The inaugural CHS Manchester exceeded organiser expectations, with exhibitor numbers rising significantly and hosted buyer attendance more than doubling compared with previous editions.
Held at Manchester's AO Arena last month, the event brought together the communities from CHS Leeds and CHS Birmingham for the first time under a single Manchester-based show.
According to organisers, exhibitor numbers were 52 per cent higher than at CHS Leeds 2025 and 43 per cent higher than CHS Birmingham 2025. The hosted buyer programme also more than doubled in size.
The event included a city-wide fringe programme and welcome reception designed to showcase Manchester's venues and hospitality offer to attending buyers.
“CHS Manchester completely blew away our expectations,” said Emma King, founder and CEO of CHS Manchester. “The combination of an incredible hosted buyer programme, a genuinely interesting and insightful education programme, and the support we received from across Manchester created a busy, productive and energetic show.”
The show was supported by Marketing Manchester and aimed to position the city as a destination for meetings and events buyers from across the UK. At the same time, the fringe programme and welcome reception gave the community time to get to know the city and each other, bringing conversations and connections into the show before appointments had begun.
“The success of CHS Manchester is also testament to the city and its growing profile as one of the country’s most exciting business events destinations,” added King. “Marketing Manchester has been by our side throughout, while the AO Arena provided a dramatic and exciting backdrop that gave the show a real sense of occasion.
“We couldn’t be more delighted with how it went. The buyers we hosted loved the opportunity to connect with brilliant people and businesses, and there was a fantastic energy throughout the event. It was a great occasion for CHS and for Manchester. Roll on 2027.”
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
