The Conservative Party Conference is worth an extra £20m to Manchester’s economy, it has been claimed.
The annual event returns to the city from Sunday, October 1, through to Wednesday, October 4. Staged at Manchester Central, it will be the eighth Tory conference held in the city since 2009.
Ahead of the conference, the Manchester Convention Bureau has said the event will boost the city’s economy by £20m.
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Sheona Southern, managing director of Marketing Manchester, said: “We are pleased to welcome the Conservative Party Conference back to Manchester this week. The event is a fantastic opportunity for the city, not just in terms of the economic impact of visitor spend, but also in demonstrating Manchester’s strengths as a comprehensive conference destination, and Greater Manchester’s political significance.
“There are a lot of important national conversations to be had next week that affect Greater Manchester, so we are looking forward to a productive conference, and to receiving some clear assurances about how the party will work with Greater Manchester and other city-regions across the north of England going into the final year of this Parliament.”
Joanne Roney, chief executive of Manchester City Council, added: “Manchester is experienced at holding large events, from major sporting occasions to concerts and high-profile conferences such as this one. We have well-developed and strong partnerships across the city to ensure that events run smoothly, and delegates enjoy both the event and the city.
“Large events such as this stimulate hotels, restaurants, bars and other attractions and help support and create jobs for Manchester people – giving a multi-million-pound boost for our economy.”
Shaun Hinds, CEO at Manchester Central, said: “Business conferences and exhibitions are an integral part of the variety of events we host at Manchester Central and equate to a significant proportion of the economic contribution that the wider event sector brings into the UK.
“As a business that thrives on supporting the Greater Manchester community, we are always proud to see that the events hosted at our venue have such a positive impact on the hospitality sector across the city-region.”
