Something’s always brewing in Birmingham – that's why we love it here.

Whether you’re looking for marketing events with like-minded individuals, cultural get-togethers that celebrate past, present, and future, or you’re searching for an independent Birmingham pub with charm (and a fancy website), it’s all here.

6 reasons we love Birmingham

1. It’s held two TEDx conferences!

Held at the iconic Birmingham Hippodrome, TEDxBRUM, is a sleek, inspiring event. The last one we visited was all about ‘Perceptions’, summarised by Immy Kaur: “Instead of saying one viewpoint is valid and another is invalid, we learn more about the reality by sharing perceptions.”

What did we learn?

The importance of wonder: ‘You don’t always need to know the answers immediately – allow the brain to wonder the how and the why’ as explained by Dr Matt Pritchard

Influences of growth: Growth can sometimes come from the most unlikely of places. For example, Glenn Howells believes for Birmingham to develop as a city, considerations of density and small-scale interventions can help shape the future.

2. We love (and sponsor) the Birmingham Design Festival

First thing’s first, what is the Birmingham Design Festival – also called “BDF” to those in the know. Well, we can’t put it better than the event organisers do themselves. BDF is “a celebration of the local, national and international design industry held in Birmingham in June.”

What that means is… If your industry is related to design in any capacity – and that includes the latest in eye-catching social imagery, design in marketing, and so much more, this is an event you want to be at. Lucky for us, it’s right on our doorstep!

What did we learn?

The importance of a good gift bag: As a sponsor of BDF, we got to include something in the sought-after event gift bag. In a blend of design and technology – which is kind of our sweet spot – we created an augmented reality (AR) beer mat.

Wondering if AR has a place in your hospitality marketing? Find out all about it in our focus on new tech.

3. Social Circle

When talking about must-visit marketing events in Birmingham, it’d be insane of us to miss out Social Circle. Led by ex-Brew-ers, Kirstie Smith and Katie Underwood – and joined by Sally Hawkesford of SEO industry fame – we’ve been there since Day One and the event has only grown from strength to strength.

What began as monthly get-togethers between friends, gathering for a few drinks and a chat about the latest in social media marketing, became an event for the entire marketing community to learn, grow, and – if we’re honest – get a little tipsy with like-minded folk.

If we’re allowed a moment to toot our own horns, quite a few members of Brew have also been asked to present at Social Circle, including Ryan on content, Sophie on SEO, and Matt on keeping clients happy, to name a few!

4. 1000 Trades

If there’s one thing Brew know how to do, it’s relax over a pint or two at the end of a long week – hell, you could say it’s in the name! One of our favourite local Birmingham pubs is 1000 Trades, a quirky independent watering hole in the gorgeous Jewellery Quarter.

So, imagine our surprise when they won our “free website” competition, created to support local businesses in the aftermath of COVID. As a result, we got to work with one of our favourite Brummy pubs on their business objectives, audience personas, and designed their new website from the ground up.

The result? 25,000 visits to their website in the first year, with a booking conversion rate as high as 20%.

Go on, take a look at the new pub website we created for 1000 Trades.

5. It’s the home of Mitchells & Butlers

Ever heard of Fleet Street? Well, it’s where the headquarters of Mitchells & Butlers is based, the hospitality giant behind the likes of All Bar One, Miller & Carter, Toby Carvery and so many more of the UK’s biggest and best restaurants, bar, and pub brands.

We’ve been one of the go-to Birmingham marketing agencies for Mitchells & Butlers since our creation over 15 years ago, supporting their goals with action-driving hospitality marketing. Just as an example, we’ve:

• Helped train hundreds of employees in local social media – and been shortlisted for a Best Collaboration Award as a result!
• Increased awareness and engagement with an always-on social media strategy
• Reignited Miller & Carter’s social media after the pandemic

Wondering what else we’ve done? Check out our full list of case studies.

6. It's where you’ll find Brew!

Last, but so not least: it’s the place we’ve always called home, jumping from our first office in the city to the Big Peg in the Jewellery Quarter, followed by our quirky office in Digbeth and our latest spot at STEAMhouse.

STEAMhouse captures the very essence of this industrial city, once being used as a Victorian bicycle works before transforming into the modern co-working space it’s become.

Not only do we have access to sleek, open-plan working spaces and stylish meeting rooms, but STEAMhouse is all about empowering Birmingham’s creatives. Whenever we fancy it, our team can join challenge events, open innovation programmes, and collaborative workshops.

We love you Birmingham

So, you see, how could we not love Birmingham? With its industrial nature and inspired spirit, there’s always something for marketers and creatives to get excited about.

From monthly meetups and all-out annual events to co-working spaces and independent pubs, there are plenty of excuses to learn, grow, improve and… discover your new favourite pint.

We love you Birmingham.

Ryan Noble

From Birmingham and London to the far reaches of Tokyo, our lead copywriter, Ryan, follows his love of words and language wherever it takes him.