Music legend Bev Bevan has become the latest icon to switch on Millennium Point’s Christmas lights. Bev, and his wife, singer Joy Strachan-Brain, had the honour of switching on the landmark venue’s decorations, including its giant Christmas tree, for 2024. The couple, a host of musicians and 200 local people enjoyed a fun-filled night to celebrate the start of Birmingham’s festive season at the award-winning events venue.
Birmingham’s very own Bev Bevan has had an incredible career spanning over 60 years. As a founding member of The Move, he had the first record ever to be played on BBC Radio 1. He’s played alongside The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimmi Hendrix, The Who and Stevie Wonder. He was a founder member of the hugely successful world-renowned Electric Light Orchestra before joining Black Sabbath. Alongside Joy Strachan-Brain, he is now a member of legendary band Quill. Bev and Joy are the latest special guests to turn on Millennium Point’s Christmas lights, following Toyah Willcox in 2023.
Millennium Point’s famous Christmas tree strands at 39ft tall and features 21,000 lights and 1,500 baubles. It takes a team of twelve and ten hours to put up. It provides the perfect photo backdrop for the thousands of visitors expected at Millennium Point over the Christmas period.
This year, Millennium Point’s Christmas season includes the Ultimate 80s Christmas Party, a Love Actually-themed Bottomless Prosecco Brunch and Frozen-themed family events. Profits from the events support Millennium Point’s award-winning charitable trust that reinvests in local STEM education projects. Visitors to Millennium Point can also enjoy Birmingham science museum, Thinktank.
Rebecca Delmore, Millennium Point Commercial Director, commented: “A Birmingham landmark like Millennium Point deserves a true Brummie legend to turn on its Christmas Lights and so we were thrilled to welcome Bev Bevan for this important job. We are looking forward to our giant Christmas tree providing an incredible photo backdrop for our visitors over the Christmas period.”
Millennium Point has unveiled its latest programme to empower young people in the West Midlands. We are searching for schools, colleges and not-for-profit organisations looking to make their STEM-related dreams a reality. Until 6 December 2024, interested groups can apply for a Millennium Point Trust Grant for their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics projects.
The Millennium Point Trust Grants Programme is designed to enhance education and inspire the next generation of STEM professionals. With grants ranging from £1,000 to £20,000, the programme aims to support projects that have a substantial impact on STEM education and career choices. Applicants are encouraged to showcase innovative ideas that will spark curiosity, creativity, and passion for STEM fields among young learners.
The Millennium Point Charitable Trust has already awarded £3.7 million to over 160 groups in the region. The funds for these grants are generated through the commercial activities of the Millennium Point building, a landmark located on Curzon Street in Birmingham City Centre. Previously funded projects have included STEM labs, planetariums and even the building of a full-sized light aircraft.
Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point, said: “Our grants programme is more than just financial support; it’s about empowering young people to make a positive change. We want to help the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators to help shape our world for the better.”
If you, or someone you know, could benefit from a Millennium Point Trust Grant, you can find our more about applying here.
Innovation, creativity and confidence was on the syllabus this summer as Millennium Point and Severn Trent kicked off a free unique summer bootcamp for kids in Birmingham.
Groups of 11- to 14-year-olds have been meeting for the first time, and gaining valuable life skills through innovation and collaboration, in workshops led by Digital Innovators and supported by Precision Health Technologies Accelerator.
The three-day sessions across four weeks are designed to boost confidence, build resilience, and spark creativity with the goal to help young people positively build skills and confidence. The aim is to support them with continuing with education and finding employment in the future.
Amazing creations such as the ‘Floodbuster’, ‘Hydrosave’ and ‘ECO’ were created by the young innovators as the groups were set challenges to topics such as stopping blockages, water saving and flooding.
Jacob 12, one of the learners said, “This has brought out the creative side in me, I never thought I could create the things that I have.” Maryam 13, added “it’s been fun meeting new people and building my confidence.”
The groups who had met for the first time, showcased their creations to Cllr Sharon Thompson, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, said of the event: “Empowering the next generation of Brummie innovators is at the heart of our mission this summer. We’re thrilled to offer young people a unique opportunity to boost their creativity, confidence, and resilience. The innovative solutions these young minds have developed are a testament to their potential to solve real-world problems. By investing in their skills today, we’re helping to shape a brighter future everyone.”
