The ICC Birmingham has piloted an onsite hotel check-in service with nine hotels in the city in partnership with the Birmingham Convention Bureau.

The convention centre tested the new initiative at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) conference, which took place last month and saw more than 1,000 delegates attend from across the UK. Delegates' luggage was checked in at the centre and was in their hotel rooms when they returned from the conference on the first day.

ICC Birmingham account director Lisa Cook said: “We have a really good working relationship with the local hotels, and as the ICC doesn't provide rooms for overnight stay, we have been looking at alternative ways we can offer our clients a more convenient accommodation solution for their delegates.”

Ian Taylor, commercial director at Marketing Birmingham, the city’s strategic marketing partnership, added: “We believe that the support offered by BCB in providing an on-site hotel check-in for NFU delegates was a unique process, helping to deliver another successful conference in the city."

NFU conference organiser Val Gatfield said that “that valuable time was saved” thanks to the check-in service. “Feedback on the conference from farmers, our VIPs and guests has been tremendous, helped enormously by this new one-stop-shop for delegates."

Following the pilot of the check-in service, The ICC has said it will now offer the option to organisers of conferences at the centre. The nine hotels involved in the project were Copthorne Hotel Birmingham, Crowne Plaza Birmingham City Centre, Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham, Hyatt Regency Birmingham, Jurys Inn Birmingham, Macdonald Burlington Hotel, Malmaison, Novotel Birmingham Centre and Ramada Birmingham City.

Pictured: ICC Birmingham's Lisa Cook