Events Archives - Page 17 of 19

While it is an unprecedented and challenging time, we believe it’s never been a more important time to recognise how Birmingham and the wider region is attracting a diverse number of emerging event types.

Millennium Point is a city-centre event and conference venue. We’ve seen lots of different events take place within our building, from educational seminars to live music performances and everything in between. Our versatility as an events space is something that we’ve always taken pride in and as we kick off a new decade, we are seeing more variety than ever in our bookings.

Here, we take a look at some of the bookings from 2019 which brought something new to the table, making the most of our facilities and spaces in creative and dynamic ways.

A Podcasting Convention for fans, by fans
PodUK, a convention around podcasting created for fans, by fans, was a 1-day event we held in February 2019. This event saw over 200 visitors across our spaces on level 1, level 2 and our 354-seat Auditorium with giant screen. Our auditorium was used for high profile live readings from podcasting favourites and live panel discussions while our spaces on leve1 1 and level 2 were used for interviews, Q&As and workshop areas. Our favourite bit was bringing the live readings to life in our auditorium with lighting, staging and audio mixing by our AV team.

Live cast reading in Auditorium (Credit: PodUK)

This was the clients first time delivering this event and we worked with them to bring their vision to life. Podcasts have grown in popularity over the past decade and are now as commonplace as radio and live streaming music and video. Not only are we expecting to see more live events around this popular element of culture, but we also believe that we will start to see more first time organisers come forward with confidence to bring their passions to life through these sorts of events. An all-digital PodUK is back this year bigger and better and we look forward to their return to Millennium Point in the future, check it out here.

A Boxing Weigh-in
Now, hear us out. Weigh-ins are nothing new to boxing but when we hosted Frank Warren & Queensberry Promotions Midlands Mayhem Press Conference & Weigh-in: in November of 2019, it demonstrated that more and more promoters are looking for outside-of-the-box type venues for their events. Our Auditorium was used for both the final press conference and the weigh-in for this high profile boxing event which took at the brilliant Utilita Arena Birmingham. The press conference saw high profile journalists from BT Sport, Sky Sport, BBC and more attending, with both events being broadcast live to fans.

Boxing weigh-in on the stage in Auditorium

If one of your tasks while being home is planning a press event, then head over to our events pages for more ideas on this event type.

Hackathons are here, and they’re awesome for the region
As a region, the West Midlands is a hotbed for digital and tech. We’re home to Silicon Canal, a community and ecosystem for local digital and tech; a thriving place for games development with legendary companies such as Rare (Golden Eye 007) and Core Design (Tomb Raider); and a host for more and more hackathons. Hackathons are invention marathons, bringing together digital and tech individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds and skill levels to “hack” problems, usually posed by businesses or real-world events like Covid-19 (read more about that here).

Opening ceremony in Auditorium ((Image Credit: HacktheMidlands))

HacktheMidlands: is the name given to a 24-hour “invention marathon” hosted at Millennium Point annually. Created by students at the University of Birmingham, it brings together over 200 participants from across the region to teach and support each other while developing a range of digital and tech solutions to problems posed by businesses through challenges. After 24-hours they reconvene to share a host of inventions from apps and websites to video games and useable tech.

From a logistical point of view, our Atrium was the main space for activity with our level 1 and level 2 spaces serving as breakout areas for activities and workshops, Our Auditorium was used for larger-scale segments of the event including an opening, closing and award ceremonies.

Groups of programmers on Atrium (Image Credit: HacktheMidlands)

Additionally, participates brought well over 200 laptops, PCs and smart devices most of which need a power supply and to be connected to our high-speed wifi. Hackathons are a great example of an emerging event type that is having a positive impact on the growth and development of the digital and tech industry as well as on businesses in general who engage with them. You can read more about hosting them here.

Esports tournaments are big business for the region
Here at Millennium Point, we’re a big fan of eSports. Esports are multiplayer video games played at a professional competition level and are the younger sibling of mainstream sports. Aside from writing about how it’s positively impacting sports during the current pandemic, Millennium Point is also the proud host of one of the larger tournaments in the UK.