Elizabeth Heath, Societal Impact Lead at Severn Trent: “The bootcamps are a truly engaging, and great way for young people to come together for the first time and build life skills, while having fun and being creative. We know engaging at an early age helps set young people up for life, so this bootcamp really has the opportunity to change a young person’s future and give them access to skills to stay with them for life.
Mick Westman, Founder and CEO at Digital Innovators said: “The bootcamps create a unique environment where young people of mixed ages, backgrounds and abilities come together to solve complex real-world problems. We encourage creatively collaboration and active communication. Our approach of ‘Learning by doing’ involves fun activities followed by personal reflection’s which results in each student building a map of their unique skills. Skills that build confidence and resilience and which helps them stand out from the crowd. I’m in awe of the fantastic ideas these young people create to the challenges they are set during the event.”
Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point: “We are thrilled to have supported so many young people with free Bootcamp places this summer. It has been wonderful to hear their innovative solutions to the real-life problems we have presented them with. Empowering the next generation to be the problem solvers of the future is our aim at Millennium Point. Alongside Severn Trent and Digital Innovators, we have been able to give these young people an exciting taste of how they could change the world with their chosen career.”
Severn Trent has been working in East Birmingham since 2022, supporting communities with free employability skills and training. Over the last year, it made significant efforts to boost training, employability, and upskilling of people within local schools, by offering free employability training, confidence building and mock interview sessions – all aimed to help break barriers and shape a young person’s future.
Digital Innovators specialise in developing a growth mindset and releasing the potential of students with a variety of needs giving young people between the ages of 14 and 24 access to employment skills and fulfilling career opportunities by collaborating with education providers, businesses and community organisations across the West Midlands.
Millennium Point co-funded the bootcamp with Severn Trent and provided the space for free, to allow for access for people to visit the bootcamp. Opened in 2001, Millennium Point is the largest landmark millennium project in England, outside of London, and is home to unique event spaces. All of the commercial activity that takes place in Millennium Point feeds back into the Millennium Point Charitable Trust to support STEM education in the West Midlands and inspire the next generation who will shape technology, industry, and the world of tomorrow.
Many people look forward to the Christmas party all year round. It’s the time of the year when everyone is in high spirits, feeling the Christmas joy and looking to let their hair down.
Christmas parties are exciting but can be difficult to plan, especially when you want to ensure everyone enjoys them. That’s why we’ve pulled together a list of ideas, to help you plan the best Christmas party.
1. Wine-tasting or cocktail making
Wine tasting and/or cocktail making is a great work Christmas party activity that’ll keep everyone entertained. Although, it’s important to provide alcohol-free options for those not drinking.
Many places offer wine-tasting and/or cocktail-making sessions led by sommeliers and mixologists. This activity is a great blend of interaction and sophistication that gets everyone involved, helping to create memories that last forever.
2. Christmas party games night
Hosting a games night is a great way to get everyone involved and encourage some friendly competition. Whether you’re hosting it at the office or going out to an arcade there are many games you can implement at your next Christmas party.
For those looking to host an office activities night, you could:
- Make a gingerbread house.
- Host a murder mystery party.
- Play secret Santa.
- Do a Christmas quiz.
- Decorate Christmas cookies.
Another great option is to host your party at an arcade or games bar. This enables you to play a range of games you can’t play in the office, such as bowling and axe throwing. Game bars are a great way to encourage team bonding and relaxation. The variety of multiplayer games improves collaboration and enhances team relationships.
Giving all members of staff the opportunity to interact in a relaxed environment with no hierarchical barriers allows new friendships to blossom and lasting memories to be created.
Birmingham has an excellent variety of games places you can host your next Christmas party at, including:
3. Karaoke night
Karaoke is a fun Christmas party idea. Get everyone to choose their favourite songs and sing their heart out. Karaoke brings everyone together to bond over music and share laughter. It’s an excellent way to get everyone involved whether it’s through cheering colleagues on or singing, without alcohol needing to be involved. With 38% of 16-24-year-olds and 21% of 25-34-year-olds not drinking, it’s important to host a party that includes non-alcoholic options.
You can either rent a karaoke machine and host it in your office or hire out a karaoke venue.
4. Paint and sip night
Paint and sip parties are becoming increasingly popular with them trending on TikTok and Instagram reels. You can host a canvas painting party or decorate baubles or wine glasses all of which can be tailored to a Christmas theme.
