosen topic, as well as the knowledge and enthusiasm that was shown on the night, was phenomenal – not to mention the courage that is needed to stand on stage and present to a panel of five industry leaders. There is no doubt that all five of these talented individuals have very bright futures ahead of them.
It’s an amazing thing to witness first-hand the growing interest in STEM among young people. Looking ahead, we will continue to invest back into the West Midlands and support STEM-related projects so we can raise awareness of the vast array of exciting and innovative careers available to the next generation of leaders. We’ll be working with all of the finalists to secure them opportunities to start their career as well as Laura’s degree funded through the Millennium Point Trust.
The scholarship programme, now in its fifth year, saw a record number of applicants, with almost 100 young people applying for 2019 –the highest entry level in the scholarship’s history.
The flagship initiative from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust is fully funded by the charity, which in 2018 invested more than £4.8m in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives, based in the West Midlands.
The finalists also included Jerome Adrien, 19, from Birmingham, who has applied for Automotive Engineering; Moses Mbikayi Mukendi, 17, from Coventry, who has chosen Computer Games Technology; Caitlin Cooper, 17, from Wolverhampton, who wants to study Computer Forensics; and Feargus Flanagan, 17, from Wolverhampton, who is looking to pursue Music Technology. All finalists will continue to receive support as part of the wider Scholarship programme.
The judges were:
- Liz Mercuri – a computer games programmer, Liz is Technical Evangelist at Unity Technologies and former BAFTA Young Games Designers Mentor.
- Hala Lloyd – lead architect at HS2 in Birmingham, Hala studied for her postgraduate diploma in Architecture at BCU.
- Simon Cox – Head of investigations at BBC Arabic and global journalism consultant.
- Gavin Wade – director of Eastside Projects in Digbeth, Gavin is an award-winning artist-curator, and a producer and curator of world-class public art, exhibition making, writing, and publishing.
- Professor Hanifa Shah – Executive Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment at Birmingham City University (BCU). She has held positions in Computing and Engineering departments at Aston, Staffordshire and Birmingham City University, and a Visiting Professorship at Manchester University. She also has several years’ industry experience, including at BT, Cadbury Schweppes and Britvic.
Applications for the 2020 Millennium Point Charitable Trust Scholarship open in September this year.
For more information on the Millennium Point Scholarship Project, please get in touch with our scholarship team.
Industry experts from the worlds of journalism, gaming, architecture and art are among the impressive panel of judges for this year’s Millennium Point Trust Scholarship.
A shortlist of five young people will present to the judges at a live final on March 27th, hoping to secure the funding for a fully paid-for degree, from a choice of courses at the faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University (BCU).
The judges are:
- Liz Mercuri, a computer games programmer, Liz is Technical Evangelist at Unity Technologies and former BAFTA Young Games Designers Mentor.
- Hala Lloyd who is the lead architect at HS2 in Birmingham, Hala studied for her postgraduate diploma in Architecture at BCU.
- Professor Hanifa Shah, the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment at Birmingham City University (BCU). She has held positions in Computing and Engineering departments at Aston, Staffordshire and BCU, and a Visiting Professorship at Manchester University. She also has several years’ industry experience, including BT, Cadbury Schweppes and Britvic.
- Simon Cox, Head of investigations at BBC Arabic and global journalism consultant.
- Gavin Wade, director of Eastside Projects in Digbeth, Gavin is an award-winning artist-curator, and a producer and curator of world-class public art, exhibition making, writing, and publishing.
The quality of judges rightly reflects the scholarship’s growing standing in the West Midlands and the wider community in science, tech, engineering and maths. This month’s final promises to be a fantastic showcase of the region’s emerging talent, and we are delighted to have Liz, Hala, Simon and Gavin on our panel.
The scholarship programme, now in its fifth year, is the flagship initiative from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust, and is fully funded by the charity, which in 2018 invested more than £4.8m in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives, based in the West Midlands.
