Business Manchester | Manchester's Leading Business Online Magazine

Manchester Central welcomes 14,000 more people to sports events

Sport

-

07/12/2022

Manchester Central welcomes 14,000 more people to sports events

Major events venue Manchester Central has welcomed 14,000 more people to indoor sporting events during 2022 when compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The venue, which has a capacity of over 10,000 and has recently staged the Rugby League World Cup wheelchair final, has hosted several prominent sporting events this year. The former railway terminal has a wealth of indoor space ideal for hosting mass participation events and large groups of spectators.

In the last year sporting activities have included fitness festivals, cheerleading, extreme obstacle courses, boxing, American football, wheelchair rugby and dancing. The events have welcomed 16,630 people in total, an increase from 2,600 in 2019 – the most recent comparable year due to the postponement of large-scale events during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Highlights this year included the sold out Rugby League World Cup wheelchair final, which was watched by a combined peak audience of 1.3 million people on TV, with over 4,500 people watching live at the venue; the largest ever live audience for the sport, setting a new world record in the process. HYROX Manchester kicked off the 2022 sporting programme in January, proving to be a huge success with thousands of fitness fanatics attending, and American football NFL team, Jaguars Live, roared into the venue in June.

Manchester Central has also played host to the filming of Ninja Warrior, the popular ITV obstacle course, the England Boxing National Amateur Championship Final and Future Cheer, the UK’s major cheerleading gathering.

And 2023 looks set to continue the sporting theme at the venue, with events such as HYROX returning in January then again in May for the World Championships, alongside new fixtures in the calendar including the British Weight Lifting Open 2023 and the UK Drug Free Bodybuilding Championship 2023.

Shaun Hinds, CEO at Manchester Central, said: “Our venue has come alive once again with the return of largescale indoor sports events. The variety of sports that have been held here is testament to the space being so versatile and our team facilitating exciting and innovative ways to host a range of activities.

“Sport has the unique ability to bring people together, whether they be participating or spectating, and it’s incredible to see that happening under one roof here at Manchester Central. We are humbled to play our part in hosting these major events, which are often of international standing, to celebrate the incredible sporting talent in the world. We look forward to welcoming even more sporting events and fans next year.”

Clare Hartley, Match Operations Lead at Rugby League World Cup 2021, said: “Hosting the Rugby League World Cup Wheelchair Final at Manchester Central was a great success, the venue team were professional and helpful through the planning and delivery of the event. We loved being in the middle of Manchester, helping us to showcase the sport and also being close to Old Trafford where our two running World Cup finals were held the next day. We had a world record attendance for the sport with VIPs, spectators, volunteers, players, media and broadcasters all having an excellent experience in the venue and the city.”

The uplift in sporting events at Manchester Central comes just weeks after the venue shared its latest quarterly update which revealed that delegate spend was up 33%, with visitors spending £1.046m onsite and contributing over £13m to the local economy between July and September 2022. Furthermore, since April, delegates contributed a total £52.1m to Greater Manchester through expenditure at restaurants, bars, hotels and transport as a direct result of attending events.

With over 23,000m² of space and a capacity of over 10,000, the city’s largest business events venue continues to showcase its breadth over the final quarter of the calendar year, hosting large scale events including UCAS Create your Future 2022 and Vivid Experiences’ Christmas Party World; the latter alone is expected to welcome around 25,000 visitors to the venue during December.

Online trading site promises to provide the most transparent process in the UK

News Desk

-

07/12/2022

0

Online trading site promises to provide the most transparent process in the UK

TradingGuide.co.uk, the UK’s best advisor for choosing Brokers and Trading Platforms, is promising results for online traders. The company have recently announced their dedication to changing the way traders trade, pushing to provide the most transparent brokerage recommendations in the UK.

With the popularity of online trading soaring and thousands of active traders in the UK, this has led to an increase in businesses recommending online brokerages. However, as major websites continue to recommend brokerages based on expert reviews, the lack of research behind this process has led to a loss of customer trust.

To combat this issue, Trading Guide has decided to do things differently, combining expert opinions with millions of trusted user reviews. These user reviews are collected from the App Store, Google Play, and Trustpilot in real-time and without any filter. As a result, every good and bad review given regarding a trading business is available to view on their website.

