Conference a Week in Eastbourne
10 March 2009
Over the next nine weeks Eastbourne will welcome nine major conferences to the seaside resort, including the Royal British Legion Women's Section and the British Occupational Hygiene Society, bringing in more than 8000 delegates.
Eastbourne's main conference venue, the Devonshire Park Centre, will see significant footfall between March and May as the resort enjoys its busiest ever conference season. The Women's Institute kick off the busy nine week period on 26 March bringing 1000 delegates to Eastbourne and the high numbers continue as Eastbourne's hotels and guesthouses take bookings totalling 16,600 bednights.
Eastbourne Borough Council Spokesperson for Tourism, Cllr Steve Wallis said "2009 is set to be a very successful year for business tourism in Eastbourne as conferences continue to fill the Devonshire Park Centre. With major names holding their events in the town this year, it is great news for our accommodation providers as it means valuable business outside of the summer season. Eastbourne offers a fantastic location for conferences and corporate events with its coastal location, great beaches, and wide variety of restaurants proving popular with organisers and delegates!"
The town has hosted two conferences already in 2009 with Meynell Games Playwork bringing 250 delegates to Eastbourne at the beginning of March. With a total of 17 conferences scheduled to take place in Eastbourne this year, the south coast resort can expect to see a huge boost to its economy as a result.
The latest positive statistics for the conference industry in Eastbourne come as the town's Conference Bureau nears the end of its first 12 months under the new Conference Membership Scheme.
Eastbourne Conference Bureau is funded through a membership scheme formed of local hotels and businesses and with member accommodation benefitting from delegates staying with them; they can look forward to booking thousands more bednights over the next few years.
Between 2010 and 2013, Eastbourne Conference Bureau has already received 18 confirmed conference bookings, with an additional 22 events pencilled into the diary.
Offering a wide range of venues in and around the town, conference organisers can find the perfect location for their event in Eastbourne. From booking small meetings and seminars in the seafront hotels to finding facilities for up to 1700 delegates at Devonshire Park Centre; Eastbourne offers a venue to suit every occasion.
For more information on conferences in Eastbourne visit www.conferenceeastbourne.com or telephone 01323 415437.