BOURNEMOUTH FOR BUSINESS Event Organiser's Guide Welcome to Bournemouth With its panoramic coastline, iconic architecture, meandering gardens, vibrant shopping experience and city-style restaurants and bars, Bournemouth strikes the perfect balance between work and play. This handy guide will help you discover the hidden – and not so hidden – gems of our iconic town, giving you a bird’s eye view of the bountiful best bits. Contents 2-3 Not just Britain’s best beach… 12-40 Our venues 4 Immerse yourself in the 41-52 Support services great outdoors 53 Event services listings 5 Serious about green 54-65 Dining 6 Entrepreneurial at heart 66-67 Accommodation listings 7 Boomtown stats 68-69 Map 8 Work hard, play hard 70 Getting here & Contact us 9 City-style dining by the beach 71 Testimonials 10-11 Business Events Bournemouth BusinessEventsBournemouth.org.uk 1 Not just Britain’s best beach… Whilst there’s so much more to Bournemouth than its beach, it’s a pretty good space, which conceals an eclectic mix of its canopied walkway, whilst the Square place to start. Voted the UK's best beach in TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards street food and seasonal entertainment, from boasts street entertainment, live music two years in a row, the seven-mile stretch of uninterrupted golden sand and art exhibitions to festivals to ice-skating. and places to watch the world go by. promenade is a hub of activity all year round. The town itself is a traffic-free hub of high And when it’s time to unwind, the town’s The fact that Bournemouth enjoys a unique Pier Approach, with its vibrant open space, street favourites and independent boutiques. award-winning restaurants, trendy microclimate, some of the warmest sea sea view eateries and bustling bars provides cocktail bars and independent breweries – temperatures in the UK, and enough sunshine a gateway to Bournemouth’s extensive Known to locals as ‘Bournemouth’s Bond not to mention the notorious live music to cultivate sub-tropical plant species in its gardens. Visitors can stroll seamlessly into Street’, Westover Road offers designer scene – will bring the day to a lively Victorian gardens, is the icing on the cake. the beautifully cultivated, Grade II listed green labels, art galleries and jewellery along (and late!) close. 2 BusinessEventsBournemouth.org.uk BusinessEventsBournemouth.org.uk 3 Immerse yourself in the great Serious outdoors about green It’s no accident that Bournemouth is a centre for health and fitness. With the Jurassic Coast on our doorstep and the ancient New Forest a stone’s Originally established as a health spa in the 19th Century, the town’s coat of throw away, it’s not surprising we’re passionate about our environment. arms reads ‘Pulchritudo et Salubritas’, which translates as ‘Beauty and Health’. Our commitment to sustainability saw us the cutting-edge of environmental protection. With its miles of beaches, acres of parks to a healthy juice in the popular seafront become the first local authority in the UK to To achieve this, our environment must be and neighbouring New Forest, the area beach bar, Urban Reef. Or if you’re feeling join the Earth Charter Initiative, and through of a high quality and continually improving, lends itself perfectly to a multitude of brave, learn to surf or paddleboard at our 2020 Vision, we’ve set a target to reduce which requires us to be incredibly proactive in outdoor sports and activities, which locals the O’Neill sponsored surf school. our CO2 emissions by 30%, which will help the encouraging both residents and businesses UK hit its target of 34% CO reduction by 2020. and visitors enjoy in equal measure. The recent introduction of Beryl Bikes 2 to reduce their environmental impact. In 2015, Bournemouth Council showed From cycling and jogging along the – the town’s take on London’s ‘Boris’ As such, we at Business Events its support for the global effort to tackle Bournemouth work with venues with seven miles of uninterrupted beach equivalent – is testament to Bournemouth’s climate change by joining the Compact of green credentials and recommend local and promenade to yoga on the commitment to healthy living. Mayors and endorsing the Paris Pledge. suppliers that have a good record of using shore, the town’s unique geography Couple this with annual fitness events including recyclable materials, sustainable products and positive attitude to health the Bournemouth Marathon; pier-to-pier These initiatives align Bournemouth and putting environmental policies in place. is truly infectious. swim; the British Beach Polo Championships; with other leading cities across the and the world's largest sport and music globe – something our residents and This bias towards environmentally conscious Enjoy a friendly (or not-so-friendly!) festival, Bournemouth 7s, and you’ve got businesses alike are very proud of. venues and suppliers ensures we can game of volleyball on the award-winning yourself a truly inspiring destination and a We’ve set our sights on becoming a continue to promote sustainability, and inch Boscombe beach before treating yourself very good reason to pack your trainers. ‘Green Economy Leader’ by 2020, placing us at ever closer towards our green targets. 