A new study has revealed that London is no longer the obvious choice for UK based events, with event planners taking more and more of their events outside of the capital.
Participants of the study, conducted by C&IT in partnership with Manchester Central, cited reduced costs, delegate travel time, boosted engagement and the ability to offer something different as the main reasons behind this growing trend.
And with investment in state-of-the-art conference and event facilities, improved infrastructure and an exciting social offering, regional cities such as Manchester look set to grow from strength to strength.
Located in the heart of the UK and just over two hours away from London by train, Manchester has emerged as the obvious choice for UK businesses looking to find a central location for their regional offices to meet – the city ranked as one of Cvent’s top European meeting destinations for 2018.
The study revealed that the compact nature of Manchester’s city centre, in addition to the city’s connections to music, culture and football, appealed to event organisers who are looking to incorporate a strong social offering into their event. The study highlighted how important fringe events were to the success of an event but revealed that participation on a national scale is currently low.
One event manager summarised: “I feel strongly that other main cities are more suitable than London for hosting events; not only are they easier to get to and cheaper, but they also provide the same standard of service as most hotels/destinations in London. The staff are also generally friendlier, more helpful and more conscientious in these types of venues outside of the capital”.
Shaun Hinds, CEO of Manchester Central, said: “We’re delighted to see that event planners are increasingly taking note of what Manchester has to offer. I’ve long held the belief that Manchester based events offer more value than those held in the capital, without having to sacrifice anything that London has to offer”.
“We’re often told about how excited delegates are to visit Manchester, and both ourselves as a venue, and the city in general, pride ourselves on giving them an experience like no other”.
