Manchester Central has announced the appointment of
Stephanie Newton as its new commercial director.
Newton will officially join the business this month,
bringing with her more than two decades of experience in the events and
hospitality industries.
In her most recent role as head of business tourism at
Marketing Manchester, Newton has played a pivotal role in shaping the city’s
business tourism strategy and has helped to position Manchester as one of the
leading destinations for international conferences and events.
Prior to joining Marketing Manchester, Newton spent 23
years working for international hotel chains including Marriott International,
Radisson SAS and Mercure, specialising in the meetings and events
sector.
In her new role, Newton will lead Manchester Central’s
commercial strategy, with a focus on attracting global events that align with
Manchester’s industry strengths, further enhancing the venue’s contribution to
the city-region’s vibrant and growing economy.
The appointment follows an increasingly collaborative
relationship between Manchester Central and Marketing Manchester tying into CEO
Lori Hoinkes’ vision of a destination-first approach to placing Manchester on
the global events stage.
Hoinkes said: “I am delighted that Stephanie has chosen to join our
team. Through her fantastic work at Marketing Manchester, she has led the
city’s phenomenal business tourism strategy for many years and will bring with
her a wealth of commercial expertise in this field, in addition to a very
strong background in the hotel and leisure markets.
“Manchester Central is currently experiencing record
levels of demand which gives us the opportunity to grow our business in a way
that delivers maximum value and impact for Manchester. As such, our commercial
strategy going forward aims to ensure that as a venue we are operating as
smartly and sustainably as possible; ensuring our clients, our partners and our
city benefit from the work we do.
“Steph’s appointment only adds to these ambitions in what
is an incredibly exciting time for us.”
As a major venue in the events industry both nationally
and internationally, Manchester Central welcomes almost half a million visitors
each year and contributes around £130 million to the regional economy.
