Sports Personality 2010

The nominees will be put to a public vote on the night of the live show:

Venue: Birmingham LG Arena 

Date: Sunday, 19th December 

Time: 1900 GMT

Coverage: Live on BBC One, BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Sport website.

The public will be able to choose who they want to see crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year by telephone and details of the numbers to phone will be given out during the programme, which will be presented by Sue Barker, Gary Lineker and Jake Humphrey.

Before the big event there will be an Inside Sport preview show on Monday 13th December at 2305 GMT. 

Find out more here

The Bulletin - Issue 2

 

The second issue of 
the UCB Bulletin is out now.

Click here to view.

UCB Students - We Need your Reviews!

University College Birmingham is working with VisitBritain to provide suggestions for its next marketing strategy - a social media website, similar to the concept of Trip Advisor. We are asking students to write reviews on attractions, events and restaurants in Birmingham and the West Midlands region - upload your photos and video clips too.   You can review anything you think tourists might be interested in; all reviews will be linked to VisitBritain’s website and potentially reach tourists worldwide. This is a great opportunity for you learn about how social media influences tourists and could help with your studies.

Spread the word amongst other students at UCB!

Click here to upload a review.  Need some help? Contact Kathryn Bell.

The Staycation: Making a Virtue out of Necessity

Throughout October and November, The Independent Online is partnering with the Battle of Ideas Festival to present a series of guest blogs from festival speakers on the key questions of our time.

This article by Dr Jim Butcher discusses the arguments for and against 'staycations'; a reduction in holidays abroad in favour of a domestic holiday will hurt  the overseas tourism trade - on the other hand, they undoubtedly benefit the domestic market.

Dr Jim Butcher is a lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent, a Fellow of the RSA and author of several books and articles on the politics of travel and tourism.


Here's a link to current debates and the archive.

Destination Slum

A preliminary programme is now available for conference entitled 'Destination Slum', to be held at the University of the West of England from 9-11th December. This conference relates to a recent post on slum tourism.

To register, click here...

Latest on Birmingham

The Birmingham Central blog aims to inform readers of the latest in planning and developments in Birmingham, with a spotlight on the City Centre. 

The Big City Plan appears to be back on the agenda and this post provides links as well as images of how the city centre could look in the future. Similarly, the website BusinessDesk.com, is also designed to keep you abreast of local development news. Register to read the stories in full.

BrumCityCentre and BirminghamMail.net also provide up to the minute news stories on the city.

Britain for Events report

This report is published by the Business Visits & Events Partnership - an organisation that cover the UK meetings and events sector. The Britain for Events report discusses the size and value of Britain's events industry, its characteristics, trends, opportunities and key issues.

Public Meeting on Go Ape Ropes Course Postponed

Due to internal changes, the public meeting scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 18, at the Carillon on the proposed Go Ape ropes course for Byrd Park has been postponed. A new date and time will be announced when it becomes available.

Youth Football Championship Games set for Nov. 13 at City Stadium

The department will hold its youth football championship games on Saturday, Nov. 13 at City Stadium, previously known as the University of Richmond Stadium, which is located at 601 McCloy St. Three games with players ranging in age from 8-years-old to 15-years-old will be played starting at 10 a.m. to determine the junior, midget and peewee championship teams. The teams represent the

The Witching Hour at BMAG

Art of Ideas, hosted this year by artist, writer and TV broadcaster Matthew Collings, is a major arts events taking place from  11th - 14th November, at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Instigated by Arts Council England West Midlands and led by Arts & Business, it will focus on the cultural life of Birmingham, specifically the idea of contemporary art collecting, collections and collectors.

One of the features of the event will be the 'Witching Hour’ exhibition, (the Waterhall, BMAG) showcasing photography, painting, sculpture, printmaking, film, animation and installation. It will explore darkness and the uncanny in the work of more than 20 artists from, or based in, Birmingham and the West Midlands. For more details click here...

Employability Week , 15th - 19th November

As Hazel Foggin, Head of Careers at UCB, points out, “Now more than ever, it is important to make sure your CV will stand out in a crowd.” To help that CV stand out, students will have the opportunity to pick up valuable skills and take part in a number of activities including workshops, a careers and recruitment fair, volunteers day, employer presentations and short courses.

In addition, a week of free courses aimed at enterprise and entrepreneurship is taking place, especially useful for those who might be looking to start their own business when they leave college; the following areas will be covered:

• Monday: 
• Introduction and Creative Thinking
• Business Structures, Legislation and Protecting your Ideas
• Tuesday:
• Identifying Competitors and Evaluating the Business
• Identifying and Testing Market Demand
• Wednesday
• Sales & Marketing
• Employment Presentations
• Thursday:
• Raising Finance
• Financial Reporting
• Friday:
• Legal Compliance
• Writing the Business Plan

 If you're interested in taking part, contact Paul Matthews, p.matthews@ucb.ac.uk.

Cheerleading Jamboree set for Nov. 10th

The department will showcase its largest athletic program for girls at its Cheerleading Jamboree from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 10 at the Landmark Theatre. This is the department’s 25th annual cheerleading competition. The high-energy event highlights the cheering squads from department community centers as well as local high school squads and other local cheering talent from the Richmond

Celebrate Veterans' Day at the Carillon

The department will hold a Veterans’ Day ceremony on Thursday, November 11, at 4 p.m. at the World War I Memorial Carillon building in Byrd Park. All veterans and the public are invited to attend. The program will feature a concert on the Carillon bells by carillonneur Lon Mitchell, presentation of colors by the Huguenot High School Color Guard, vocal selections, and the presentation of a

Journal of Tourism Consumption & Practice

The latest edition of this journal is available online; articles are entitled:

• Researching tourism: reflexive practice and gender
• Touristing home: muddy fields in native anthropology
• Single or married? Positioning the anthropologist in tourist research
• Gender, reflexivity and encounters of Indian-ness in the field
• Research Notes: Mirroring the Anthropologist: reflex-ions of the self

Also included are book reviews and a summary report on the International Conference on Intangible Heritage.  Click here to access...

World Travel Market - 8-11 Nov 2010

The World Travel Market, taking place at Excel in London, will once again offer a packed programme of seminars, conferences and events . Some of the topics covered will be Adventure Travel, Disabled Travel, Ecotourism, Gay Travel, and Spa and Wellness. View the Programme here.

'Future You' conference will be run by the Institute of Travel & Tourism with seminars, a CV Doctor and Graduate Opportunities. Students can also join Future You on Facebook for information, competitions and giveaways.

Register here - Admission is free!

Holiday Craftsman Sale Opens Nov. 20th

The department, in conjunction with the Pine Camp Art Program Advisory Council, will open its annual Holiday Craftsman Sale at the Pine Camp Arts and Community Center’s Spotlight Gallery on Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is located at 4901 Old Brook Rd. The sale features the work of some of the area’s best artisans and includes pieces in pottery, glass, and wood as well as paintings

“As we enter one of the busiest periods of trading for the tourism industry all the shortlisted businesses should feel proud of this milestone achievement that recognises their business as one of the best in the region’s tourism industry.”

Brian Summers, Chairman – Tourism West Midlands

This year, the Heart of England Excellence in Tourism Awards event was hosted by University of Birmingham during a gala dinner in the Great Hall; 53 regional businesses were chosen from several hundred to receive the awards. They will now go forward for the national Enjoy England Awards to represent the West Midlands in early 2011.

The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust did particularly well, winning both the Heart of England Excellence in Tourism Chairman’s Award for the 2010 most ‘Outstanding Contribution to Tourism’ and Joint Gold Regional Culture Award.

Click here for a list of all award winners