The latest results released from events venue Manchester Central reveal that the venue contributed over £105 million to Manchester’s economy over past 12 months, including £33.6 million in the first quarter of 2023.
The iconic city centre venue held 45 events and welcomed over 115,000 visitors between January and March 2023, up 24 per cent on the previous quarter (October-December 2022).
Highlights included over 2,500 visitors attending the annual BSAVA Congress each day, while a further 1,000 delegates attended the North of England Dentistry Show in March. Meanwhile, the Northern Restaurant & Bar showcase welcomed over 8,700 attendees through its doors during the two-day event in celebration of the hospitality sector.
Furthermore, and despite the difficult economic conditions, spend per delegate stood at £17, on average, per head, a figure which exceeded pre-Covid figures by 27 per cent, signalling further continued recovery for the region post-pandemic.
Forecasts for the year ahead also remain strong, with more than 90 events due to take place in the 10,000-capacity venue between now and the end of the year, with sporting events such as the HYROX World Championships fitness race and the British Weight Lifting Open 2023 lining up alongside high-profile events such as the Interflora World Cup of floristry and The Conservative Party Conference in October.
The venue’s breakdown of its wider results revealed it added over £105.3 million to the Greater Manchester economy for the financial year ending March 2023 through its events and secondary spend on hotels, hospitality and travel by attendees visiting the venue.
Shaun Hinds, CEO at Manchester Central, said: “As I’m sure all businesses will agree, the current economic situation is one that needs careful navigation. Our energy costs alone are up 128 per cent on pre-Covid costs, an increase which is inevitably having a huge impact on our bottom line.
“However, as these results show, our business performance is in a solid position to weather these pressures and we’ve worked hard to mitigate cost increases by working smarter, driving productivity and venue occupancy. We are continuing to see increased interest in the event sector not only from organisers who have hosted with us before but from businesses and organisations who are new to hosting events, which is very exciting.
“Looking forward, I’m confident that these positive results will continue – the live event experience has proved to be compelling for exhibitors and visitors alike and I’m very optimistic about our prospects for the year ahead.”