This is a great option for both in person and online parties as equipment can be sent to your staff’s homes ahead of time. This is excellent for companies with employees all around the world as you can still get together regardless of where you are! It’s also a great opportunity to share what the team gets up to on social media
5. Escape Room
Escape rooms are a great way to get everyone to work together and show off their skills. This is ideal for smaller companies, but if you have enough people to set up multiple teams, a competition could be created to see who escapes the quickest. This will create a bit of friendly competition and you could even set up a prize for the winning team.
6. Book a planned Christmas party
Running and managing a business can be busy, and planning the Christmas party can add on significant amounts of stress. At Millennium Point, we understand this, which is why we’ve planned two Christmas party packages that will remove the stresses of hosting and planning a party.
Our Exclusive Party Night is just £49.95 per person, plus VAT. You’ll experience an unforgettable Christmas party, complete with a 3-course dining experience, a fantastic DJ and dance floor and a private bar.
You’ll need a minimum of 100 attendees and a maximum of 200 guests to be eligible for this package.
If you’re still craving that festive night out minus the stress of planning it, our Ultimate 80s Christmas Party could be the one for you and it’s only £44.95 per person! It’s perfect for smaller business and friendship groups. You’ll dance the night away to a live 80s band while enjoying a delicious three course meal that’s bound to get you in the Christmas spirit.
So if you’re looking to book a Christmas party that everyone will remember, explore our Christmas party packages today.
Award-winning events venue Millennium Point launched its Christmas season in style with a tour of Birmingham! Very early Christmas presents were delivered to lucky recipients across the city to celebrate Millennium Point’s Christmas Parties going on sale.
Alongside the return of the venue’s popular Exclusive Christmas Party Package, Millennium Point has announced the Ultimate 80s Christmas Party for 2024. Partygoers are invited to travel back to the time of mixed tapes and tinsel on 14 December. Millennium Point will be celebrating the best era of pop with a DJ and live band playing the decade’s best music from artists such as Duran Duran, Wham, Tiffany and A-ha.
Millennium Point couldn’t wait to get the party started and took to the streets on 25 July to deliver early Christmas presents to offices across Birmingham. Being a popular 80s gift and local icon, boxes of Cadburys Milk Tray boxes were chosen as the perfect gift for teams in the city.
Rebecca Delmore, Millennium Point Commercial Director, commented: “We love being part of the incredible city of Birmingham and couldn’t wait to start celebrating Christmas with some of our brilliant neighbours. We hope they loved their early Christmas presents and hope to see some of them at Millennium Point this Christmas to dance along to the excellent 80s songs!”
Millennium Point has become a popular Christmas Party destination offering a spectacular setting, delicious dining options, fully-licenced bar, irresistible dance floor and fantastic music. More information about the venue’s party packages and wider events can be found here.
Patrick Mezzano from Ward End has won a fully funded degree at Birmingham City University (BCU) after being named the winner of this year’s life-changing Millennium Point Charitable Trust Scholarship.
A record number of students applied for this year’s Millennium Point Scholarship, but Patrick stood out on the assessment day held in May and secured his Scholarship. 2024 Scholarship finalists, Joe Paddock, Jordan Badger, Benyamin Bansal and Shahzeb Khan, were also awarded laptops by the Trust to help with their further studies.
‘Patrick embodies everything that Millennium Point stands for’
Patrick is the tenth local student to benefit from the Scholarship scheme, which is run in partnership with the university. He wowed judges with his vision for creating affordable housing for all, and now is closer to making his ideas a reality as he will go on to study Real Estate at BCU.
Patrick commented: “I am over the moon to have won the Millennium Point Scholarship! I am really excited about starting my degree in Real Estate, and hopefully using it to help other young people whose housing ambitions have been impacted by the current financial crisis.”
Millennium Point CEO and Scholarship judge Abbie Vlahakis stated: “I am delighted that Patrick is this year’s winner and that we can support him in making his dream a reality. Patrick embodies everything that Millennium Point stands for with his passion for using his education to transform the lives of those around him. I can’t wait to see what Patrick achieves with his degree, and I’m thrilled that Millennium Point could enable an exciting academic future for him.”
