Inside the Hilton Metropole: 50 Years of Big-Stage Events
James Dickson records at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole to mark its 50th anniversary, interviewing Simon Jelley from Protec about the venue's vast event spaces, technical capabilities, and the on-site partnership that powers seamless productions. They discuss the Monarch, King and Palace suites, arena-style load-ins, evolving AV technology and LED walls, hybrid event integration, staffing strategies, and practical planning tips - like accounting for major fixtures such as the World Cup. This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Present Communications . Present provides broadcast-quality live, hybrid and virtual event production, trusted by organisations where reliability really matters. From corporate town halls and conferences to high-profile live streams, they design and deliver fully resilient systems that work first time. To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form .