The complete conference destination

Recognised both for its unique historical legacy and as a growing cultural hotspot, Manchester is a vibrant city that’s grown from strength to strength in recent years. Now in the midst of an exciting renaissance, the city is developing at a scale and pace not seen since industrial times. At the centre of this development, Manchester is seeking to progress its reputation as a leading business tourism destination, a sector that is currently worth over £823m per annum to the city-region.
    
This success is largely due to widespread recent investment across the region, brought about with a view to establishing Manchester as a globally competitive city. A significant amount of this investment has been put into Manchester’s Petersfield, home to the city’s flagship conference venue, Manchester Central Convention Complex, as well as over 2,500 hotel beds within a five minute walk at hotels such as The Hilton Manchester Deansgate, The Midland Hotel and The Radisson Edwardian Hotel to name a few.

NOMA REGENERATION
To the north of the city is NOMA, Manchester’s newest neighbourhood and the site of ongoing regeneration across 20 acres. The area seeks to build a unique, sustainable community featuring offices, homes, hotels, shops and leisure amenities. With the first phase of its development now complete, including the iconic One Angel Square, work has now begun on Angel Gardens which will boast 455 apartments, a 36 storey tower and new bars, restaurants, retail and outdoor spaces for all to enjoy.
    
This commitment to developing state of the art facilities within close vicinity of each other has made Manchester city centre an appealing option for conference and event organisers, and so it’s no surprise that Manchester continues to be a regular host city for the highly coveted political party conferences. The Labour Party has visited the city every alternate year since 2006, with the Conservative Party visiting during the in-between years, set to return later this year.

The political parties aren’t alone in choosing Manchester. The city continues to attract international conferences, with 2015 welcoming the International Commission on Illumination, the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language Conference and the International Conference of Forensic Mental Health Services.

ATTRACTING INDUSTRY
Manchester’s historical, industrial and academic assets are also providing the added edge in attracting scientific conferences, particularly in the city’s three key sectors; advanced manufacturing creative and digital, and life sciences.
    
As the world’s first modern industrial city, Manchester has a strong manufacturing legacy, with the focus now shifted from the cotton industry towards the field of advanced manufacturing, where innovative technology is used to enhance the manufacturing process. The city is now home to the £61m National Graphene Institute, which this year played host to Graphene Week, an academic conference which brought international experts together to discuss the world’s thinnest, strongest and most conductive material in the city it was first isolated.
    
In life sciences, the city is home to renowned medical research institutes including Europe’s biggest cancer treatment centre and the largest clinical trials unit in the world. The Corridor, a unique business location at the heart of the city’s knowledge economy, is the largest academic campus in the UK and largest clinical campus in Europe following a billion pounds of investment. It’s credentials like this that allow Manchester to attract conferences like the 2015 International Surgical Congress in April, with the XXIV EFMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry coming in 2016.
    
Similarly, the creative and digital sectors have seen over £3.5bn of public and private sector investment in the last few years, more than any other city in Europe. Manchester now possesses some of the most advanced digital production capabilities in the continent and a wealth of independent content creators in television, gaming and mobile working alongside media giants like the BBC and ITV. Small wonder then that the city regularly plays host to FutureEverything and Manimation conferences, with the prestigious World Summit on Media for Children heading to Salford’s MediaCityUK in 2017.
    
The prominent role Manchester plays in hosting scientific conferences has not gone unnoticed – it is currently European City of Science, the first UK city to receive this accolade. With this designation comes the responsibility of hosting the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) in July 2016, the highlight of the European science calendar, attracting up to 4,500 delegates, with 600 speakers from over 70 countries.

CONNECTING PEOPLE
It’s this experience with hosting major international conferences that makes Manchester a standout choice for conference planners. However Manchester’s infrastructure, central location within the UK and the international connectivity afforded to delegates is another of the city’s major draws.

Manchester Airport has no rival outside of London in terms of route network, capacity and facilities. With quick arrival processing times delegates can be checking in to their hotel within one hour of landing. Meanwhile the West Coast Main Line service has trains making the two hour, seven minute journey every 20 minutes at peak, bringing Manchester closer to London than ever before.
    
And once in the city, delegates have no problems getting around thanks to a comprehensive public transport system which includes a free Metroshuttle bus service comprised of three routes that loop around the city connecting all the main railway stations, shopping and business districts. Manchester also has Metrolink, one of the most successful light rail (tram) systems in the UK which is the perfect mode of transport for those who require fast and frequent transport from early morning to late evening.
    
Culturally, the city has committed significant attention to building on its offer. At the heart of First Street, one of Manchester’s most vibrant new neighbourhoods, sits HOME, a £25m purpose-built centre for international contemporary art, theatre, film and literature.  Just next door is the recently opened INNSIDE Manchester, a four-star hotel with 208 beds over 11 storeys, including a wellness suite, restaurant, bar and extensive conference facilities.
    
Away from the city centre, newly renovated gallery the Whitworth offers green space and tranquillity, and was named Museum of The Year 2015 by the Art Fund. Having made huge steps in putting Manchester on the cultural map, Manchester International Festival has also recently finished another sell-out year, set to return in 2017. Looking ahead, £110m theatre and arts venue The Factory will provide a permanent home for MIF and further cement the city as a global cultural destination when it opens in 2019.

SPORTING SUCCESS
And of course the sports and industrial pedigree for which the city is renowned around the world continues to draw crowds. Demand for hire of venues like Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, Manchester United’s ‘Theatre of Dreams’ and the newly completed Hotel Football are all impressive. Equally, the Neo-gothic Manchester Town Hall and the award-winning Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) are two of the city’s business tourism big hitters.
    
Like many cities, Manchester also has an established Conference Ambassador Programme – a network of academics and business figures that help attract their industry events to the city. And with the largest student population in Europe studying at four universities across the city-region, it’s no surprise that Manchester has more than its fair share of lecturers, doctors and professors willing to step forward and help promote the city.
    
Manchester’s impressive business product wouldn’t be complete without its conference team who are internationally recognised as one of the UK’s leading conference and convention bureaus. They are specialised in event bidding, planning, marketing and client support. They offer a single point of contact for conference planners - meaning that a dedicated professional will be on hand from conference conception to completion. They can also help manage every event need, including: securing key speakers and civic receptions; liaising with other city stakeholders to deliver services such as city dressing and security. All in all, they provide key services any organiser would expect from a leading convention city.

Further information
www.visitmanchester.com