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Conference and trade Hundreds of thousands of people attend the various conferences and trade expos held at the venue every year .
Notably , the long-running BSAVA conference will open to 4,000 small animal veterinary professionals in March ; then in May the venue will welcome the British Insurance Brokers ’ Association ( BIBA ) conference , which has made Manchester Central its home for over a decade and will bring around 9,000 delegates to the city in May .
HOUSING 2024 is expected to welcome over 9,000 attendees in June and more than 2,500 accountants and finance professionals will descend on the venue for Accountex in September . Manchester Central hosts a variety of private company events , too . Whether that ’ s internal conferences , gala dinners and awards , AGMs or away days , these are continuously held on the premises to provide an events space well equipped with superb hospitality and technology .
What can we expect of the events sector this year ? In-person events are thriving and it ’ s clear that those which perform best are offering unique sessions and new ways to interact with and entertain attendees . And this is a pivotal moment for venues and events organisers too – according to a survey of event organisers by Cvent , 89 % of global leaders say in-person events are important to increasing revenue in 2024 .
We also need to consider that attendees now , more than ever , have the mindset that their time is precious . People are even more discerning with their event attendance choices now , so making sure they get the most out of attending is core to success .
How do you do this ? Firstly , offer a stand-out hospitality offering ( Manchester Central will soon have a brand-new offering to this effect this year ). Secondly , event organisers should be thinking about providing alternative formats for neurodiverse audiences to empower participation . And when mixing AI with in-person , the technology has to be integrated and executed expertly for buy-in .
VIP experiences and added-value offerings are very much on an upward trajectory .
So thinking about ticket choices , and offering bolt-ons that go beyond the usual for those attendees willing to spend a bit more for the right experience , is absolutely going to help make stand-out moments . Look at Disney ’ s 100 exhibition in London , this catered for the ‘ masses ’ really well , alongside offering a VIP experience that many Disney fans couldn ’ t resist .
Working closely with organisers , venues such as Manchester Central can tailor everything to the requirements of each event organiser . So utilise their expertise to make sure that , from the moment an attendee steps off a train , secures their bike or parks their car , they know that they have arrived at something special .
That means that this year there will be more emphasis on working with partners around the venues to give that warm , fuzzy feeling to a place which makes it feel like a vibrant hive of activity . Restaurants , bars and the whole regional economy benefit this way and that ’ s a massive boost for the events sector : not only does the venue get to host amazing experiences every day but it can stimulate growth in the places where we work and live , too . CN www . conference-news . co . uk