Almost 100 people applied for 2019 – a year-on-year increase and the highest entry level in the scholarship’s history. The first scholarship winner, Malik Sheryar Karamt, graduated in July 2018 with first-class honours in Mechanical Engineering.
If your business is interested in attending the live final then please visit our Eventbrite page.
Exactly twelve months ago today, I was standing on the Promenade of Millennium Point’s Southside entrance with my fellow executive team members, looking out at a crowd of people gathered waiting expectantly for HRH Prince Harry and his then soon-to-be-wife Meghan Markle to arrive. Whilst this was a once in a life time moment for us, the real pride came from hosting an event that would truly inspire the young women of the West Midlands; my inner hope was that it would become a catalyst for change.
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust approached Stemettes, a social enterprise encouraging girls to pursue science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), to host an inspirational women’s panel at Millennium Point to mark International Women’s Day and our guests would be young girls from a number of schools across the West Midlands.
However, what struck me most on the day, was that whilst the whole world was focused on the Royals, the girls were clearly focussed on learning about the opportunities available to them in the world of STEM. Having had the opportunity to speak directly to some of these young women I can truly say I was inspired by their passion and how they embraced every opportunity presented. At a point in their lives where they are making decisions which will impact both their route in to work and adult life, I was in awe of the maturity and sheer grit and determination to succeed.
In the twelve months since that remarkable day, our charitable trust has facilitated a number of projects and events which continue to encourage young girls to pursue STEM careers, and through these I have had the opportunity, and pleasure, to attend and learn more about the challenges and drivers for girls wanting to pursue STEM.
When we funded and hosted Monster Confidence in November, we found that the most common challenges amongst girls aged 15 were the lack of female role models in STEM industries, male dominated environments, lack of support and knowledge from parents and the inner voice that simply says, “I didn’t know girls could do that”. Overall, there was a common thread of anxiety amongst girls when it came to the thought of pursuing a career within STEM industries like computing and engineering. However, what I witnessed that day were girls finally realising that a STEM career was not only within their grasp but also incredibly creative. At that point, I found myself reminiscing about my school days and wishing I had been inspired in this way.
There is a reason why events like this are important; there is currently a shortfall of some 173,000 skilled STEM workers in the UK, with women occupying a mere 23% of roles in STEM industries. It’s no wonder that girls aren’t connecting with the industry; they are simply not seeing the great work being done by women in STEM every day. At Millennium Point we are trying to reverse this perception.
I have met some truly inspiring women this year and one of those is Faye Pressly, Chief Operating Officer of tech company Vanti. Faye presented to over 130 school girls at another event we hosted back in December called #GirlTechBrum, the brain child of a fantastic organisation called the Ahead Partnership. Faye not only opened my eyes to the vast amount opportunities available in STEM but also the high level of creativity needed in these careers; challenging a common misconception held by many. Faye is a perfect role model for young women and her enthusiasm for the industry is infectious. Hopefully, women like Faye will help reverse the increasing trend of female students leaving STEM because they feel the industries are still geared towards the male stereotype.
“Social belongingness”, essentially a tribe culture and seeing people which you can relate to in roles, classes and subjects becomes increasingly important during teenage years, and there is a clear link to mental health issues, for girls and boys, when this isn’t present. Anxiety is a real problem amongst our young people and figures show that it’s on the rise in Birmingham, affecting 58% of young people according to Brum Youth Trends. Figures also showed that 70% of those respondents who reported feeling “anxious all the time” were female. With job prospects, studying and aspirations shown as having the biggest impact on mental health, I hope that these events at Millennium Point are going some way to target and eradicate these anxieties.
As a female CEO, in an organisation with a high percentage of women in senior positions, it is my duty to ensure that we continue to champion women in STEM and continue to support organisations and initiatives which develop skills and confidence in girls. After all, these young women are the next generation of leaders in the West Midlands and I cannot wait to see their achievements. In the words of Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, “I feel really grateful to the people who encouraged me and helped me develop. Nobody can succeed on their own.”
Abbie Vlahakis, Interim CEO Millennium Point and Millennium Point Trust.
If you’d like to talk more to us about our work championing STEM education and careers for young people drop us a line.
