The West Midlands has won its bid to host the 12th International Ceramics Congress in 2028.
The region now expects to welcome more than 600 global delegates for the biennial conference which should be worth more than £1m to the local economy
The West Midlands follows previous host destinations, including Germany, Brazil and Canada to secure this landmark event in worldwide ceramics calendar.
The Congress will take place in July 2028 at The Eastside Rooms in Birmingham.
The conference was secured by the Birmingham and West Midlands Convention Bureau – part of the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) – and its Conference Ambassador, Jon Binner, professor of Ceramic Science and Engineering in the School of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham. The Bureau supported Professor Binner, and also worked with the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) to secure a suitable venue and accommodation, suggest social programme options and compose the bid document.
Steve Knight, senior business tourism manager at the WMGC, said: “Securing the 12th International Ceramics Congress in Birmingham is a fantastic result and we look forward to hosting hundreds of global ceramics professionals to our young, friendly and accessible destination in four years’ time.
“This conference win is an example of the unique collaboration, which exists across the West Midlands’ business events industry. From the expertise of our Convention Bureau colleagues and Conference Ambassador Network to our venues and partners, such as The Eastside Rooms and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, this success is a testament to great teamwork, and will provide a significant boost to the region’s economy.”
Professor Jon Binner added: “It is a great honour to have been invited to organise this conference, which is a tremendously thrilling opportunity to bring the world’s top researchers and manufacturers to the UK and the West Midlands in particular. I have been a university academic in the field of ceramic science and engineering since 1984 and I have attended – and been involved with organising – many conferences, but this will be the first time that I have been the lead organiser for a conference of this size and so I am very grateful to the Birmingham Conference Ambassador Network, IOM3, the European Ceramic Society and the venue, Eastside Rooms, for assisting me.
“The timing of the event will also tie in very nicely with the £18.27m Strength in Places funding to the Midlands Industrial Ceramics Group; this research and development programme will have just finished and so delegates can learn all about the exciting outcomes.”
The Congress will take place at The Eastside Rooms in Birmingham, the city’s newest conference centre based in the Knowledge Quarter. The venue’s Affinity Suite is the largest pillar-free space in the city, with the Aloft Birmingham Eastside hotel located next door.
For more information about the West Midlands’ business events offer for organisers and delegates, visit meetbirmingham.com