The data is then completed with detailed broker reviews created by a team of experts that have rigorously tested more than 70 brokers and trading platforms. This means that anyone looking to start trading online can compare every FCA-regulated online broker based on the opinion of experts and, significantly, other retail traders.

Mattias Lundkvist, CTO of the company added:

“A few years back, we realized that every site that recommends brokers in the UK uses the same expert-based system and, thus, has the same recommendations. However, everyone knows that the most useful recommendations are not provided by experts but by peers. That’s why we decided to develop an algorithm that gathers millions of user reviews from the most trusted review platforms. And now, we’re excited to offer the most transparent brokerage comparisons to be found anywhere online”,

More Than Just Recommendations

TradingGuide.co.uk features more than just comparisons of different brokers. The site also offers traders the ability to invest in stocks, cryptocurrencies and forex, amongst a variety of other options. On their website, you can find guides on how to start trading and investing, as well as detailed explanations of popular trading strategies

ROYAL MAIL ROLLS OUT LATEST HIGH-SPEED PARCEL SORTING MACHINE IN MANCHESTER TO MEET ONGOING SHIFT IN DEMAND FOR PARCELS

News

News Desk

-

07/12/2022

0

ROYAL MAIL ROLLS OUT LATEST HIGH-SPEED PARCEL SORTING MACHINE IN MANCHESTER TO MEET ONGOING SHIFT IN DEMAND FOR PARCELS

NEW MANCHESTER PARCEL SORTING MACHINE CAN PROCESS 157,000 PARCELS PER DAY

Royal Mail has installed its latest high-speed parcel sorting machine in Manchester, capable of processing 157,000 parcels per day to help meet the shift in consumer demand for parcels and next-day delivery.

With parcel deliveries now representing almost £6 in £10 of Royal Mail’s revenue, the new fully automated sorting machine at Manchester Mail Centre will support the company’s ongoing transformation into even more of a parcels-led business.

An intelligent system of conveyor belts and scanning technology enables the machine to sort a variety of parcel shapes and sizes weighing up to 3kg for onward despatch to local delivery offices across Manchester and beyond.

Royal Mail currently sorts more than 22million parcels on average each week by automated means, with a total of 36 parcel sorting machines operating across the UK network.

With domestic parcel volumes up more than 30% compared to pre-pandemic levels, these machines strengthen Royal Mail’s drive to increase automation and operational efficiency across its business.

Grant McPherson, Chief Operating Officer, Royal Mail, said: “Customers want more parcels, delivered the next day – including Sundays. We are investing in the latest technology to ensure we can meet this demand as we modernise our business. Our new parcel sorting machine in Manchester will help drive growth as we transform into an even more parcels-focused business.”

Royal Mail is aiming to reach 70% parcel automation by 2022-23 and the industry standard of 90% parcel automation by 2023-24.

In June, Royal Mail opened its huge new North West Super Hub in Warrington which can process more than 800,000 parcels a day. Its Midlands Super Hub, based in Northampton, is on track to open in Summer 2023 and when operational, will be able to process more than one million items per day.

FINANCIAL FORECASTING A ‘PIVOTAL’ TOOL TO FUTUREPROOF BUSINESSES

News Desk

-

07/12/2022

0

FINANCIAL FORECASTING A ‘PIVOTAL’ TOOL TO FUTUREPROOF BUSINESSES

Business owners are being urged to protect their companies from the economic uncertainty, cost-of-living crisis and recession by keeping on top of their finances through robust forecasting.

Accurate forecasting plays a pivotal role in futureproofing firms wherever they sit in the business life cycle, says HURST’s Jo Gibson.

Jo heads the specialist digital team at Manchester-based accounting and business advisory firm HURST. The team helps companies to improve their performance and efficiency by making the most of technology.

Throughout the pandemic, HURST Digital advised a range of businesses on financial forecasting, by producing reports for them or helping them to implement digital systems so they could generate these themselves.

The number of HURST specialists working on these projects doubled as demand soared, and has continued to grow through external recruitment and internal moves to bolster the team.

