Brighton Centre is the largest conference and exhibition centre in southern England, and is regularly used for conferences of the British political parties and other bodies of national importance. The venue has the capacity to accommodate up to 5,000 delegates, although rooms in the building can be used for weddings and banquets. It has also been used as a live music venue since it was opened by the then Prime Minister James Callaghan on 19 September 1977.
The venue is situated in the centre of Brighton on the sea front and is within 200 metres of major hotels. In 2004, it was estimated that the centre generates £50 million in revenue for Brighton.
The second phase of redevelopment was completed in January 2012; a refurbishment of its main entrance resulted in a transformation of its outside façade. In addition to this, the venue’s Restaurant, which is regularly used as a relaxation space for larger conferences, now features floor-to-ceiling windows with uninterrupted views of the seafront and new interiors.
Famous quotes containing the word centre:
“Old politicians, like old actors, revive in the limelight. The vacancy which afflicts them in private momentarily lifts when, once more, they feel the eyes of an audience upon them. Their old passion for holding the centre of the stage guides their uncertain footsteps to where the footlights shine, and summons up a wintry smile when the curtain rises.”
—Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–1990)