One of Britain’s oldest and biggest unions has booked the Brighton Centre for its annual conference this year and next year.
The GMB is expected to attract more than 800 delegates to its annual congress in Brighton from Sunday 5 June to Thursday 9 June.
The union, which has more than 600,000 members, intends to return in a year’s time too.
Although it has chosen Brighton half a dozen times since 1981, the GMB has held its conference in Blackpool, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Plymouth and Southport in recent years.
Steve Short, executive officer for GMB, said: “We are extremely pleased to be coming back to Brighton for the next two years.
“Our executive council has to consider overall costs, not only to the union itself, but the value for money for the delegates and their families.
“Brighton has resisted pressures to drive consumer prices in the city too far upmarket and must continue to do so to stay competitive in a very tough market place.
“The days of alternating Blackpool and Brighton have well and truly gone.
“We are in Brighton for two years because we are familiar with what Brighton has to offer.
“We know full well that the GMB congress venue will have excellent facilities and knowledgeable staff available to help produce a successful and valuable event for our delegates.”
Darren Johnson, Visit Brighton’s convention bureau sales manager, said: “With the conference facilities and venues we have in Brighton, it is a great recognition that we are winning large events like the GMB congress.
“The array of venues we offer event organisers, such as the Brighton Centre, ensures we are able to cater for a broad spectrum of events regardless of size or budget.”
