The West Midlands Tourism Awards, hosted by the West Midlands Growth Company and backed by the West Midlands Combined Authority, celebrate excellence in tourism, acknowledging the businesses who contribute significantly to the region’s visitor economy both locally and internationally.
This prestigious event recognises visitor economy champions across the West Midlands, took place took place on Tuesday, 18th March 2025, at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.
Blackberry Events was entrusted for the second year with the full event management of the awards, overseeing every aspect from planning, design to event delivery. Our key responsibilities included delegate management, venue and catering sourcing and coordination, supplier liaison, host sourcing, set and stage design, AV and technical production and on-the-day event logistics.
Planning for the West Midlands Tourism Awards began in July 2024, starting with sourcing the all-important venue for the awards. Edgbaston Stadium was chosen for its capacity, accessibility and reputation as a premier event space in Birmingham. It’s sporting features were fantastic as it allowed us to have a nod to the tourism and hospitality sector of which the awards are focused on supporting.
We took care of all the logistics, making sure everything ran smoothly between the team, suppliers, and venue staff. Our event managers worked closely with caterers, audiovisual crews and décor teams to make sure the event was a great experience for everyone.
The event welcomed over 250 distinguished guests, including the CEO of the West Midlands Growth Company, the Deputy Mayor of the West Midlands, and prominent industry figures who served as judges for the award categories. Key categories celebrated across the 15 awards included Experience of the Year, Large Visitor Attraction of the Year, and Festival of the Year, all of which highlighted the diverse and thriving tourism sector within the region, recognising organisations and events that have made a lasting impact.
The event was hosted by Wolverhampton born Amber Sandhu. When choosing a host, it was important they were local and from the West Midlands, and because of our choice of venue, Ambers’ portfolio of sports reporting, covering national and international events such as the Commonwealth Games, The Hundred, the FA Cup, and Premier League matches put her top of our list!
We also included a musical performance from Birmingham’s B:Music programme, who brought their students to the awards to perform for the guests during the drink’s reception and local band W!RED who performed for guests once the awards ceremony had finished right up until Midnight!
The West Midlands Tourism Awards 2025 was a big success, really highlighting the region as a top destination for visitors. The night wasn’t just about celebrating achievements but also looking ahead to more growth and fresh ideas in the tourism industry across the West Midlands.
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