VSFighting is an annual competition that welcomes over 550 competitors, including 50 internationally renowned players and several world champions to duke it out in Beat ‘Em Up games such as Tekken World Tour, Super Smash Brothers and Dragon Ball Fighter z in a legendary three-day event.

More than 500 games consoles including PS4, XBOX ONE, Nintendo Switch and PC plus peripherals are set-up and connected to our high-speed wi-fi all across our Atrium, Platform, Auditorium, Concourse and Connect. Tournaments and friendly matches were hosted throughout the building while high-profile matches took place in our Auditorium, complete with multiple camera set-ups, AV and space for shoutcasters to commentate on the matches. Tournaments within the event were also streamed live from Millennium Point to fans across the globe on Twitch.

VS Fighting esports tournament live streams from Millennium Point to thousands of people online. (Image Credit: Ryke Charles Photography)

Similar to the fantastic ESL One at Utilita Birmingham Arena, VS Fighting at Millennium Point brings a whole new audience and culture to the region which provides a boost to tourism and a great way of putting Birmingham on the world map for this rapidly expanding industry.

Celebrate emerging events and support the industry
That’s our list! What other emerging events can you think of that are bringing the region to a whole new level? We’re looking forward to the future when we can safely open our doors and welcome back these amazing events into our venue for you to enjoy once again. It’s never too early to plan, get in touch with us now on [email protected] and let’s start planning your next event together.

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.

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.

Millennium Point has been around since the turn of the century. Yet when asked “what is Millennium Point?” you will get a number of different answers depending on who you ask. That’s because since our building opened 18 years ago (19 technically but we won’t tell if you don’t!), not only were we the catalyst for regeneration in the eastside of Birmingham city centre, but we have been, done and seen a lot of different things as our time as a landmark public building, multi-award winning venue and charitable trust. To illustrate our point, here are five things you probably didn’t know about Millennium Point:

1. We are an Award-Winning Venue
Millennium Point is a multi-award winning venue, with 17 event spaces including a large 354-seat auditorium, formerly one of the first IMAX in the West Midlands region. We’re also a member of venues of excellence, HBAA certified and we are proud to have an amazing events team with over 40 years of experience combined.

2. We Mingle With Royalty
Millennium Point was officially unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll on 2nd July 2002. Following her visit, she said 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 find her full speech here).

More recently we were joined by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for our event on International Women’s Day in 2018 and were also visited by the Duchess of Cambridge during the launch of her national survey ‘Five Big Questions on the Under Fives’ in January of this year.

3. Our Charitable Trust
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust is one of the only two-millennium projects still in existence today. Profits from our commercial activity as an award-winning venue and landmark public building are contributed to the Millennium Point Charitable Trust and over £5m has already been invested.

We plan to continue supporting and facilitating great projects, events and initiatives across the West Midlands that support the growth of Science, Tech, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and help the region thrive.

4. We’ve Featured in Various Films
Millennium Point is no stranger to the silver screen- As well as hosting the annual Birmingham Film Festival, we’ve also had our fair share of the spotlight being featured in various films, interviews and TV programmes, usually as a backdrop. One of our highlights includes being a Police Station in the first series of ‘Line of Duty’ back in 2012.

5. Our Annual Scholarship Programme
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust is proud to have supported five incredible and ambitious individuals by funding an undergraduate degree for each, through the annual Millennium Point Scholarship Programme.

The sixth individual was selected in March this year and is set to start her degree in September.

There you have it! We can’t wait to open our doors once again and welcome you back for a host of new and fabulous experiences.

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. 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.

Maximise the reach and impact of your event at Millennium Point by adding our live video streaming bolt-on to your events package.

We’re always looking for more opportunities to maximise the success of our client’s events here at our award-winning venue. Our latest bolt-on of live video streaming is designed to help you elevate your event through reaching new audiences in a way that’s both intuitive and flexible from as little as £1,100 + VAT.

Attendees are the lifeblood of any successful event, however, factors such as capacity, overheads and on-the-day traffic and poor weather can result in a drop of attendees. This brand-new live video streaming bolt-on package minimises these factors and offers professional and affordable live streaming services designed to ensure that your delegates can enjoy your event wherever they are.