Millennium Point Trust is a charity supporting science, tech, engineering and maths projects and initiatives across the West Midlands. Funded by the commercial activity and events held in our building we’re proud to be supporting #internationalwomensday2019.
After a record number of applications, Five West Midlands-based students have been shortlisted as finalists in this year’s Millennium Point Trust Scholarship programme.
Hoping to secure our fully paid-for degree in partnership Birmingham City University (BCU) faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, the shortlisted candidates will present on issues hindering the growth of the West Midlands in relation to their chosen subjects, to a panel of top industry judges and a captive audience during a live event at Millennium Point on March 27th.
The shortlisted candidates include Jerome Adrien, 19, from Birmingham, who has applied for Automotive Engineering; Laura Jane Avis, 17, from Redditch, who hopes to study Film Production Technology; Moses Mbikayi Mukendi, 17 from Coventry, who has chosen Computer Games Technology; Caitlin Cooper, 17, from Wolverhampton, who wants to study Computer Forensics; and Feargus Flanagan, 17, from Wolverhampton, who is looking to pursue Music Technology.
This year we’ve seen the highest number of applications for the scholarship to date, so shortlisting Jerome, Laura, Moses, Caitlin and Feargus was a really tough job. The sheer quality of applications, number of entrants and the variety of courses chosen really highlights the growing interest in STEM (science, engineering, engineering and mathematics) subjects and the Millennium Point Trust Scholarship itself.
The scholarship programme, now in its fifth year, is the flagship initiative from the Millennium Point Charitable Trust and is fully funded by the charity in partnership with Birmingham City University. In 2018 our charitable trust invested more than £4.8m in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives, based in the West Midlands.
As event planners look ahead to 2019, what are the key considerations they should have at the front of their mind when researching suitable venues?
We asked our Commercial Director, Rebecca Delmore, to list five things which every event organiser should bear in mind.
ONE – LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY
The adage ‘location, location, location’ still holds true…a central location with good transport links goes a long way to helping your event to run smoothly. It means delegates and speakers can find the venue with minimum stress and are more likely to arrive on time. Millennium Point is close to the City Centre, with on-site parking and excellent transport links to trains, tram and busses so it makes us quite popular for conferences and big events. Try to find somewhere that’s straightforward for the majority of your guests to reach.
TWO – COST
Whatever the size of the organisation booking the events space, cost will be a deciding factor. As well as the headline cost, it’s worth being aware of any little extras which might pop up from the small print, such as car parking fees, Wi-Fi, refreshments etc. Choose a venue that has a clear, simple pricing policy, and if you’re not sure – ask!
THRE – CAPACITY
Whether you’re expecting 10 people or 500 at your event, finding somewhere that’s the right size is a must – as well as a venue that’s able to flex into various configurations. For example, Millennium Point has a variety of spaces, from small 5 person meeting rooms in CONNECT to our 350-seat AUDITORIUM which makes us more appealing for clients.
FOUR – ACCOMMODATION
If delegates are travelling a fair distance to your event, or it’s running over a number of days, accommodation is essential – whether it’s on-site or close at hand. It will mean that not only will your event run more smoothly – visitors are less likely to arrive late – but attendees will have more opportunity to rest and relax after a busy day. It also doesn’t hurt to ask the host venue if they can recommend accommodation, as they might have preferential rates or packages with certain hotels.
FIVE – TECHNICAL AND DESIGN
How good is the AV? Check whether or not the venue you’re considering has built-in audio-visual equipment and technical crew for set-up, or whether you need to take your own. In terms of aesthetics, you want your chosen venue to look contemporary, but it may need to suit the tastes of a wide age range of delegates; the look and feel need to not only project the right brand image but also be appropriate for your target audience.
So there you have it – 5 top tips to consider when booking your next event.
Ready to book an event?
