CHS Manchester Opens Registration and Expands Fringe Line-Up

Registration is now open for the first edition of CHS Manchester, as interest from event professionals and suppliers continues to build ahead of the debut show at the AO Arena on 30 September.

The organisers behind the CHS brand, best known for its events focused on meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, are positioning the Manchester launch as a new gathering point for northern and national buyers looking to source venues, destinations and event services.

Background and industry context

The launch of CHS Manchester comes at a time when regional business events are experiencing renewed attention, with organisers and suppliers looking beyond traditional capital-city hubs. Manchester, with its established convention and arena infrastructure, has become a key destination for conferences, exhibitions and large-scale live events in the UK.

By selecting the AO Arena as the host venue, CHS Manchester is tapping into a high-profile location closely associated with major live entertainment and large audiences. For organisers, this setting offers an opportunity to showcase how arena environments can be adapted for meetings, exhibition-style showcases and B2B networking.

The CHS portfolio has historically attracted a mix of corporate planners, agency buyers and association organisers. The Manchester edition aims to replicate this audience profile in a new regional context, connecting them with venues, destinations and specialist suppliers seeking more direct access to northern and national markets.

Key developments and announcement

Organisers have reported strong early interest from exhibitors, resulting in what they describe as a well-curated show floor featuring a broad range of venues, destinations and event service providers. The exhibitor mix is expected to include hotel groups, regional convention bureaus, unique venues, production suppliers and event support services.

Alongside the main exhibition, the team behind CHS Manchester is building a fringe programme that will run in parallel with show-floor activity. While the full schedule is still being finalised, the fringe is expected to include additional content, informal networking and opportunities for more targeted meetings.

The fringe format is designed to complement the traditional hosted-buyer and walk-up visitor model of the show, offering attendees multiple ways to engage beyond standard stand meetings. These auxiliary sessions are likely to focus on current themes in event planning and delivery, including audience engagement, content design, operational resilience and the use of live spaces such as arenas for business events.

Registration for visitors is now live, with the event targeting planners from corporate, agency and independent backgrounds, as well as professionals responsible for internal events, incentives and roadshows. The organisers are also inviting suppliers from across the UK and beyond who are looking to reach a concentrated audience of buyers within a single-day format.

Industry impact

The introduction of a new CHS-branded event in Manchester adds to the growing calendar of regional trade shows focused on meetings and business events. For the industry, the move demonstrates continued confidence in in-person marketplaces as a route for suppliers to secure new business and for buyers to benchmark products and services.

Arena-based events can also help to reposition large-scale entertainment venues as flexible spaces for conferences and exhibitions. By utilising the AO Arena for a B2B event, CHS Manchester highlights how such spaces can be reconfigured to support exhibitor stands, content stages and hosted-buyer lounges, offering alternative options to traditional convention centres and hotel ballrooms.

The fringe programme, once fully announced, is expected to provide an additional platform for discussion on sector priorities, such as sustainability in event operations, the integration of digital tools across the delegate journey, and changing expectations of attendees in both live and hybrid formats.

Why this matters for event professionals and technology providers

For event planners, CHS Manchester presents another opportunity to source venues and suppliers in person, particularly for those based in or frequently delivering events across the north of England and wider UK regions. With multiple venue categories and destinations represented under one roof, buyers can compare options, negotiate rates and explore new partnerships within a compressed timeframe.

The show and its fringe activity may also offer insight into how arena infrastructure can be leveraged for conferences, brand experiences and hybrid productions. As planners look to create more distinctive live environments, understanding the operational and technical possibilities of arenas and large-scale venues becomes increasingly relevant.

Technology providers, meanwhile, may find the event a useful testing ground for tools that support exhibitor ROI tracking, hosted-buyer workflows, appointment scheduling and visitor engagement. While CHS Manchester is not positioned as a dedicated event-tech show, the concentration of planners and suppliers in one location provides an audience for platforms covering registration, lead capture, audience analytics and content distribution.

In addition, the fringe programme is likely to include discussions that touch on data management, the role of automation in event planning, and the continued integration of virtual participation tools into otherwise in-person formats. These sessions can help technology vendors better understand the practical requirements and constraints faced by organisers and venues on the ground.

Conclusion

With registration now live and exhibitor interest described as strong, CHS Manchester is set to bring a new meetings and events marketplace to the AO Arena on 30 September. The combination of a curated show floor and a growing fringe programme positions the event as both a buying platform and a forum for discussion about the future of regional and national business events.

For planners, suppliers and technology partners, the inaugural edition will serve as a barometer of current demand for in-person trading environments and an indication of how arena venues can be adapted for B2B exhibitions and content-led experiences. As the full programme and exhibitor list take shape in the coming weeks, the sector will be watching to see how the new Manchester event embeds itself within the wider UK events calendar.