Manchester Central has launched a new podcast series with an exclusive interview with Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council. The new podcast begins Manchester Central’s fourth podcast series and is aimed specifically at event professionals.
Speaking with Shaun Hinds, CEO of Manchester Central, Bev shared her thoughts on a range of topics including the regional economy, the strength of the Manchester City Region and why collaboration is important for business growth. Situated in the heart of Manchester and intrinsic to the region’s business community, Manchester Central attracts over half a million visitors to the city each year, bringing approximately £150 million into the Greater Manchester economy in an average year.
In the Central Chat podcast episode, Bev talks about the reputation that the city continues to build. She said: “Manchester’s reputation is really strong, and I would begin by saying that this isn’t by accident. Our economic impact and where we attract lots of exciting and thriving new businesses, particularly in digital, creative, and tech – that was a concerted effort to market ourselves on that basis where we wanted to create thriving ecosystems that attract people.”
And Bev, the first female leader of the city council, believes that the reputation will improve further, with the visitor economy playing an increasingly significant part. She added: “If you’re listening
from outside of Manchester and you’re thinking about investment opportunities, I would say that we’re definitely one of the best- connected cities outside of the south-east, but we’re ambitious and we want more!”