City named UK’s top conference venue

MANCHESTER was named as the Best UK Destination by a panel of conference industry experts at International Confex – an annual exhibition held in London for event organisers. 

The award recognises the city – which last year hosted the Labour Party conference and is next week hosting Soccerex, a global football event – as the UKs top  destination for staging major conferences and events.
 
Andrew Stokes, chief executive of Marketing Manchester, said: “Conferences and events bring a great deal of economic benefit to the region and this kind of recognition will ensure that our corporate events industry remains strong.

“Manchester is an appealing location for conference organisers, with its dedicated conference quarter and a whole range of exceptional venues. Confex helps us to communicate that message to the industry and will help us to secure important business for the future.”

Tourist board Visit Manchester – which is part of Marketing Manchester – staged an event in London as part of its presence at Confex.

The showcase, called Manchester Live, took place at Kensington Roof Gardens and attracted more than 500 top conference buyers and events organisers, who were entertained by Salford-born singer Russell Watson.