This package will also assist in overcoming challenges that may arise with new social distancing guidelines, which will come into place in the near future while ensuring that you can protect the wellbeing of your attendees while delivering a stellar event experience.

How does it work?

Our experienced technical team will deliver the live stream where delegates can log-in and view via a secure link. Our team will work with you to ensure the content is optimised for a slick and professional experience for your delegates, include multi-screen functionality allowing simultaneous viewing of speakers and presentations. Streaming is suitable for events lasting up to 8-hours long and can be made available after the event for you to publish on your own video platforms. A full break down of the bolt-on, including terms and conditions, can be found on this page.

With our live streaming package, people can attend your event on the go.

How would my event benefit from a live video streaming bolt-on?

Adding a digital element to your event opens an abundance of opportunities that can benefit your overall goal and elevate your brand. Here are a few ways allowing people to attend your event virtually through our live video streaming package can benefit:

Adhere to social distancing guidelines while maximising your event potential and attendee experience
Widen the scope, impact and profit of your event by increasing the number of delegates beyond the physical capacity of the venue.
Reach a new audience who can engage with your event wherever they are around the globe.
Decrease no-shows to your event by providing the opportunity to access your event anywhere on the go.
Benefit from a lasting catalogue of your event which can be shared online after the fact.
Make your event more flexible, accessible and forward-thinking

VS Fighting esports tournament (above) live streams from Millennium Point to thousands of people online.

How do I add this bolt-on to my event package?

It’s easy, you can use our quick online form or get in touch with our friendly events team on 0121 202 2200.

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.

Fill in our quick survey below and you will be helping us to shape how we continue to operate while keeping our friends, visitors and clients safe.

We don’t have to tell you that the spread of COVID-19 has changed the way all of us think and feel about social interaction, none more so than in events and hospitality.

We have created a quick and easy survey on the link below which we are now asking you to fill in. Your answers will help shape new processes and protocols which we will implement into our business.

TAKE THE SURVEY

These processes and protocols will allow us to protect the welfare of everyone who enters our building, while still delivering the same outstanding experience and service that has made us a multi-award-winning venue and landmark public building in Birmingham City Centre.

We thank you for your time.

Give your colleagues something to look forward with a Christmas party at Millennium Point. We have three packages available for up to 354 guests*, from exquisite fine dining to the private cinematic experience, there’s so much our award-winning venue can offer this festive season from as little as £35 per person!

Your party will come with your own private, fully licenced bar a dedicated events manager and welcoming staff to take care of things and keep the good vibes going while you sit back and enjoy.

Our Platform space on level 1 of our landmark venue is the stage for your winter wonderland, now all that’s left is you!

Get the VIP treatment with our Christmas Banquet package from £39.50 pp + VAT

Celebrate in style when you choose our Christmas Banquet package. Give your guests the VIP treatment with a red-carpet reception with a complimentary glass of fizz. You’ll then be seated ready to dine on an exquisite three-course banquet on tables adorned with centrepieces and novelties to keep you entertained. Round off your perfect evening with your own private DJ and dancefloor.

Get the Party vibes flowing with our Christmas Party package from £35.00 pp + VAT

Choose our Christmas Party package and amp up the feel-good festive vibes. You and your guests will again be treated to the VIP experience with a red-carpet reception and complimentary glass of fizz on arrival. You will then be treated to a succulent hot fork buffet while you mingle before we turn up the party vibes with your own private DJ and dancefloor.

Get Festive Cinematic Experience with our Festive Film Package from £37.50pp + VAT

Ditch the traditional Christmas crackers and paper hats and go for a festive party experience with a twist with our Festive Film and Food package exclusive to Millennium Point. Choose one of several festive favourites or bring your own for you and your guests to enjoy an exclusive cinematic experience on our giant screen. You and your guests will be treated to a glass of fizz on arrival and succulent bowl food served by our welcoming staff before heading up to our impressive auditorium.

Convenience and flexibility

Our multi-award-winning venue is conveniently located on the Eastside of Birmingham City centre and just a short walk from the most popular hotels, bars and clubs in the city.

All our packages are flexible to suit your needs. Our catering packages are suitable for any dietary requirements. Our award-winning events team have over 40 years’ experience in the business, which means a no-fuss, enjoyable event experience for you and your guests.

