Published by Neil ThompsonTo celebrate Brighton as our Destination of the Month, we caught up with a few Brighton people to find out more about the services they offer for event professionals - this time we went straight to VisitBrighton and spoke to no other than Convention Bureau Manager himself, Darren Johnson
DW: Hi Darren, thanks for showing us some of the amazing things that Brighton has to offer – can you tell us a little bit about your role at VisitBrighton and what you love about it?
Darren: I manage the Convention Bureau here at VisitBrighton and my fundamental role is to work with the domestic and international conference planning community to help drive business events into the huge portfolio of meeting and event venues we have within the city and region. There are countless things I love about this job. I have the privilege of working with amazing, creative people in both my immediate and wider VisitBrighton team.
I work collaboratively with the event professionals in the many businesses and venues we have in the city, and I get to work and build friendships with conference planners in a range of differing countries and sectors. The role offers incredible variety, and best of all, I get to represent and showcase the city I love and call home.
DW: So, working in the city must be an amazing. We know this having spent quite a bit of time there this year. Just what is it about the place that is so appealing for event planners?
Darren: There is just so much! We have a huge portfolio of venues and what comes with that quantity, is affordable spaces that can fit all budgets. We are easily reached both domestically and internationally, we have a vast range of accommodation, and we are compact and walkable; all our main conference venues and accommodation are close to one another.
For business events, Brighton offers city life, fresh sea air, and green open spaces—what we call 'room to breathe.' When you visit, you’ll find venues and activities that truly capture the essence of their surroundings. Delegates love Brighton for its warm, inclusive community vibe. They feel welcomed and can easily unwind in our many bars, restaurants, and pubs. Visitors quickly feel like part of the city.
DW: What kind of industries use Brighton as a destination for their events and conferences? In terms of offer, you’ve got something here for every type of meeting.
Darren: We welcome business events from every sector and from across the globe. From large-scale political and association conferences to trade exhibitions, corporate away days, and incentive groups, our wide range of venues and our compelling destination ‘offer’ enable us to welcome all. Brighton is becoming increasingly known for its strengths in four key economic sectors: Digital, Cultural & Creative, Environmental Industries, and Health & Life Sciences.
We have been working and engaging with that community over a number of years, so it has been great to see a rise in business events coming from those sectors.
DW: Can you tell us about some new exciting things that are coming to Brighton?
Darren: Brighton’s MICE offering consistently evolves and improves, in all my time working here at VisitBrighton, the quality and range of our venues is the best I’ve seen. The city’s newest addition is The Maldron Hotel. This is a 4* property that adds 221-bedrooms and meeting space to our portfolio of venues. We recently seen the return of the amazing Corn Exchange after its multimillion refurbishment and restoration and in recent years, many of our seafront hotels & venues have recently welcomed impressive upgrades and improvements. Brighton’s most iconic hotel and the ‘grand dame’ on Brighton’s seafront, The Grand, Brighton has just started its multimillion refurbishment of its 204 bedrooms.
DW: We know this is difficult, but if you had to sum up why Brighton is so appealing to the event industry in five words, what would they be?
Darren: Sustainable, Affordable, Professional, Memorable, Inspiring
You can find out more about VisitBrighton here...
Instagram: @visit.brighton
Facebook: @lovevisitbrighton
Threads: @visit.brighton
TikTok: @officialvisitbrighton
Twitter: @Love_Brighton
Website: www.visitbrighton.com/conferences
Email: conferences@visitbrighton.com
