MA NCH E S TER
The northern powerhouse’s popularity for business and leisure travellers alike has led to a slew of new hotel openings, finds Tracey Davies
T
he birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the first programmable computer and Premier League football, Manchester is a lively, diverse and
forward-thinking powerhouse. It has grown to become one of Europe’s leading cities for business and industry, and is a major player on the international conference circuit. “Manchester is a city of firsts,” says Sheona
Southern, managing director at Marketing Manchester, which manages the Manchester Convention Bureau and the tourist board. “It was where the atom was split, where Rolls met Royce and where graphene was discovered.” Global corporations such as Google, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Kellogg’s all have big offices here and in recent years the city has attracted a number of major conferences, largely in the life sciences, bio and pharmaceutical industries. It hosted the inaugural World Healthcare Congress Europe in March and the Conservative party congregated in the Manchester Central Convention Complex in September for its annual party conference. As the home of ITV Granada and the BBC,
Media City UK in Salford is one of the largest digital and creative hubs in Europe. Te city has a well-developed transport infrastructure with a tram network, a free bus service and four national train stations. Manchester airport is 15 minutes by train from the city centre and has direct flights to more than 200 destinations, including nonstop routes from Asia, the Middle East and North America. “With the largest cluster of events and conferencing spaces outside of London,
Manchester offers myriad major events and meeting facilities in the heart of the city,” says Southern. “Add to this the diversity of venues within a compact area, as well as numerous places to stay, eat and relax, and Manchester makes it easy for great minds to meet.” Tere have been some high-profile hotel
openings in recent years. Hotel Football arrived in 2015 at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s stadium, while the five-star Hotel Gotham opened in the same year in the Art Deco former Midland Bank building. More recently, major chains including 142-room AC by Marriott and the 187-room Hotel Indigo Manchester opened in November last year, while the Dakota Manchester, a 137-room hotel on Ducie Street near Piccadilly station launched in May, and September saw the opening of the sleek 166-unit Native aparthotel in the redbrick Ducie Street Warehouse. And the city is not shy of attractions for
post-conference activities. It offers many top- class museums including the Lowry, the Imperial War Museum North and the National Football Museum, and is home to the Royal Exchange, the UK’s largest theatre. It has also seen a host of new restaurants, has an eclectic bar scene and plenty of live music venues. “Manchester is a welcoming and inclusive city where collaboration runs deep and wide,” says Southern. “Te city excels in hosting. It’s a place where networks can be built and alliances forged.” Fast-paced, progressive and with more than a dash of northern sass, Manchester could be just the city for your next conference or meeting.
➜
Above: Old Trafford Below: Salford Quays Opposite page: Old meets new in the city’s architecture
28 | NOVEMBER 2019
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160