That’s not all, by booking your Christmas party with Millennium Point you are also widening your CSR by giving back to the local communities. A percentage of your booking will go towards the Millennium Point Charitable Trust who contribute over £5 million annually to the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in the West Midlands.

Get in touch with our events team today for your no-strings quick quote today. Go on, give yourself something to look forward to!

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.

Our latest scholarship competition ended in style in mid-March with a fantastic live final following a record-breaking year for applications.

What’s the Scholarship?

Our Millennium Point Scholarship is an annual competition open to students across the West Midlands. It provides one lucky winner with a fully funded undergraduate degree and opportunities and support for up to five finalists.

This year we received more applications than ever before from students across the region looking to take their first big steps in their careers and tackle the big issues facing the west midlands in the years to come.

“All five finalists were incredible”

A live final event at Millennium Point, held in our 354-seat Auditorium, marked the culmination of this year’s competition, with five finalists each presenting on local issues such as affordable housing, cyber harassment, fake news and battling flooding. You can see a round-up of the event below:

Five business leaders from across Birmingham’s business community were selected to assess the finalists, giving feedback on their presentation style and content.

Winner Shennice Talburt, currently working as a paralegal, will now study Real Estate at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, with her degree paid for by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust.

*Photo caption: L/R – Hanifah Shah (BCU), Abbie Vlahakis (Millennium Point) Shennice Talburt (Scholarship winner) Professor Nick Morton (BCU)*

Shennice, from Birmingham, said: “I am so proud to have been selected as the winner of this year’s Millennium Point Scholarship. All five finalists were incredible, with great ideas and the drive and determination to carry them out.”

“This is something I have kept quiet and focused on by myself, so it will be some surprise for my family when I tell them. I think the housing crisis is a major issue that needs creative thinking and I want to bring new ideas to the table and help the millions of people who are suffering as a result of this situation.”

What happens next for our winner and finalists?

While the winner will enrol on an undergraduate course at Birmingham City University, the other four finalists will receive ongoing support towards their careers including coaching, mentoring and industry work experience provided through Millennium Point.

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

Abigail Vlahakis, CEO at Millennium Point, said: “The quality of our finalists has blown me away, they are all so inspiring.

“I would like to congratulate them all, but especially Shennice, whose ideas really shone a light on possible solutions to one of the biggest issues in the region.”

“Exciting, valuable and impactful initiative”

Hanifah Shah, a judge in the final and Executive Dean of Birmingham City’s University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, said: “The drive, determination and desire to change society for the better through the application of engineering and technology is incredibly strong in all five finalists.

“We’re delighted that Shennice will be joining the Faculty of Computing Engineering and the Built Environment later this year with the Millennium Point Scholarship and look forward to working with the runners up as well.

“Birmingham City University extends its thanks to all involved in this exciting, valuable and impactful initiative and event.”

This project is one of several ways our organisation is supporting the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in the region.

More than £5 million in profits from the commercial activity of our multi-award-winning Birmingham venue and landmark public building, Millennium Point, is invested by our Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth and development of STEM initiatives in the West Midlands region. For more information, please see our charity page here.

Due to the ongoing situation with Coronavirus, we are aware that everyone is facing uncertain times with strict rules on social distancing. We understand many people organising events will be concerned about what happens if the event cannot go ahead as planned.

At Millennium Point we want to put your mind at ease by introducing you to a range of versatile, flexible public and private events spaces, with a flexible process to booking.

Any new events that are booked with us that are taking place before the 31^st August 2020, that have to be postponed due to Coronavirus, will come with a FREE cancellation option. We will also make no change to the previously agreed rates. *T&C’s apply.

Click below to find out more about the different events and conference space we have available to hire at Millennium Point, Birmingham or get in touch on 0121 202 2200.

Terms and Conditions

*For all Coronavirus related cancellations, the rearranged date will be subject to availability and must take place before the 31^st March 2021.

*The Postponement must be no later than 10 days prior to the event and made to the Millennium Point team in writing. The new date of the event must also be confirmed within 14 days of the original event postponement.

We’re delighted to announce the latest recipient of the Millennium Point Scholarship, which fully funds an undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University.