Jo said: “Our forecasting projects give companies real-time information in easy-to-understand formats, and it’s become clear that having accurate cash forecasts is vital for companies to navigate their way through uncertain times. They help them monitor their cashflow, as well as assisting with scenario planning and stock management and anticipating customer demand.

“Whilst COVID is in the rear-view mirror, businesses are continuing to face ongoing uncertainty.

“It’s imperative that they implement forecasting policies and review them regularly so they can adapt to changing circumstances as they arise, and can swiftly pivot to alter their plans in response where necessary.”

She added: “Throughout COVID, we saw that clients who had forecasting embedded within their core business strategy tended to fare better than those taking each month as it came. They were able to look forward to what was on the horizon and model various scenarios to ensure they were able to react to whatever came their way.

“Many businesses shy away from forecasting, as it is often time consuming, difficult to do, has lots of uncertainties and quickly becomes out of date if not maintained as part of the regular financial control.

“However, advances in forecasting technology in recent years, and the growth of cloud accounting solutions, means these issues belong in the past.

“Most forecasting solutions available today integrate with cloud-based accounting systems and use sophisticated data analytics to do much of the ‘heavy lifting’. It is now easier than ever to have a robust forecasting and cashflow model in place, real-time, all the time.

“A lot of the software solutions available also have integrated features for credit control, access to funding and embedded management reporting, so there are significant additional benefits to help business owners.”

Jo added: “With 40 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses experiencing negative cash generation for several months of the year, it is more important now than ever before that they are on top of their finances.

“For start-ups, cash is typically short, and they need to spend it wisely to generate the best return. Forecasting allows them to look forward and plan for the next recruit or investment in equipment, whilst making sure that they stay afloat. Lenders will also want to understand their current position, in addition to what the future looks like, to make their decisions.

“Many businesses are going through unprecedented periods of growth, which can cause cashflow restraints if the investment in working capital is not carefully managed.

“Forecasting is also integral to the exit planning process. Good quality, accurate management information is essential for any business preparing for a sale, not just for due diligence purposes but also so that they can understand what the future looks like. Having a robust forecasting model which demonstrates the company’s ability to deliver on its promises is a key value driver.”

How to Launch eSports Business and Succeed

Blog

Danielle Trigg

-

07/12/2022

0

How to Launch eSports Business and Succeed

Many people are interested in esports as a fast-growing phenomenon, seeking to increase capital and occupy a profitable cell in a niche. The rapid growth of this industry inspires many to create their own business or cyber team.

Where to Start

To start a business, you must have a profitable idea and the necessary resources. If you have an idea that you think will be successful, there are a few basics you need to know to get started:

Become a member of the esports community;
Explore a niche;
Calculate your budget to get started;
Choose a specialization;
Consider a development plan.

Coming up with ideas and plans is not difficult, especially if you have a passion for esports and have already gained some knowledge about the industry.

eSports Market Research

In order to transform a lot of ideas into a successful and profitable business, it is necessary to conduct research. Before you start, you need to make sure an idea is profitable. The future of esports betting looks quite promising.

Today there are a large number of successful gambling resources: Live online casino UK, poker rooms, lotteries, bingo, etc. Today’s esports industry is rapidly growing, and more and more users are starting to bet.

Start your research with:

Comparison of similar services in other industries;
Identifying and studying your competitors;
Analysis of players and their expectations;
Communication with potential users to confirm interest.

What Type of eSports Business to Launch

It’s so important to decide on the direction, which will be the main at the initial stage and will be for you the foundation for the development of your business. For example, your esports can be: an esports team, a marketing service focused on esports games, a club for players, an esports association, game product development, a service that sells products for gamers, and much more.

Make Business Plan

Before launching an esports business, you need a business plan to help you implement your idea. Researching the niche and developing financial forecasts are esports business development’s first and most important steps. Carefully consider your budget, create a profit and expense forecast, and draw up a balance sheet. Every business starts with research and planning.

The main purpose of creating a business plan is to learn about things you may have yet to learn or think of. Therefore, the business plan should include forecasts, risks, uniqueness, and opportunity for your business.

