Labour Party conference coming back to Brighton

Brighton & Hove's conference trade has received a welcome boost with news that the Labour Party will be returning to the city to hold its annual conference at the Brighton Centre next year.

The party, which last held its autumn conference in the city in 2009, will be bringing more than 8,000 delegates and visitors to the city in September 2013 injecting an estimated £20 million into the local economy.

A bookings boom has been reported by Brighton & Hove City Council's conference team. VisitBrighton handled 122 conference enquiries in 2011 – a 13 percent increase on the year before.

From those 122 enquiries a total of 39 bookings have already been confirmed, a 32 per cent conversion rate, regarded as high within the industry.

Bookings secured in 2011 will bring in £58m to the local economy.

There are 28 major conferences or events booked for 2012, expected to attract over 30,000 delegates and earn the city £45m. Most will be at the Brighton Centre, with others at the Dome, Brighton Hilton Metropole, The Grand, Thistle and the Holiday Inn.

The biggest will be the Liberal Democrats' party conference, in late September, expected to attract 8,000 people and bring in £15m.

Other bookings include the TUC Annual Congress in mid-September bringing, 2,000 delegates and the Unison Health Conference in April, bringing 1,500.