Millennium Point to host major international manufacturing conference
Birmingham has won the bid to host the first MAINSTREAM UK summit, bringing together more than 300 global manufacturing, utilities, transport and oil and gas leaders for a one-day conference of content, networking and knowledge-sharing.
The city’s Millennium Point will host the event on 21 October 2025, with a high-profile speaker line-up including international experts from IDCON, Mars Inc, NASA and Toyota and UK industry leaders from companies such as Airbus, Bentley Motors and BMW.
Founded in 1996, the MAINSTREAM community has been responsible for industry evolution across Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America during the past three decades.
Its UK conference debut will provide delegates across sectors including robotics; AI; life sciences tech; automotive; aerospace; and industrial machinery with the opportunity to attend case studies and sessions; workshops and hands-on tutorials, covering topics such as decarbonisation; future workforce development; and digital transformation. There will also be an exhibition showcasing 33 partners.
Recent MAINSTREAM summits have taken place in the Australian cities of Perth and Melbourne.
The first UK conference was secured by the Birmingham and West Midlands Convention Bureau – part of the West Midlands Growth Company – working with MAINSTREAM and host venue Millennium Point.
Katie Trout, director of Destination, Marketing & Insight and deputy chief executive at the West Midlands Growth Company, said: “Winning the bid to host the MAINSTREAM conference in Birmingham is a further example of how the West Midlands is attracting internationally significant events that align with the region’s strengths.
“The West Midlands has a large and growing community of successful engineering companies.
“This summit will provide an ideal opportunity to welcome industry experts from all over the world to our ambitious region, which takes innovation, skills development and best practice seriously.
“We look forward to showcasing the very best of the West Midlands to the MAINSTREAM community.”
Steve Morris, MAINSTREAM's chief growth officer, said: “Birmingham's strategic position at the heart of the UK's manufacturing sector made it the natural choice for launching MAINSTREAM UK.
“The city provides unparalleled access to the engineering and production businesses that form the backbone of British industry, while its rich industrial legacy and commitment to innovation create the perfect environment for our expansion.”
The West Midlands remains a powerhouse of productivity.
The region has the UK’s largest manufacturing cluster, generating £10.4 billion GVA per annum, and a 211,000-strong manufacturing workforce accounting for 10.6 per cent of all local employment, more than the national average of 7.8 per cent.
It is at the centre of the UK’s largest automotive, rail and aerospace clusters, with global heavyweights such as Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin and Collins Aerospace among the companies calling the West Midlands home.
Rebecca Delmore, commercial director at Millennium Point, said: “Hosting the first MAINSTREAM UK summit at Millennium Point is a fantastic opportunity, not just for us as a venue but for Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
“This region has always been a hub for making and engineering, and bringing 300 global leaders here puts that strength on the international stage.
“At Millennium Point we are proud to play our part in showcasing the city, its talent and its future to the world.”
