Bournemouth International Center, Bournemouth

The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) in Bournemouth, Dorset, has been a central fixture for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment, and events in southern England since its opening in September 1984. Known for hosting major British political party conferences and union events, the BIC has witnessed landmark political moments, such as Neil Kinnock’s 1985 critique of the Labour Party’s militant tendency and Margaret Thatcher's final Conservative Party Conference speech in 1990. While larger urban venues now attract some conferences, the BIC remains a regular host for the Liberal Democrat Conference.

The BIC’s venue lineup includes the expansive Windsor Hall, with a standing capacity of 6,500 or seated for 4,000, featuring Europe's largest tensile grid system, able to suspend up to 90 tonnes. The 1990 addition of Purbeck Hall and the versatile Solent Hall—accommodating exhibitions or up to 2,000 concertgoers—expanded the center’s offerings. A £22 million refurbishment in 2004 transformed the venue, repurposing its former swimming pool area for exhibitions, despite local nostalgia for the pool and wave machine.

Managed by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council, the BIC operates alongside its sister venue, The Pavilion Theatre. The BIC has hosted stars from Katy Perry to Bob Dylan and is also home to a popular seasonal ice rink, drawing over 80,000 annual visitors.