CHS Manchester has announced a major evolution of the show, designed to deliver a festival-style experience, a city wide fringe programme and a stronger national positioning.
Taking place at the AO Arena on 30 September, CHS Manchester is building on the momentum gained since its launch last year to set out how the show will feel, function and engage, both inside the venue and across the city.
The event has confirmed increased investment in production, visitor and Hosted Buyer recruitment, a more dynamic show layout, and an expanded programme of education delivered across multiple stages.
Emma King, founder and CEO of CHS Manchester said: “The aim is to create a more immersive, high-energy environment that reflects how the events industry now wants to meet, learn and connect. This will be a modern show, in a modern setting, for a new events industry.”
At the centre of this evolution is the introduction of a major new fringe programme, developed in close collaboration with Manchester Convention Bureau, part of Marketing Manchester, and the AO Arena, as well as a growing list of industry partners.
Running before, during and after the main show, the fringe will extend the CHS Manchester experience beyond the exhibition floor and into the city itself.
The programme will bring together a series of simultaneous experiences designed to showcase Manchester’s strengths as a business events destination, including creativity, media, sustainability and culture, creating reasons for visitors to arrive earlier, stay longer and engage more deeply with the city.
Alongside the expanded format, CHS Manchester is looking to underline the show’s status as one of the key national exhibitions for the UK events industry.
King added: “Our aim is to give every visitor a city-wide welcome and richer experience, across Manchester. The support we’ve already had from the city is amazing, and our industry associations are working with us to create more content, more interest and more value for our visitors. It’s really exciting to see it take shape.”