4 BusinessEventsBournemouth.org.uk BusinessEventsBournemouth.org.uk 5 Bournemouth has been officially declared a ‘Boomtown’, with significant developments in accommodation, transport, venues and the Entrepreneurial tech and creative industries. We’re incredibly proud that 50% of UK graduates in film, visual effects and video games industries are Bournemouth University graduates. Bournemouth and Poole are also the second-fastest growing at heart area in the UK for start-ups. £45 million Major upgrade of transport and infrastructure to improve access into and around Bournemouth Airport, as well as unlocking nearby employment land £40 million New 131-bedroom Malmaison Hotel du Vin, opening 2020 £12 million New 105-bedroom Premier Inn, formerly Wessex Hotel, opening 2020 £90 million Seafront strategy to create unique leisure zones along the seven-mile coastline £150 million Proposed mixed-use development on the old Boomtown stats Winter Gardens site above the Hilton Hotel, to include residential, restaurant, leisure and retail space £25 million With the nationally acclaimed Arts University Bournemouth, which has New cultural quarter around Bournemouth Pavilion Meetdraw, Open Sauce, Silicon Theatre, to include multi-use performance space, made its name as a specialist university for employability, and the highly- South and Virgin Start-up, and hotel and restaurants, plus links to the beaches, regarded National Centre for Computer Animation at Bournemouth University, town centre and forthcoming Winter Gardens annual festivals such as the South’s it’s no wonder Bournemouth is a hub for innovative start-ups. scheme via a new Grand Garden Walk largest celebration of digital, arts The local area is the proud home of an The digital industry in Dorset is also growing and culture, BOMO, and the UK's eclectic range of entrepreneurial brands at an exponential rate. According to the largest visual effects, computer £363 million including Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, Conker Gin, Tech Nation report in 2018, over 7,500 Digital Gross Value Added (GVA) to the local games and animation festival, BFX. economy in 2018 Black Cow Vodka, Green & Black’s, Lush, are employed in the digital sector locally, Farrow & Ball, Dorset Cereals, Dorset Tea which has grown by 25% since 2014. This passion for innovation permeates and Animal, as well as international giants the town, attracting some 140,000 £34 million such as Liverpool Victoria, JP Morgan and We’re able to champion and support these business visitors every year, who soak Generated for the local economy from events Sunseeker, who have all helped to bring an brilliant brands through various start-up up the thriving, creative community, at Bournemouth International Centre and Bournemouth Pavilion in 2018/19 extremely high calibre workforce to the area. accelerators, regular meet-ups including and always leave inspired. 6 BusinessEventsBournemouth.org.uk BusinessEventsBournemouth.org.uk 7 Work hard, City-style dining play hard by the beach We know how important your team is to you. And we recognise that your business’ core Considering Dorset’s foodie reputation, it’s no surprise values should lie at the heart of everything. Which is why we take time to understand Bournemouth offers a plethora of wining and dining experiences. your unique needs and deliver an experience that surpasses your expectations. With its miles of coastline and close proximity coastline, nestled in the gardens, and From the hotel to the restaurant to the setting for a mix of extreme challenges, to the New Forest, local delights range from in the thick of the town centre. event, we tailor your stay to ensure your visit coastal treks, off-road safaris, cosy pub fresh seafood, regional vegetables and With their different locations, each aligns with your company’s core values. stops and world-class dining experiences. hand-reared meats to delicacies such as gem offers up a unique experience and And because of the area’s infamous We can organise anything from high ropes Dorset Blue Vinney cheese, Jugged Steak and atmosphere, from sea view dining at West natural beauty, you have dozens of adventures, orienteering and paintball to Portland Lamb. Couple this with the town’s Beach to aerial town views at Level8IGHT opportunities to immerse your employees paddleboarding, yacht charters, jetski safaris, love affair with beautifully crafted cocktails in the great outdoors – a tonic that to outdoor garden drinks at Eden. and independent breweries, and you have never fails to boost team morale. powerboat rides and surf experiences. And with a string of lively bars, restaurants, cafés yourself a recipe for a delicious night out. So whether you’re after a fine dining Unspoilt, protected landscapes and dramatic and clubs to choose from, you have ample Local restaurants, coffee houses and experience on the shore or quirky cocktails in seascapes provide a beautiful and exhilarating opportunity to spoil yourselves rotten.