An unusual birthday

Today marks 25 years of Marketing Manchester.

At any other time, this would be a significant occasion marked by glitzy partner events as well as plenty of opportunities to look back over 25 years and shout about where the organisation has been and what it has achieved. We intend to do that later in the year when the time is right, but for now our focus is on looking ahead to where Marketing Manchester is going and the important role that we have to play in the recovery of Greater Manchester post-Covid; positioning it as a place to visit, invest, study and live, both domestically and internationally.

What I will say about our history is that there is some mythology suggesting Marketing Manchester was created to assist with rebuilding the reputation of the city following the 1996 IRA attack, and whilst undoubtedly Marketing Manchester did have an important role to play in that period, sharper eyes will note that the IRA attack didn’t take place until 15 June 1996 and Marketing Manchester’s inception was 29 April 1996.

A case for a Destination Management Organisation (DMO) such as Marketing Manchester was actually set in motion following the unsuccessful 1993 bid for the 2000 Olympic Games that were awarded to Sydney. Manchester then successfully bid for the 2002 Commonwealth Games and Marketing Manchester was founded shortly after the bid win to assist with delivery. No sooner had the organisation been incorporated, the team had to quickly turn its hand to both Games planning and extensive recovery and regeneration work following the IRA attack.

Marketing Manchester’s purpose has evolved greatly over the years since then, but we still wear many hats. We still bid for major sport and business conferences, and we still incorporate Greater Manchester’s official tourist board. However, we’re now also at the forefront of campaigns to attract businesses to our region based on our key sector strengths. We’ve facilitated important partnerships and events for the property sector that have helped to change the face of Manchester city centre, and we are now taking that partnership into the world of low-carbon, digital and green growth. We now work closely with our Universities to attract and retain students, and with strategic partners to champion economic growth based around a more connected and talented city-region, where all our residents are able to contribute to and benefit from sustained prosperity and a good quality of life. We’re now also part of The Growth Company and proudly support a wider remit to enable growth, create jobs and improve lives.

We have some fantastic campaigns coming up this year, and our team – who probably don’t shout as loud about their achievements as they should – are busy getting ready. You’ll see lots of great work coming out of Marketing Manchester in the coming weeks and months; first and foremostly with our tourism recovery campaigns – our bread and butter that everyone knows us for – but you’ll also see us leading work that supports our cultural sector, a big ‘back to office’ push, and targeted campaigns that champion Greater Manchester’s digital, innovation and green credentials and opportunities; all developed in partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Local Enterprise Partnership and private stakeholders.

The parallels between 1996 and now are not lost on me. Back then we were reshaping a new identity for Manchester and Greater Manchester in the face of chaos and redevelopment; and right now we have a mountain to climb to recover from the impact of Covid-19. But in both scenarios opportunity abounds.

We now have 25 years of experience under our belts as well as strong partnerships and networks across the city-region as well as nationally and internationally, which will ensure a swift recovery towards something much better than what we had pre-Covid. If you’re not already part of our network and think that we should be working in partnership together, please get in touch.

So when’s the party? If you'll allow us, we plan to take the year and have several moments of reflection and celebration as and when suitable. The first thing to keep an eye out for is our first live event which is planned to take place this summer at Manchester Central (roadmap permitting), where we will be joined by Greater Manchester’s stakeholders and businesses to highlight the city region’s key assets.

Until then we’ll crack on with the good work and forward thinking that you know and expect from us.