10 years of Scholarship success
Each year, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust funds tuition fees for an undergraduate degree in partnership with Birmingham City University at their Faculty of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment. The faculty covers over 20 different courses across computing, digital technology, engineering, and the built environment.
This year marks 10 years of the Millennium Point Scholarship. Alongside Birmingham City University, the Millennium Point trust has been transforming the lives of students for a decade, empowering them to make their mark on the world. Patrick is the latest winner of the Scholarship and follows last year’s winner Safa Bibi, who is about to complete her first year studying for a degree in Computer Science.
The Scholarship is just one of the flagship initiatives of the Millennium Point Charitable Trust. £40 million from the landmark Millennium Point public building and multi-award-winning venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City Centre has been invested in projects, events, and initiatives which support the growth of STEM education and industry in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
Thinking of studying at BCU? Why not start with a Millennium Point Trust Scholarship?
For those interested in the 2025 Scholarship programme, further information on how to apply or get involved can be found at www.millenniumpoint.org.uk/scholarship
We are excited to announce our highly anticipated line-up of events for the remainder of 2024. With a diverse range of offerings, there is something for everyone, from Swifties to horror fans!
A Musical Extravaganza
Music lovers are in for a treat as we present a unique screening of The Rolling Stones’ acclaimed concert movie, Shine A Light, on Birmingham’s largest screen on 20th July. There will also be a live performance by Jimmy Regal & The Royals on the same day. For those with a taste for retro records, the much-loved Moseley Record Fair will be taking place on 21st July, accompanied by a live set from international blues star Ben Toury.
Additionally, on 10th August, we’re celebrating the iconic Taylor Swift with a Taylor Swift Family Celebration. This event offers the perfect Summer holiday treat for mini Swifties and includes friendship bracelet making, a glitter tattoo station, a family disco, and a live performance by the incredible Taylor Swift impersonator, Miss America.
Relive the 90s with a Spice Girls night
Pop fans can look forward to an unforgettable evening on 19th October, as we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Spice Girls. Dust off your best 90s outfits and embrace Girl Power with the UK’s No. 1 tribute act, the Spice Girls Experience, and a 90s disco.
Book now and enjoy our ‘2 Become 1’ offering which allows you to buy one get one free on all tickets!
Halloween Fun for the Whole Family
On October 26th, families can enjoy a spooktacular children’s disco and a screening of Disney’s enchanting film Coco.
For the brave-hearted adults in the evening, we will also be screening the 40th-anniversary edition of Freddy Krueger’s debut film, A Nightmare On Elm Street, on our giant screen in the evening.
Festive Days Out and Christmas Cheer
Sing-A-Long-A Frozen promises a joyous family experience in December. Join in the fun with a sing-along session, relish in a Christmas children’s disco, and even catch a glimpse of Santa himself on 1st December.
On the 7th December, due to popular demand, the ultimate Christmas romantic comedy, Love Actually, will return along with a delightful bottomless prosecco brunch.
Rebecca Delmore, Millennium Point Commercial Director, comments: “I’m so excited to be celebrating so many musical icons at Millennium Point this year. Midlands music fans will be amazed by The Rolling Stones on our giant screen and little Swifties will love our Taylor Swift Celebration. And you won’t want to miss the ultimate 30th birthday party for the greatest girl band – the Spice Girls.”
Delegates from across the UK headed to Millennium Point last week for the PA Forum Learning & Development Conference 2024. The multi-award-winning events venue hosted 280 business representatives for a full day of inspirational talks and sessions on 5 June.
The PA Forum curated an incredible line-up of business talent to share insights and inspire guests to transform their work in the latter half of the year. Professor Corinne Hoisington delighted delegates with an insight in harnessing the power of AI. There were tips on public speaking from inspirational speaker Nick Elston, and GuruYou founder Rebecca Mander gave valuable career coaching.
With its easily accessible location, large choice of flexible event spaces and breath-taking Auditorium, Millennium Point was the perfect setting for the conference. Guest speakers were able to make a big impression utilising the Auditorium’s giant screen – famed for being Birmingham’s biggest screen. The space also offered perfect sight lines from its 354 tiered seats alongside stunning 4k projection.
