According to Manchester Central, the largest conference venue in Greater Manchester, has boosted the local economy by over £45m in the past quarter.
The latest results from Manchester Central, from events throughout April, May and June, revealed the financial impact the venue had on the region during the quarter, in which it hosted 34 events and welcomed nearly 121,000 delegates.
The figure looks at the spend by delegates and business tourists attending events held at Manchester Central, in the venue itself and across surrounding hotels, bars and restaurants.
The quarter was the first with new CEO, Lori Hoinkes, at the helm, and who has also announced a repositioning to focus on international markets for the year ahead.
Hoinkes, who originates from Canada and joined Manchester Central in May, said the international side of the business is now ripe for reinvigorating.
She said: “The past quarter’s results are testament to the attraction of Manchester, but we also have a clear opportunity to capitalise on international interest and organisers are now looking at us as a strategic global location to do business in.”
The venue, which succumbed to pandemic-related drop in international visitors over the past five years, has now returned to pre Covid levels, with it’s forecast that the prestigious international music convention WOMEX in October will generate a total value of business of £28.3m.
Hoinkes added: “We already facilitate conferences and global exhibitions for international organisers, and now is a perfect time to build on our position as a world-leading events centre.”
She continued, “North America is obviously a traditional key market for the events sector and we have excellent relationships with organisers such as HYROX and JAMfest who are new to the venue for 2025, however we are also seeing the European markets specifically looking at the North West as a key geography in which to host conferences and exhibitions, and meet like-minded investors.”
Manchester Central attracts over half a million visitors to the city, bringing approximately £150m into the local economy in an average year.
