Next week, Birmingham, the UK’s second-biggest city, will become the focus for the print industry. Visitors from all over the world will descend on the NEC for eight days to do business and look at the very latest technology. But there’s more to Birmingham than simply a series of exhibition halls. It was once the powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution and is now a hub of commercial activity.

As a result, its reputation of putting industry over entertainment has started to change and there is no shortage of things to do when you do get a chance to break out from Ipex. There are a host of bars, restaurants, clubs, cinemas, theatres, museums and galleries, so here are a few highlights to help you make the most of your time outside of Ipex.

Cadbury World
A heaven for lovers of chocolate, Cadbury World is an educational multimedia attraction dedicated to the story of Cadbury and chocolate. It features a demonstration area, a jungle with waterfalls and boardwalks and a 3D cinema screen where ‘Flex6’ the robot brings to life the Cadbury pack and wrap process.

Balti triangle
Birmingham is known as the home of the balti and the balti triangle, also known as the ‘balti belt’, is a number of restaurants condensed around Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath and Moseley. A 10-minute bus ride from the city centre, the triangle contains some of the oldest balti restaurants in the country and is ranked number 15 of things to do in the whole of the UK by the Rough Guide.

Jewellery Quarter
The area has been a focus of jewellery production for 250 years and is today home to more than 400 jewellers. It has been described by English Heritage as a unique historic environment in England. The quarter also contains Birmingham’s last remaining Georgian square in the midst of St Paul’s fine restaurants, bars and galleries.

Bullring
The Bullring is a major commercial area of Birmingham and its shopping centre is the busiest in the UK and the 12th largest. It was a major part of the redevelopment of the city and was completed in 2003. Those in need of retail therapy can visit Selfridges, one of only four in the UK, and the largest Debenhams store outside of London. The area is home to over 160 shops and 25 restaurants.

Bridleyplace/Broad Street
After a long, hard day trudging around the exhibition halls, Bridleyplace/Broad Street is the place to go for the nightlife. With a raft of bars and restaurants, Broad Street is the main thoroughfare just to the west of the city and was given a new lease of life in the 1990s. Bridleyplace contains three public squares, tree-lined streets and a network of restored canals. In addition, the area is home to the National Sea Life Centre and the Ikon Gallery.

Millennium Point
Millennium Point is a huge building housing visitor attractions, educational establishments, commercial and retail businesses. Opened in 2001, it is England’s largest landmark millennium project outside London and, since opening, has welcomed more than 1m people through its doors each year. Millennium Point contains Thinktank, Birmingham’s first museum of science and discovery. It consists of four floors of interactive learning and includes a theatre and education rooms. In addition, the site houses the Imax cinema, a 385-seat 3D arena (see What’s On).

The National Indoor Arena/Symphony Hall
From Eurovision to Davis Cup tennis, the NIA has hosted a range of diverse events during its time. It’s one of the busiest large-scale indoor entertainment venues in Europe. Symphony Hall is home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and over 370,000 people attend 320 events each year (see What’s On).

Other highlights
Sample the Oriental delights of Chinatown on Hurst Street… Check out the young creative talent at arts and media centre The Custard Factory… Gas Street Basin is at the heart of England’s canal network and is perfect for nice walks and good bars… Sarehole Mill, at Sarehole, is a 200-year-old mill and one of only two surviving watermills in Birmingham. It’s also where Tolkien lived and much of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was based on the area… The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in Centenary Square is well worth a visit (see What’s On)