Manchester Convention Bureau, part of Marketing Manchester, has announced the programme for the Discover Manchester stage at CHS Manchester (30 September 2026), highlighting how the city region is pushing boundaries in event delivery and visitor experience. 

The Discover Manchester Stage will feature a series of spotlight sessions designed to provide planners with practical insight and inspiration for hosting their events in Manchester.  

The partners attending alongside Manchester Convention Bureau include Aviva Studios, Radisson Hotel Group, Northern Roots, CityCo, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Selling Savvy.  

The programme

The programme will open with a session exploring what’s new and what’s next for Manchester’s events landscape, discussing the latest updates on major developments like Medlock Square, Therme Manchester, the reopening of Rochdale Town Hall and the transformation of Manchester Town Hall. 

A session led by Aviva Studios named A New Conversation About Accessibility & Inclusion will be hosted by Jay Millard, Access Manager at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International and Stephanie Williams, Head of Events at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International. The panel will provide a briefing on the key trends in accessibility, what they mean for event organisers, and how organisers can adapt their events to meet a new and wholly positive new direction. 

Manchester Metropolitan University will be hosting the session Play is serious business: What events can learn from Playful Learning. In this interactive 20-minute session hosted by James Charnock, Sales and Marketing Manager at Manchester Metropolitan University, delegates will experience the principles of playful learning firsthand and discover why some of the most effective learning experiences feel less like training and more like exploration. Drawing on proven approaches from education, events and experience design, the session will unpack how curiosity, challenge, collaboration and experimentation can transform audience engagement. 

Sustainability will be a key theme, with Radisson Hotel Group showcasing Manchester’s first verified net zero hotel. The session - The Future Stay: How Verified Net Zero Hotels Are Redefining Sustainable Hospitality with Radisson Hotel Group - will be hosted by Claudia Platt, Senior Account Manager UK & I for Radisson Hotel Group, and will explore how Verified Net Zero Hotels are bringing the future of sustainable hospitality forward. Attendees will discover how renewable energy, low-carbon menus, minimal-waste operations and independent verification are transforming the guest experience.  

A session from Selling Savvy called Growing Your Network: Building Connections, Confidence & Career Opportunities will be an opportunity to hear from Directors Louisa Ritchie and Kat Rack on how to network with purpose, develop a personal brand that people remember, and build the confidence to put yourself out there. Packed with actionable advice for corporate event planners and agency professionals, this session will help the audience create genuine connections, increase their visibility within the industry, and unlock new opportunities for both personal and professional growth. 

Social impact will be in focus through a session featuring Northern Roots and the Woodland Trust called Northern Roots: Delivering Social Value Through Urban Green Space. Hosted by Lizzie Fenton, Head of Income Generation at Northern Roots, the discussion will spotlight the transformation of Northern Roots in Oldham into a major community and visitor destination and how it will benefit the environment while improving health, wellbeing and livelihoods in Oldham. 

The final session named Destination Manchester: City-Wide Collaboration for Major Events, chaired by Gary James Williams, Head of Events CityCo and Manchester City Centre Business Improvement District, will explore the unique partnership work between Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester, CityCo and partners across culture, transport and accommodation, and how those partnerships and placemaking expertise support major international events like The BRIT Awards. Delegates will discover how coordinated city-wide activations, creative programming and strong cross-sector collaboration transform a single event into a destination-wide celebration.

CHS Manchester Promotional Material

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