Try to Look for Non-Standard Solutions

One of the main goals of a business is to be at least one step ahead of its competitors. To be successful, you need to come up with something that needs to be revised. The gaming community wants originality and uniqueness, like all customers. In the esports industry, your ability to immerse yourself in a topic is essential. Creative ideas and solutions are the keys to a profitable business.

OCU GROUP ACQUIRES ANDREWS ASSOCIATES

Acquisitions

News Desk

-

07/12/2022

0

OCU Group Limited (“OCU”), is delighted to announce the acquisition of Andrews Associates today; the 7^th of December 2022.

Surrey based Andrews Associates has a long and highly respected history of providing high quality power systems design and engineering services across the UK’s transmission, distribution, and renewable energy markets.

The acquisition expands OCU’s existing in-house Power systems design capabilities, supporting OCU’s growth strategy of continuing to expand into non-regulated energy and power markets to include Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS), Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Networks and Private Wire Connections, all as part of our wider ambition to contribute to the UK’s energy transition. This initiative is being led by Vince Bowler, Managing Director of OCU’s Instalcom division, and our recently appointed Senior Operations Director for Power & Energy, Liam O’Sullivan, who brings to OCU a wealth of experience in HV network design and construction from his time at UK Power Networks, where he spearheaded major projects design and delivery, such as the Olympic Games network infrastructure programme.

Vince Bowler, Managing Director of Instalcom, commented;

“We are delighted to welcome Andrews Associates into the OCU family as we look to further grow the business in line with our Group strategy. This acquisition represents another significant step in our ambition to become a leader in the provision of Intelligent Engineering for the design, procurement, and construction of Power systems to reinforce and maintain the UK’s Critical Network Infrastructure. We look forward to working with the Andrews Associates management team to ensure a smooth transition and transfer of operations”

Richard Nosek, Managing Director of Andrews Associates, commented;

“Andrews Associates is pleased to become part of the OCU Group; it is the ideal acquiror, given it shares our vision of a flexible, professional and customer-focused service”

Michael Hughes, Chief Executive Officer of OCU Group, added;

“Today’s acquisition of Andrews Associates expands our business capabilities and further reinforces our presence in London and Southern England. The expertise and experience that Andrews Associates brings is a welcome addition to our portfolio and will prove highly complementary to our existing operations and long-term expansion plans in the Power sector”

Cheadle school scoops £25,000 in Manchester Airport’s Eco-Garden competition’

News Desk

-

07/12/2022

0

Cheadle school scoops £25,000 in Manchester Airport’s Eco-Garden competition’

Cheadle Catholic Infant & Junior School were yesterday announced as winners of the top prize in a competition to mark 25 years of Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund.

The pupils’ presentation captured the imagination of a panel of judges, including trustees from the airport’s Community Trust Fund and a representative from event partners GARDENA. They have secured a £25,000 grant for a new eco-friendly outdoor learning space in a disused area of their school campus.

The Stockport-based school will use the funding to create a sustainable community allotment, growing produce that will then be used in cooking classes, a ‘forest school’ designed to attract native plants and wildlife, and an open-air classroom complete with a weather station that will be used in science and geography sessions.

Of the five other finalist schools, Newall Green Primary School, in Wythenshawe, and Brooklands Primary School, in Trafford, claimed the 2^nd and 3^rd place prizes of £10,000 and £5,000 respectively.

The competition was announced back in September to celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of the airport’s Community Trust Fund. It was conceived as a way of promoting environmental awareness among today’s pupils whilst also creating a lasting legacy for generations to come.

Primary schools within a 10-mile radius of the airport – an area which covers parts of Trafford, Manchester, Stockport, Tameside and Cheshire – were invited to submit a proposal for outlining how they would spend the funds on an ‘eco-garden’, designed to act as a learning aid and to promote environmental awareness among pupils.

A total of 22 schools applied, with pupils producing a video explaining their plans. These were whittled down to six finalists, who were invited to pitch their proposals earlier today at a grand final in the Runway Visitor Park’s Concorde hangar.

The other three finalists to present – Peover Superior Endowed Primary School and Bexton Primary School, both in Cheshire, and Lum Head Primary School in Stockport – did not go away empty-handed; GARDENA provided them each with a bundle of gardening tools and equipment to help them bring their green spaces to life.