The PA Forum was able to take advantage of Millennium Point’s incredible choice of breakout spaces. Delegates enjoyed workshops surrounded by Station’s beautiful natural daylight and the Curzon Suite’s stunning views. The Express and Connect spaces offered multiple breakout spaces alongside touch-screen coffee machines offering delicious Italian-style beverages. The venue’s striking Atrium provided a stunning backdrop for speed networking. Delegates were also able to sample Millennium Point’s fantastic menu with delicious dishes being served including charcoal grilled butterfly chicken breast, Mediterranean pasta with a lemon basil dressing, and a chocolate truffle torte.
The conference also utilised Millennium Point’s unparalleled AV support with multiple cameras across the conference capturing a recording for future reference, alongside live streaming for those who couldn’t make the event in person. With in-house AV support staff, conference organisers could relax to concentrate on their event without any added technical issues.
Victoria Webb, Millennium Point Sales Manager, enjoyed hosting the event stating: “It was a pleasure to work with Daniel Skermer of the PA Forum and to helping him to realise his fantastic vision for the Learning & Development Conference 2024.
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our charity’s brand-new brochure. Inside you will find information about our landmark £40 million in STEM donations and activities, and how this has benefited the West Midlands.
Be the first to read by clicking below –
Starting off with a note from our CEO, Abbie Vlahakis
‘The Millennium Point Charitable Trust prides itself on offering fantastic STEM-related initiatives, awarding more than £40 million to charities, schools, and community groups to champion science, technology, engineering, and maths projects across the West Midlands region.
Our STEM Grants scheme forms a core part of our strategy to end STEM poverty and enhance education.
In addition to this our annual Scholarship funds an undergraduate degree at Birmingham City University’.
A biplane, STEM gardens, adventures through the stars and MORE!
On average, we provide £411.3k in grants each year. To date we have provided £3.7 million in funding via grants, to over 160 groups in the region.
You can find out more information about our previous grant recipients here.
Celebrating 10 years of Scholarship success
Annually, we provide funding for a Scholarship for an undergraduate degree, in partnership with Birmingham City University. The Scholarship programme is aimed at students who are looking to start a career in the Built Environment, Computing, Digital Technology or Engineering industries.
Find out more about our previous Scholarship winners here.
Community minded, working together for the future of the West Midlands
Being an award-winning venue in the middle of Birmingham has allowed us to support the community and other charities in additional ways, including using our own building to host their events.
From STEM festivals to the STEM Roundtable, you’ll find it all in our brochure.
Support Millennium Point today!
Our mission is simple, to advance education for the public benefit. We invest more than £4.8 million each year towards furthering STEM education in the West Midlands. We’ve already funded over 100 grants projects and inspired over 3,000 people with our activities.
Learn how you can support Millennium Point on our website.
We have launched our new and improved venue brochure, brimming with all the information you need to make your event first class. We review our event offer on a regular basis to ensure our multi-award-winning event service remains current and competitive. Read on for what’s new below, and get in touch with our team to see why you should make your next event a Millennium Point event.
Want to have a first look? Click below to be the first to see our new brochure!
All your event needs in one place
Our new and improved venue brochure has all your event needs in one place. Learn about all 19 of our flexible event spaces, suitable for almost any event, from purpose-built meeting suites to a newly upgraded giant screen Auditorium perfect for conferences right through to esports tournaments. The brochure gives you an overview of each space, their capabilities, and special features. The brochure also includes eye catching photography, giving you a real sense of what our award-winning venue is all about.
It now includes our latest event space, Station!
Due to increased demand and customer needs, we have opened a new event space Station. With multiple rooms including a main room that is perfect for engaging with audiences and multiple boardroom that can be used as offices, speaker green rooms or quiet spaces, Station offers flexibility and can be tailored to individual needs with a choice of seven possible layouts.
Elevate your next event with Millennium Point
Once you have picked your perfect event space, why not really make it a great event?
When booking Millennium Point for 1st May to 31st August 2024, bookers can pick from multiple FREE upgrades including complimentary pastries, an additional room or a drinks reception!
Learn more about our exciting offering here.
Help support STEM in the region by booking with us
Help support STEM in the region and widen your CSR just by booking an event at Millennium Point. Commercial profits from our multi-award-winning events business and landmark public building go towards our charitable trust. The Millennium Point Charitable Trust reached a landmark £40 million in STEM support to organisations across the West Midlands over the last seven years.
Want to learn more? Let’s talk events!
If you want to find out more about our venue, please get in touch with our friendly events team by emailing [email protected] or calling 0121 202 2200.