Birmingham Uni uses JANET. I wouldn't say it is extremely well geared for international conferences however.
You might have more luck with the major hotels in the Birmingham area (Hagley Road).
I would recommend the International Convention Center due to its facilities and location: http://www.theicc.co.uk (It hosted the first G8 summit in 1998)
It may be pricey, but we do have to think of numbers. This year's was attended by approximately 350 people, and we may have to consider that the next one will be attended by 500+ people. Maybe more considering the UK's addiction to WP.
Dan Grey wrote:
Heh, slight technical problem. Reading's lovely big glossy brochure arrived today, all very interesting... and there's just one teeny tiny snag.
No internet.
Reading uni's internet is provided by JANET, and its use is *strictly* confined to HE matters. According to the brochure, the only alternative is to rent a phone line then dial into an ISP(!!). I am, frankly, amazed that an organisation can advertise itself as being the ideal location for flashy conferences yet can't provide internet access.
I'm also slightly worried that this will apply to any UK uni, seeing as most/all of them use JANET. I'm e-mailing everyone to find out...
Dan