Manchester’s best conference and events venue

Manchester’s best conference and events venue??

I’ve been visiting Manchester’s conference and events venues to take photos and make films for 25 years, and recently I’ve come to think that there’s one venue that’s head and shoulders above all the others.

Name a conference and event venue in Manchester and I’m almost certain I’ll have done a photography or film job there. From the huge Manchester Central Convention Centre (MCCC), or GMEX as we locals still call it, to the small spaces in We Work, I’ve spent days in them all. Can’t think of a single large football ground in the region that I haven’t covered an event in, be it Manchester City’s plush modern offering, Bolton Wanderers, Manchester United (tired) or Stockport County and the innovative but tiny FC United of Manchester. I’ve covered almost every event space in all of the city’s universities and pretty much every anodyne hotel space. I’ve done a few jobs recently though in Manchester Art Gallery and it’s struck me as the loveliest, most welcoming, interesting and best run small to medium sized conference and event space in Manchester.

A hidden gem

I suspect a lot of conference and events organisers are not aware that you can hire Manchester Art Gallery. Don’t get me wrong, it has been available to hire for as long as I can remember and I’ve done photography for events there many times n the past. However, it seems to slip under the radar in a saturated market where other venues push hard to attract business. And, its events business is not, of course, its primary offering. It perhaps just doesn’t;t sprint to mind but the two jobs I’ve covered there recently were lovely and the organisers both told me how pleased they were to find it and how they’d be using it again.

An objective review

I’ve got no personal interest in my rave review of the art gallery’s event offering, but I am a proud Mancunian and thought it really does deserve to be better known as a venue. Why?

I don’t think any other small to medium sized event space is as interesting, and that’s compounded by how the gallery is not just offering the usual conference room spaces but access to the actual galleries themselves and all the wonderful artwork. Why would you want to be in a formulaic hotel when you can chat next to an Epstein  sculpture (no, not that one!) or Waterhouse’s famous Hylas and the Nymphs.  I think this is a relatively new offering. Again, I’m not being paid to endorse this service like some awful un-objective ‘influencer’  so I’m unsure how long they’ve been using the actual galleries for events. But if you’re reading this and looking for an event space in Manchester then you’ve gotta go and take a look.

Re-imagining the art gallery

I’d not been in to the Mosley St. gallery for a while and was struck by how it had all been re-hung and reorganised. I learnt that this is part of a wider review and plan to get more of the hidden, archived artworks on public view, read more about that here. So there are now many more sculptures on display, simply displayed in their storage crates. There’s also some of the collection’s huge array of furniture on display in a delightful wall of contrasting styles. Each time I’ve been photographing events it’s been lovely to watch guests taking photos and chatting away about what they like and find interesting. I just don’t see conference delegates this engaged in other venues.

Hotel versus gallery venue

Again, I can’t stress enough what a contrast it is to be in a venue that just encourages people to talk and engage with each other. OK, the football venues have this element a bit but once you’re inside they’re generally just functional spaces with little character. I’ll make a slight exception for Manchester City there as it’s been very well fitted out and they make a big effort. But, not everyone is a football nut and it’s just one theme. In Manchester art gallery there’s a bit of everything to interest everyone; paintings, costume, sculpture, furniture…and from so many eras.

Why would you want to book a hotel for your conference and sit in a room that could be anywhere and has nothing to engage and stimulate your audience when you can be surrounded by amazing art? It’s a no brainer for me and, as I said, the two clients I’ve recently worked with bit said they loved the space and would be using it again.

Manchester photographer

I should perhaps say that the art gallery does also make for good photographs. As an experienced Manchester photographer, I can tell you that some of the venues are terrible for lighting (sorry, Bolton FC) or just a bit bland, cramped or un-interesting.  The number of times I’m commissioned to get interesting group shots for teams who are having a conference and end up suggesting we just go outside as it’s so dull inside!!

Summary

OK, it’s clearly a ringing endorsement from me. I wanted to try and help bring the space to wider attention with a few words and photos here. I’ve already mentioned it to several existing clients. It’s also nice to think that the events side of the business helps fund one of the city’s great cultural gems and so well worth a small plug on my part. Arts venues are really struggling to pay the bills and maintain free access for all at the moment, so why not get yourself a cracking venue and help support Manchester’s cultural offering at the same time?

Oh, the event catering is really nice too…and that’s from a guy who’s clearly seen his fair share of event buffets!

 

See our conference and events photography and film work here: www.jonparkerlee.com

#Photographer #PhotographerManchester #Manchester #Photography #Photographers #JonParkerLee #Mcr #ManchesterPhotographer #film #events #conference