Petersfield · Manchester M2 3GX · Former Central Station · Conferences & exhibitions
Manchester Central: the delegates walk in
Manchester Central sits in a former railway station in the middle of the city, not on a ring road twenty minutes out. Delegates staying in Manchester walk to it, which changes what a corporate transport booking here actually consists of.
Which puts this venue in a small group with the QEII Centre and the Business Design Centre, and a long way from the NEC and ExCeL model. Nobody needs a daily shuttle. What they need is the run up from Kent and the vehicles for the evenings.
Two jobs, not a daily shuttle
A city-centre venue removes the transport problem that out-of-town centres create.
Four and a half hours
The main journey, usually the day before the conference starts.
The real work
Client dinners, awards and venues across the city. Multiple runs, late.
Occasionally
Manchester Airport for delegates flying in or out mid-event.
Which you would need at the NEC
Here the hotel to venue journey is usually a walk.
Kent to Manchester
A long run north. Times include the rest breaks a journey of this length requires.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 230 miles | 4h 20m – 5h 15m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 233 miles | 4h 25m – 5h 20m |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 236 miles | 4h 30m – 5h 25m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 241 miles | 4h 35m – 5h 30m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 246 miles | 4h 40m – 5h 35m |
| Rochester & Chatham | 251 miles | 4h 45m – 5h 40m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 275 miles | 5h 10m – 6h 10m |
How a corporate booking works
Most of our Manchester Central work is for companies rather than individuals.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| One vehicle up, one back | With the group travelling together the day before |
| Evening runs while you are there | Booked in advance or arranged on the day |
| Invoiced, not paid per trip | With VAT shown separately, against an account |
| Multiple pick-ups in Kent | Collecting a team from several addresses on the way |
| Named contact | One person we deal with rather than eight separate bookings |
Conference travel to Manchester
The evenings are the part worth planning
Getting to Manchester is one journey. Getting eight people from a hotel to a restaurant across the city at half seven, and back again at midnight, three nights running, is where a conference trip actually needs transport. Those runs are short and they are the ones people forget to arrange until the afternoon they need them.
Travel up together the day before
Four and a half hours means arriving the day the conference starts is possible and unwise. A group that travels up the previous afternoon arrives fresh, has an evening in Manchester and is not spending the first session recovering from the M1. It is also cheaper than several people making separate arrangements.
A former railway station, in the middle of everything
The venue was Manchester Central Station until the sixties and the main hall is the original train shed, which makes it one of the more striking conference spaces in the country. Practically, it sits amongst the hotels, restaurants and bars rather than apart from them, and that is the difference from an out-of-town exhibition centre.
Invoiced properly for companies
Most of what we do here is corporate, which means an account, one invoice with VAT shown separately, and one named contact rather than eight people expensing individual journeys. Our corporate account guide covers how that is set up.
Manchester Central questions
City-centre conferences.
Where is Manchester Central?
In the middle of Manchester at Petersfield, M2, in the former Central Station. The main hall is the original train shed.
Do delegates need a daily shuttle?
Usually not. It is a city-centre venue surrounded by hotels, so most delegates walk in. The transport work is the arrival from Kent and the evening runs.
How far is Manchester from Kent?
Around two hundred and thirty to two hundred and seventy-five miles, roughly four and a half to six hours each way including rest breaks.
Should we travel up the day before?
Yes. Arriving on the morning the conference starts means spending the first session recovering from the M1. Travelling up the previous afternoon is better and usually cheaper.
Can you do evening dinner runs?
Yes, and that is most of what we are asked for at this venue. Short runs across the city, booked in advance or arranged while you are there.
Can we be invoiced?
Yes, against a corporate account with one invoice, VAT shown separately and one named contact rather than individual expense claims.
Can you collect from several Kent addresses?
Yes, and it is common. We collect a team from multiple addresses on the way north as one journey.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking for each leg and for any evening runs arranged in advance.
Conference venues and the north
City-centre and out-of-town venues.