Feature
Manchester
EN takes a look at the vibrant
north west city providing value
without compromising on quality
Manchester at a glance
26 million passengers served each year
by Manchester Airport
6th largest city in the UK
2.73 million approx. population of
Greater Manchester
£56bn generated by Greater
Manchester economy
£7.5bn value of tourism economy
22,000 approx. hotel beds
18,000sqm in Manchester Central’s
Exchange Hall
28,000sqm at EventCity, at the heart of
TraffordCity
F
ew UK cities have as diverse an
events offering as Manchester, with
its rich history and constant evolution
and reinvention.
With venues such as the EN Award-
winning Manchester Central, EventCity
and Victoria Warehouse, not to
mention the upcoming opening of The
Factory – a £100m arts centre – and
10,000-capacity Broadwick venue The
Depot, organisers from across the
events industry are spoilt for choice.
Simon Jones, sales director at
EventCity, commented: “Manchester is
an exciting place to be and one of the
fastest-growing cities in the UK. It is the
ideal base for us to create perfect events
for clients.
“Outside of London, Manchester
Airport is the largest in terms of traffic
and the number of people, with a vast
number of routes across the globe,
driving a high number of visitors into
the city. Manchester is renowned for
its great national and international
transport links, as well as over 22,000
hotel beds on offer, making it an
unbeatable destination to hold events.”
2019 marks the beginning of a
three-year cultural transformation
for Greater Manchester, with a host of
major projects coming to fruition in the
lead-up to the launch of The Factory.
The city’s three major museums –
the Science and Industry Museum,
Manchester Museum and Manchester
Jewish Museum – will see expansion
and the phased opening of RHS Garden
Bridgewater will begin.
Sheona Southern, managing director
of Marketing Manchester, stated: “2019
will herald the next wave of Greater
Manchester’s cultural renaissance.
In 2015 we saw two major cultural
developments come to life in the
reopening of the award-winning
Whitworth and the arrival of HOME;
and four years later we are about to
enter a period where we will see some
£200m of investment in culture start to
bear fruit for the region.”
Marketing Manchester, in its 2019-
2023 business visits and events strategy,
laid out an ambitious plan to grow
business tourism earnings (£862m in
2017) by more than 40 per cent by 2025,
generating an additional £345m.
The region has also accelerated
plans for carbon neutral living with the
launch of the Clean Growth Mission and
an ambitious new target of 2038.
“This bold and innovative joint plan
between Greater Manchester and the
Government puts Greater Manchester
back as an industrial and social
pioneer,” said Mayor Andy Burnham.
“This is a plan focused on people and
ensuring we have the good quality jobs
to ensure people can succeed now and
in to the future. In Greater Manchester,
we led the first industrial revolution and
are now in a position to lead the fourth.
“We want to be the UK’s leading
green city-region, which is why our
ambition to achieve carbon neutral
living in by 2038 is right at the heart of
these plans. We will show that these
plans are not just the right thing for
people and the environment but also
right for our economy.”
When it comes to events, one of the
city’s big benefits is the value of money
and ease of access it can provide.
Shaun Hinds, CEO of Manchester
Central, said: “Manchester prides itself
on doing things differently and is a city
which is constantly evolving. We’re
seeing more and more event organisers
recognise that the city provides much
better value for money, without having
to compromise on quality, than the likes
of London.
“7.2 million people within one hour
of the city and with a compact city
centre means that you’re never too far
away from the action, Manchester quite
simply makes sense. We hosted a record
number of exhibitions last year and
are looking forward to showcasing the
warmth and vibrancy of the city to new
and returning clients.” EN
August — 25