With a range of versatile and flexible public and private events space, Millennium Point’s experienced team are on hand to help deliver your event. Whether you’re hosting a banquet, showcasing your new product, holding a conference, having a party or delivering a high-profile presentation, here you can do it all. Plus, a percentage of your booking will fund its charitable work supporting science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) projects and initiatives across the region. Get in touch with our event team today by email or by calling 0121 202 2200
We’ve received a record number of applications for our 2019 Millennium Point Trust Scholarship.
Now in it’s fifth year, our programme offers one lucky undergraduate in the West Midlands a fully paid-for degree, from a choice of courses at the faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University (BCU). Almost 100 people across the West Midlands applied, making it the highest entry level in the scholarship’s history.
The level of entries reinforces the notion that there’s a growing appetite in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) among the region’s young people, and those looking to reskill or upskill in STEM industries. With a huge number of courses available, spanning from computer science to digital marketing, music technology to construction, computer forensics to automotive engineering and everything in between, our scholarship is designed for individuals who want to take the next step in their STEM career but may need a helping hand, or perhaps had previously discounted university as an option due to their circumstances or background.
The scholarship is open to West Midlands-based applicants who will be aged 18+ and ready to start their degree by September 1st 2019, and reinforces Millennium Point Charitable Trust’s objectives of supporting science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) projects, organisations and initiatives across the West Midlands. It provides the opportunity for emerging talent to take their first steps or reskill into a STEM career and aims to address the current UK shortfall of 173,000 skilled workers in STEM industries, by encouraging young people to consider further education in STEM on a regional level.
The scholarship is our charitable trust’s flagship initiative and is fully funded by the charity, which over the last five years has invested more than £4m in STEM-related organisations, projects and initiatives, based in the West Midlands.
The first scholarship winner (formerly the Young Innovator Prize), Malik Sheryar Karamt (above), graduated in July 2018 with first class honours in Mechanical Engineering.
Our shortlist will be announced on February 16th ahead of the live final, which takes place on 27th March 2019 in our PLATFORM and AUDITORIUM spaces at Millennium Point, Birmingham. Candidates will present to a top panel of industry judges and the live audience, before the lucky winner is announced.
See further details about Millennium Point Trust Scholarship, entry requirements and the application process.
We’re always looking to expand our programmes – whether you’re a business looking to get involved or someone interested in applying for 2020, please get in touch with our scholarship team.
In December 2018, we partnered with not-for-profit Ahead Partnership to introduce opportunities within the tech industry to female students from across Birmingham.
Taking place in our 350-seat AUDITORIUM and open-plan PLATFORM spaces inside Millennium Point, the event was attended by more than 130 students and 11 leading digital firms from the local area.
GirlTechBrum event is aimed at raising aspirations and helping young women aged 12 – 13 years old explore careers in the digital and tech sectors, through a series of interactive careers panels, workshops and guest speakers, supported by a range of businesses. The event allowed students to see first-hand what a career in digital involves, and it’s great to see a diverse range of businesses come together to challenge perceptions of tech and digital and help young women see their place in this fast-growing industry.
The event was funded by our charity, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust and supported by social enterprise Ahead Partnership. #GirlTechBrum is part of Ahead Partnership’s Make the Grade programme, which has supported more than 150,000 young people to date with real-life, hands-on experiences, delivered by local employers.
Over 130 pupils attended the event in our iconic building in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside, with guest speeches from Melissa Snover, MD of the world’s first 3D sweet printer Magic Candy, and Faye Pressly, COO at technology solutions provider Vanti.
Students also participated in a range of workshops from Codemasters, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Legal & General, InMoment, Lander Automotive and PwC, covering a range of topics including financial crime, UX and customer intelligence, before posing their own questions to a panel of female role models in STEM. 
The tech industry is already one of the most important for the UK, and is vital to the continued success of the region’s economy; which is why it is a key part of Metro Mayor Andy Street’s economic strategy. It’s important that businesses continue to support these initiatives, so we can reach further young people and continue to make a difference across Birmingham and the surrounding areas.
As a venue and destination dedicated to supporting STEM, we’re delighted to partner with organisations like Ahead Partnership on events such as this.
To find out more about the Millennium Point Charitable Trust, please visit our charity page.
