CHS Manchester Fringe Spreads Across the City

CHS Manchester has unveiled the latest additions to its growing Fringe programme, with new experiences, workshops and social events springing up across the city ahead of the show at the AO Arena next month.

Taking place throughout the show, the expanding Fringe will see the events community head out across Manchester for everything from chocolate making, live music and cocktail masterclasses to food tours, live event pitching and behind-the-scenes venue experiences.

Among the experiences now confirmed is Creativity, Chocolate and Music at Hyatt Regency, where guests can take part in a sip and paint session, make chocolates alongside the hotel’s pastry chef and enjoy a live set from Kenny B from the hotel’s 18th floor.

Elsewhere, From Power Hall to Cloud 23 will take guests from a live engine demonstration and exclusive event-space experience at the Science and Industry Museum, through to a Benugo reception and cocktail masterclass high above the city at Cloud 23.

Flavours of Manchester will take a different route through the destination, beginning with low-carbon dining at Radisson Manchester City Centre before heading out on foot to discover some of Manchester’s independent food stories and finishing with drinks and nibbles at Townhouse Manchester.

The Fringe is also continuing to grow beyond CHS’s own hosted buyer experiences.

NOWIE will host Pitch Perfect: The Perfect Pitch Workshop, putting attendees into agency teams to respond to a live event brief before pitching their ideas to a panel of senior corporate buyers. Meanwhile, The Delegate Wranglers are also working on their own Fringe activity, with more details set to follow.

The activity leads into Manchester Calling, the CHS Manchester Welcome Reception at Manchester Central, bringing the wider show community together ahead of CHS Manchester the following day. Adding some unmistakable Manchester flavour, the reception will also feature a special guest appearance from Manchester-born DJ Clint Boon.

For CHS Manchester CEO Emma King, the way the Fringe is developing is as important as its growing size. “The Fringe is growing beyond what we’re doing at CHS; it’s got a life of its own now, and the industry is taking it forward,” comments Emma. “It’s a wonderful reflection of the industry and the city that so much is happening, all around the show and across the city. It’s a great success story for everyone.”

“The Fringe is for everyone, and seeing it grow organically around CHS tells us something about how people want to experience industry events. They want the show, but they also want all the extra experiences that happen around it.”

The Fringe begins across Manchester on 29 September, ahead of CHS Manchester at the AO Arena on 30 September.