Shennice Talburt, currently working as a paralegal, will now study Real Estate at Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, with her degree paid for by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust; is aiming to help solve the UK’s housing crisis – starting with the West Midlands – after impressing judges and a live final audience to win the prize.

More than 160 applications were received from across the West Midlands for this year’s scholarship programme, which is in its sixth year, representing a new record.

A group of five business leaders from across Birmingham’s business community were selected to assess the finalists, who presented their ideas for the future to a live crowd.

Winner Shennice, from Birmingham, said: “I am so proud to have been selected as the winner of this year’s Millennium Point Scholarship.

“All five finalists were incredible, with great ideas and the drive and determination to carry them out.

“This is something I have kept quiet and focused on by myself, so it will be some surprise for my family when I tell them.

“I think the housing crisis is a major issue that needs creative thinking and I want to bring new ideas to the table and help the millions of people who are suffering as a result of this situation.”

More than £5 million in profits from the commercial activity of the multi-award-winning Birmingham venue Millennium Point is invested by its Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth and development of STEM initiatives in the West Midlands region.

The scholarship programme is a key part of this charitable calendar.

While the winner will enroll on an undergraduate course at Birmingham City University, the other four finalists will receive ongoing support towards their careers including coaching, mentoring and industry work experience provided through Millennium Point.

Abigail Vlahakis, CEO at Millennium Point, said: “The quality of our finalists has blown me away, they are all so inspiring.

“I would like to congratulate them all, but especially Shennice, whose ideas really shone a light on possible solutions to one of the biggest issues in the region.”

Hanifah Shah, a judge in the final and Executive Dean of Birmingham City’s University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, said: ““The drive, determination and desire to change society for the better through the application of engineering and technology is incredibly strong in all five finalists.

“Birmingham City University extends its thanks to all involved in this exciting, valuable and impactful initiative and event.”

The scholarship is an annual competition to encourage young people in the West Midlands to pursue science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) at higher education level by fully funding their tuition fees alongside other opportunities provided through the Millennium Point Charitable Trust. If you are interested in knowing more then please visit our page here.

Are you looking for a large private event space in the heart of Birmingham city centre? Look no further than our award winning Auditorium event space at Millennium Point. Accommodating up to 354 delegates, our Auditorium is the perfect location for film screenings, award ceremonies, conferences, lectures, product launches and AGMs.

Make your event a double winner!
When booking Auditorium, why not benefit from our PLATFORM event space directly below, including an in-built bar and presentation facilities, connected by our central staircase is ideal for receptions and parties. Click here to read more about PLATFORM.

Don’t miss out this Easter!
We will also be organising a series of movie screenings and family activities this Easter. Treat the kids to a screening of Disney Pixar’s Finding Nemo (2003) followed by entertainment including fun-filled party games and a disco. For more information please click here.

Benefits and Features

PLATFORM space features 200m² overlooking the ATRIUM
Giant screen ideal for screenings or impactful presentations
PA system and presentation facilities
On-site AV technician to support throughout your event
Dedicated registration area on Level 4
High-speed Wi-Fi

For more information on all our event spaces please click here.

Between the dates of 6th April and the 1st June, a spectacular installation will allow visitors to Millennium Point a chance to see the Earth as it appears from space. Gaia, a touring artwork by artist Luke Jerram, will be in place at our landmark Curzon Street site where visitors can enjoy the breath-taking experience for free.

This is the only chance people in the West Midlands will have to see the unique installation, which features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s Surface on a globe measuring seven metres in diameter. The artwork is 1.8 million times smaller than the real Earth with each centimetre of the internally lit sculpture describing 18km of the Earth’s surface.

By standing 211m away from the artwork, visitors will be able to see the Earth as it appears from the moon. The installation creates a sense of the ‘Overview Effect’, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

We will also be organising a series of movie screenings and family activities around the installation. Treat the kids to a screening of Disney Pixar’s Finding Nemo (2003) in our giant screen auditorium, followed by entertainment including fun-filled party games and a disco. For more information please click here.

Millennium Point is just a 5-minute walk from Moor Street station, with an on-site multistory car park accessible from the A47 in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre.

For more information on our Gaia installation please click here.