Manchester Central is an award-winning venue in the heart of one of Europe’s most vibrant cities; the vaulted arches and station clock have made the venue an iconic city feature for more than 140 years.
This Congress Centre is located in the heart of Manchester, a city bursting with character, renowned for its strengths in research and innovation and with a rich heritage in science, technology, sport and music.
The city has a vibrant social scene and is home to an array of cultural attractions, galleries and museums, ensuring our delegates and visitors are kept entertained outside of event hours. There are a wealth of restaurants and bars on the doorstep and more than 2500 hotel bedrooms within a 5-minute walk.
The city-centre location and on-site car park means the venue is easy to reach, however you choose to travel, thanks to the city’s extensive multi-modal transport network.
History
Manchester Central began life as one of the major train station hubs of the North West. Opening in 1880, Central Station was one of the country’s great travel interchanges until 1969 when it was deemed surplus to requirements and closed.
The building escaped demolition and was given listed building status. The building was eventually purchased by Greater Manchester County Council and work started on the first ever urban regeneration project in 1982.
The Greater Manchester Exhibition and Event Centre (G-MEX) was opened by her Majesty the Queen on 21 March 1986 and the first exhibition, Enterprise North West, was held. Over the next 20 years, the G-Mex hosted a number of concerts including Manchester favourites The Smiths, The Happy Mondays, Oasis and Take That.
In 2007, the venue was re-branded as Manchester Central Convention Complex and underwent a £30 million overhaul, which was completed in 2009 and has taken the venue onto a world stage in conferencing and events. Due to its versatility, they host a huge range of events from political party conferences and gala dinners to exhibitions for food, film and travel fans. The venue has even provided a backdrop to a number of television shows including X Factor and Ninja Warrior.
Sustainability
To Manchester Central, sustainability isn’t just about protecting the natural environment – it’s about social, economic and cultural impacts too. As a leading venue, they take their responsibilities very seriously. The venue’s strategic ambition is to ensure sustainability is at the heart of everything they do.
Their sustainability strategy, ‘Our Central Future’ aims to innovate and deliver initiatives that enhance the sustainability of the venue and the services provided to all their stakeholders.