MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, Sept. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Questex’s Annual Hospitality Conference (AHC) today announces Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester and Richard Parker Mayor of West Midlands will open and close day 1 of the AHC. The Mayors’ participation cements the AHC as THE must-attend event in the industry. The AHC takes place on the 30 September - 1 October 2024 at the Manchester Central Convention Complex, UK. Register here.
Exclusive to the AHC: Mayors of major British agglomerations confirmed to speak
In their role as Mayor of Greater Manchester and West Midlands respectively, Burnham and Parker will give direction on the future investment into, and development of, the UK hospitality sector, and the role the sector plays in developing a thriving city economy. Burnham will set the tone for the event as he takes to the stage to welcome attendees to the conference. Parker will close day 1, with a focus on driving growth and innovation across infrastructure, real estate, business and hospitality, amidst evolving economic landscapes.
"The unique blend of diversity, culture and history, urban dynamism, regulatory stability and economic resilience, has positioned the UK market as a leading destination and one of the largest hospitality markets in Europe. At the AHC we will explore how to build on these strong foundations as we welcome for the first time ever, 2 Mayors and political heavyweights to the Annual Hospitality Conference,” said Olga Andreevskikh, Senior Conference Producer, Questex Hospitality & Travel.
Full speaker line up and programme released
This year attendees will be able to hear over 100 speakers, cover opportunities across a broad spectrum of hospitality sub sectors including hotels, alternative living concepts, F&B, bars, pubs, restaurants, and much more. A snapshot of speakers include:
- Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
- Stephen Cassidy, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, UK & Ireland, Hilton
- Simon Ewins, Managing Director UK Hotels and Restaurants, Whitbread
- Luke Johnson, Hospitality Entrepreneur, Investor, Former Chairman of Pizza Express, the Royal Society of Art & Channel 4
- Tim Johnson, Chief Executive, City of Wolverhampton
- Puneet Kanuga, Chief Investment Officer, EQ Hotels
- Joanna Kurowska, Managing Director, UK & Ireland, IHG
- Sacha Lord, Night-time Economy Advisor to the Mayor of Greater Manchester
- Gavin Makel, Director of Services and Operations – Entertainment District, Manchester City Football Club
- Kate Nicholls, CEO, UK Hospitality
- Ronen Nissenbaum, CEO UK/Ireland, Benelux, Spain, Portugal and US development, Fattal Group
- Jacob Rasin, Senior Vice-President, Pandox
- Robert Shrimsley, Editorial Director and UK Political Commentator, Financial Times
- Steven Smit, Director of Investments and Asset Management, Vertiq Capital
- Kristian Smyth, Managing Director, Tristan Capital Partners
- John Straw, Serial Technology Entrepreneur, Tech Startup Investor and Leading Speaker on Disruption, New Technologies and the Ever-Changing World
- Matt Townley, Group Operations Director, Dakota Hotels
- Richard Parker, Mayor of West Midlands
- Chris Penny, Senior Vice-President, Starwood Capital
View the programme here.
New Networking Initiatives Announced
To compliment the high-calibre programme and speaker line up, the AHC has placed a renewed focus on the event experience. This year attendees will be able to enjoy two evening receptions, take part in a fast-paced, data driven networking ‘Power Hour’ and round off the conference with some tasty street food.
Sunday Evening Reception – 29th September
For attendees arriving the evening before the conference, Hamilton Pyramid is hosting an evening meet up at the recently opened Marriott Manchester Hotel Piccadilly in the heart of the city. This is a limited capacity event, there is now a waiting list in operation.
Power Hour – 30th September
A NEW networking session, focused on matching participants based on their interests and goals via the AI powered matchmaking app. This session is limited capacity, attendees will be asked to ‘opt-in’ a couple of weeks before the event.
Monday Evening Reception – 30th September
The AHC evening reception, sponsored by Peloton, will take place at the Lawn Club, a great example of indoor/outdoor hospitality. The Lawn Club sits at the heart of Spinningfields; a mixed-use development showcasing a successful blend of corporate, leisure and residential uses. Attendees can relax, capture memories in a photo booth and connect over great food, drinks and music.
TrUCK INn – 1st October
For the first time this year, attendees can break away from the exhibition floor and enjoy lunch in an informal setting from selected food trucks. From Vietnamese to Italian to Mexican, there will be something for everyone. The perfect way to end the conference with old and new-found connections.
The AHC welcomes new sources of capital
The AHC reports that 30% of investors & owners registered for the conference have not attended previously, this provides attendees with new sources of capital to connect with. The investors registered so far represent GBP£ 84bn+ AUM, which paints a positive outlook for future investment into UK hospitality.
This year the AHC is set to welcome a record 1,100+ attendees to Manchester. With major British and international industry players represented on the programme, combined with the investors, owners, operators and developers attending both on and off stage, this meeting is a true reflection of the thriving hospitality investment community.
For more information about AHC 2024 and to register for the event, visit www.theahc.co.uk
For more information about press registration, please click here.
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About Questex
Questex helps people live better and longer. Questex brings people together in the markets that help people live better: travel, hospitality and wellness; the industries that help people live longer: life science and healthcare; and the technologies that enable and fuel these new experiences. We live in the experience economy – connecting our ecosystem through live events, surrounded by data insights and digital communities. We deliver experience and real results. It happens here.
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Marketing Director, Operational Real Estate
Questex
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