£20m windfall as city lands convention

Jun 28 2007 By Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM'S hotels and restaurants will be packed to the rafters when 25,000 Rotarians come to the city for their international convention.

The local economy stands to gain a £20 million boost after the NEC was selected to host the prestigious 100th Rotary International Convention in June 2009.

Business bosses have welcomed the announcement of Birmingham's biggest ever convention as demonstrating the city's ability to punch its weight on the international stage.

John Lamb, spokesman for the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "This is fabulous news. It is tremendous for the hotels, the restaurants so see this number of people coming.

"This is a prestigious convention and something this city can be proud of."

It was almost ten years ago, in 1998, that Birmingham last hosted a similar event, the Lions Club International Convention, and will be 25 years since the Rotary International Conference, in 1984, was held at the NEC.

The city's marketing and tourism bosses were given just seven days to put together a winning bid after original hosts, Seoul in South Korea pulled out.

Birmingham had already been unsuccessful in its bid for 2013 convention but had no hesitation in taking up the challenge for a four-day spectacular in June 2009.

Neil Rami, chief executive of Marketing Birmingham, said: "This is more evidence of our ability to organise major international events. It will be the biggest conference we have ever had and will take up the whole of the NEC."

There are some 70 Rotary clubs in the West Midlands, raising funds for good causes. Robert Lee, Birmingham Rotary Club president, said: "It's very exciting. It is a tremendous honour for the Birmingham Rotary Club to host this event again, after what is widely recognised as one of the most successful conventions in 1984."