Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) will celebrate its 40th anniversary later this week (Friday 6 September).
The venue, operated for the past 13 years by BH Live in partnership with BCP Council, welcomes more than 300,000 visitors annually.
It opened on 6 September 1984 and featured two halls and a swimming pool. The Purbeck Hall was added to the venue in 1990 and was opened by Margaret Thatcher.
A major £22m refurbishment in 2004 included the addition of a fourth hall – the Solent – to increase capacity, plus the removal of the under-utilised swimming pool.
To upgrade the venue’s conferencing and exhibition spaces, more than £1.8m has recently been invested by BCP Council, supported by additional funding of £800K by BH Live. Further improvements include a living roof at the venue’s Purbeck Hall entrance and a foyer remodelled with updated bathroom facilities.
The Purbeck Lounge, which sits adjacent to the Purbeck Hall, a flexible space that can be used for breakout areas, dinners, and receptions, is currently undergoing a full refurbishment to increase the space’s capacity.
Steve Turner, BH Live’s associate director of venues said: “40 years of making a difference in our local community is such a huge milestone to celebrate. BIC benefits so many people whether that is through coming to see a cultural event, attending a business event, or visiting one of our seasonal attractions.
““Furthermore, as BH Live is a registered charity, any surplus revenue generated through our services is reinvested back into our local facilities to make sure we continue to have visitor appeal and keep bringing people into the town. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and visited the BIC over this past 40 years – and here’s to many more – we couldn’t do it without you.”
