Destination Guide: Manchester

• Choose from over 250 innovative meeting and incentive venues, including an award-winning Convention Complex located in the city centre.
• There are over 19,000 hotel rooms across Manchester city-region.
• Manchester Airport serves over 200 worldwide destinations and is only 20 minutes from the city centre.
• Excellent motorway links and fast frequent train services connect Manchester to the rest of the UK. London and Edinburgh are just over two hours away by train.
• Manchester’s compact size makes it a great walking city; a stroll across the city takes little over 20 minutes enabling visitors to discover of all that Manchester has to offer with ease.
• There’s an endless choice of entertainment and leisure options; from world-class festivals, a thriving music and cultural scene to an impressive array of theatres, nightlife and restaurants with international cuisine.
• Entrance to a large number of Manchester’s museums and galleries are free, including Imperial War Museum North, Museum of Science and Industry, The People’s History Museum, The Lowry, Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery.
• The city-region offers beautiful countryside, picturesque towns, stately homes and scenic waterways, all ideal for team-building and away days.
• Manchester’s sporting heritage is legendary. Experience a behind the scenes tour and a match at one of four premiership football clubs or cricket enthusiasts can head to Lancashire County Cricket Club. Daredevils can zip-line through the tree tops, sky-dive, go-kart or enjoy the thrills of the slopes at an indoor real snow venue.
• Manchester is a city of firsts. It is the birthplace of the industrial revolution, the intercity railway, the first commercial computer, the professional football league, the splitting of the atom, the suffragette movement, the first test tube baby and vegetarianism.
• Manchester will be a host city for the 2012 Olympic Games football matches and some of the Rugby World Cup 2015 games.

With an exciting blend of culture, history, entertainment and the inimitable spirit of its people, Manchester provides delegates with an experience that never fails to exceed expectations.

The city-region offers an unrivalled range of inspiring venues and accommodation for up to 19,000 delegates. Modern, purpose-built meeting and exhibition facilities contrast with elegant refurbished Victorian buildings and dramatic out of the ordinary venues. Whatever you seek - five-star luxury, country house hospitality or boutique chic - Manchester can accommodate.

Exceptional incentive experiences are aplenty; from top-flight sporting events, cultural delights, luxury pampering breaks, fine-dining, personal shoppers to adrenaline fuelled adventures, Manchester has it covered.

Visit Manchester, the tourist board for the Manchester city-region, is on hand to help you plan the perfect event. Its award-winning team of dedicated conference and event specialists have a close working relationship with Manchester’s venues, DMCs and service providers and their unparalleled local knowledge will help to ensure that your event is a success. For free assistance with meeting and incentive planning get in touch with the team today or visit visitmanchester.com/conference to discover why Manchester is the perfect choice.