National Exhibition Centre#NEC Group

{{Short description|Exhibition and conference centre in Solihull near Birmingham, England}}

{{Infobox convention center

| name = National Exhibition Centre

| logo = NECBirmingham logo 2019.svg

| image = National_Exhibition_Centre_main_entrance.jpg

| image_caption = The main entrance to the NEC (July 2015)

| address =

| location = National Exhibition Centre
Marston Green, England

| coordinates = {{coord|52|27|12|N|1|43|10|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

| owner = The Blackstone Group (since 2018)

| operator = NEC Group

| built = 16 February 1973 to 1976

| inaugurated =

| renovated = 2009, 2018

| expanded = 1980, 1989, 1993, 1998

| opened = {{Start date|df=yes|1976|02|02}}

| closed =

| demolished =

| construction_cost=

| architect = {{hlist|Edward Mills|Seymour Harris}}

| former_names =

| classroom_cap = 40–350

| meeting_cap = 10–720

| banquets = 30–500

| theatre = 15,683 (bp pulse LIVE)

| total_space =

| exhibit = {{convert|190000|m2|sqft|abbr=on}}

| breakout =

| ballroom =

| parking = 16,500 spaces

| publictransit = Birmingham International railway station

| website = {{URL|thenec.co.uk}}

}}

The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is an exhibition centre located in Marston Green, England, near to Birmingham and Solihull.{{Cite web|title=All About - NEC Birmingham - Birmingham Live|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/all-about/nec-birmingham|access-date=5 September 2020|website=www.birminghammail.co.uk}} It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1976.

History

The NEC was originally going to be built adjacent to the M1 motorway (junction 21) near Leicester but it was turned down by Leicestershire County Council with claims that "The big shows won't move away from London".{{Cite news|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/ten-top-facts-nec-8460667|title=Ten top facts about the NEC|last=Brown|first=Graeme|date=16 January 2015|work=Birmingham Mail|access-date=24 December 2017}}

In November 1971, the Secretary of State for the Environment granted outline planning approval for the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-26438290|title=NEC Group sell-off: 40 years of events, exhibitions and concerts|publisher=BBC|date=5 March 2014|access-date=27 March 2020}} On 16 February 1973, then Prime Minister Edward Heath travelled up from London to cut a white ribbon and initiate its construction,{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/assessing-the-future-your-qualification-our-regulation|title=Assessing the future: your qualification, our regulation|website=GOV.UK|date=8 December 2015|access-date=25 March 2019}} which was carried out by RM Douglas (know today as Tilbury Douglas),{{cite web|url=https://www.tilburydouglas.co.uk/about-us/our-history/|title=Our history|publisher=Tilbury Douglas|access-date=3 January 2024}} to a design by Edward Mills.{{cite web|url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/edward-mills-innovator-in-concrete-dies-aged-82/776590.article|title=Edward Mills, innovator in concrete, dies aged 82|publisher=Architects Journal|date=29 January 1998|access-date=27 March 2020}} The NEC was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 2 February 1976.{{cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/nostalgia/birminghams-nec-gearing-up-celebrate-9455769|title=Birmingham's NEC is gearing up to celebrate 40th birthday|date=15 June 2015|publisher=Birmingham Mail|access-date=27 March 2020}}

=Expansion of the complex=

The seventh hall of the NEC complex, a multi-purpose indoor arena named the Birmingham International Arena (currently branded BP Pulse Live), opened in December 1980.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-26438290|title=NEC: From Eurovision to the G8|date=2014-03-05|access-date=2019-06-17|language=en-GB}}

File:NEC plaque 11y07.JPG

On 23 March 1989, Queen Elizabeth II opened three new halls.{{cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/national-exhibition-centre-celebrates-40th-9455730|title=National Exhibition Centre celebrates 40th birthday|publisher=Birmingham Live|date=15 June 2015|access-date=27 March 2020}} Four more halls were added in 1993, and another four new halls, designed by Seymour Harris and built by John Laing, were completed in January 1998.{{cite web|url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/archive/national-exhibition-centre-29-01-1998/|title=National Exhibition Centre|date=29 January 1998|publisher=New Civil Engineer|access-date=27 March 2020}}

A five-year, £40 million venue improvement programme which saw improvements made to everything from the car parking to signage, seating and catering was carried out between 2006 and 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/in-thursdays-birmingham-post-3999067|title=In Thursday's Birmingham Post|publisher=Birmingham Live|date=23 March 2005|access-date=27 March 2020}}

Exhibitions

The NEC has 20 interconnected halls covering {{convert|190000|m2|sqft|abbr=on}} of floor space.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2001/feb/19/5|title=NEC widens its window on the world|work=The Guardian|date=19 February 2001|access-date=27 March 2020}} Regular exhibitions in the past have included the British International Motor Show and the international dog show Crufts.

The NEC has 16,500 parking spaces spread around the site, with a shuttle bus service operating to and from the car parks. In 2020 the all-day parking fee for public exhibitions was £16.00.{{cite web|url=http://www.thenec.co.uk/visiting-us/car-parking|title=Car Parking|work=thenec.co.uk}}

NEC Group

Parent company the NEC Group also owns and operates the Arena Birmingham and ICC Birmingham, both in central Birmingham, and the Resorts World Arena, based on The NEC site.{{cite news|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-397256676.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331210608/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-397256676.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 March 2017|title=NEC Group Set to Be Sold for Price Tag Up to PS300m|last=Griffin|first=Jon|date=14 January 2015|work=Birmingham Mail|access-date=31 March 2017}} Birmingham City Council placed the NEC Group up for sale in 2014.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/05/birmingham-council-sell-national-exhibition-centre-nec |title=Birmingham city council to sell National Exhibition Centre |last=Morris |first=Steven |date=2014-03-05 |website=The Guardian |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-09-23}} After short-listing three contenders to purchase the company, the sale to Lloyds Development Capital, the private equity unit of Lloyds Banking Group, was completed in January 2015 for £307 million.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-30835754 |work=BBC News |title=NEC group sold off in £307m deal |date=2015-01-16 |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-09-23}} In October 2018, Blackstone acquired NEC Group from Lloyds Development Capital,{{cite press release |author1=Rachel Dunachie |title=Blackstone acquires the NEC Group |url=http://www.necgroup.co.uk/news/blackstone-acquires-the-nec-group/ |website=necgroup.co.uk |access-date=20 February 2019 |date=12 October 2018}} paying around £800 million for the group.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-45863974 |title=NEC Group sold 'for £800m' |work=BBC News |date=2018-10-15 |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-09-23}}

Emergency hospital

From early April 2020 the NEC housed NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham, an emergency hospital scheduled to open on 10 April, and receive its first patients on 12 April,{{cite news |title=Birmingham's Nightingale Hospital to be operational within days |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/04/03/birminghams-nightingale-hospital-to-be-operational-within-days/ |access-date=10 April 2020 |work=Express and Star |date=3 April 2020 }} as part of a network of NHS Nightingale Hospitals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52070611|title=Coronavirus: Birmingham and Manchester temporary hospitals announced|date=27 March 2020|website=BBC News}} On 1 April 2021 the hospital was closed without ever treating a patient.{{cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/news/central/2021-03-31/covid-birminghams-nightingale-hospital-closes-without-seeing-any-patients-coronavirus-nhs-matt-hancock |title=Covid: Birmingham's Nightingale hospital closes without seeing any patients| website=itv.com}}