With Manchester being home to two of the UK ’ s most successful Premier League football teams , a selection of some of Britain ’ s busiest and best venues , huge and successful festivals , and a rich history of creative output , it is hardly surprising there is no shortage of civic pride among the city ’ s many events professionals .
Aside from its sporting achievements , Manchester has spawned a remarkable array of hugely successful music acts over the years , including New Order , The Smiths , The Stone Roses , Elbow , Oasis and The Chemical Brothers , to name but a few .
With so much to offer , tourism is big business in Manchester . The city boasts the largest international airport outside England ’ s South East , and tourism is worth around £ 4.5bn to the local economy each year .
In November , Greater Manchester night-time economy adviser Sacha Lord , the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and mayor
This Charming Manchester
A hub of creative talent and home to an impressive and expanding event infrastructure , Manchester has been hit hard by the pandemic but the virus has done little to dampen the spirit of its event professionals .
Words : Christopher Barrett
Andy Burnham , released the Greater Manchester Night Time Economy Covid-19 Recovery Blueprint , which contains some remarkable statistics about the city ’ s workforce .
It revealed that around one-third of the Greater Manchester workforce are employed in jobs or businesses that are “ significantly active at night ”. It also stated that since 2001 , employment in the night-time economy has grown 45 % faster than in any other sector of the Manchester economy .
Burnham is convinced the foundations of Manchester ’ s rise as a creative powerhouse were laid by TV presenter-turned-music-industry -impresario Tony Wilson – founder of the legendary label Factory Records and iconic Manchester club The Haçienda .
30