Pupils also had the opportunity to explore the popular Runway Visitor Park, where the event was being held, including a tour of the Concorde and a visit to the viewing platform to see planes taking off and landing at close quarters.

Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director at Manchester Airport, said: “I’d like to congratulate Cheadle Catholic Infant & Junior School on their magnificent achievement in winning this competition. Their design was brilliant, innovative and will have a real legacy for generations of pupils to come. The overall standard of the entries was very high and our judges had a really tough time choosing between them.

“It is fantastic that we’ve been able to engage so many pupils in 22 different schools across our catchment area and encouraged them to think about the importance of sustainability and protecting the environment. It is a fitting way to mark 25 years of the Community Trust Fund, which has made, and continues to make, a hugely positive difference in our neighbouring communities.”

Sarah Bentham, UK Marketing Manager at GARDENA, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund as an event partner for its eco-garden competition.

“At GARDENA, we understand the importance of getting children into the great outdoors and learning about the benefits of gardening and creating green spaces, so it made perfect sense for us to team up with the airport group.

“Through this, we have been able to enable the school pupils at Cheadle Catholic Infant & Junior School to secure their new eco-friendly outdoor learning space, as well as offering the finalists bundles of our gardening tools. We are confident that these prizes will be invaluable in their outdoor education, and we are really proud to have been part of this initiative.”

Rachel Fender, Headteacher at Cheadle Catholic Infant & Junior School, said: “We are so proud of the children. They spoke passionately about their plans and winning this competition will open up so many opportunities for them. They really hooked onto the concept of legacy and what this would mean for future generations of pupils.”

All finalists were offered a visit from a mentor to help pupils rehearse their pitch, and Manchester City Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Environment and Transport, visited Newall Green Primary School. She added: “Congratulations to Newall Green Primary School on winning £10,000 in the Manchester Airport Eco Garden competition.

“It was great to meet the pupils and teachers last week and help the school prepare for their pitch. Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund is a great way to raise the awareness to young people on the importance of protecting the environment and encouraging biodiversity. I cannot wait to see their project come to life.”

The Community Trust Fund is overseen by the airport and managed by a committee of independent trustees, including airport colleagues and local councillors. It was established as part of the terms for the construction of the airport’s second runway in 1997, under a Section 106 agreement with local authorities.

The airport contributes £100,000 per year to the fund and trustees meet on a quarterly basis to consider pledges up to £3,000, with applications welcomed from community groups or charities based within 10 miles of the airport.

Information on how to apply for a Community Trust Fund grant, and the full criteria, can be found here.

BGN launches new Slumberdown site

Digital

News Desk

-

07/12/2022

0

BGN – the Manchester-based brand-led design and digital agency – has designed and developed a brand-new e-commerce website for Slumberdown. BGN was appointed following a competitive pitch that was coordinated by The Go! Network.

Slumberdown is one of the UK’s leading filled bedding manufacturers and is part of the John Cotton Group which is a family-owned and run business that was established in 1916 and is based in West Yorkshire. The Group is renowned for developing innovative fibre solutions and has established itself as pioneers in technology that is used in its range of pillows, duvets, protectors and toppers.

The core messaging of the new site is around positioning Slumberdown as the UK’s leading sleep experts and as champions of better sleep for everyone/ every body. A big focus has been placed on educating consumers to the fact that better bedding leads to a better night’s sleep. Whilst the new Sleep Lab section contains tailored value content that includes bespoke sleep themed playlists, articles on how to improve your sleep and information about the technical aspects of bedding.

The new look site is a light and airy, almost dreamlike land, with soft clouds, subtle gradients and a carefully curated colour palette. That aesthetic is complimented by gentle movement that adds a level of polish without appearing too distracting.

The e-commerce element, which uses the WooCommerce platform, is all about improving the customer buying journey and increasing direct sales.

Dave Newton, creative director at BGN, said: “The main aim of this project was to perfectly align the Slumberdown website with the brand and the new packaging that has been created. We are pleased with the result and think it will help to further define the brand in the minds of consumers.”

Anjna Mistry, senior marketing manager at Slumberdown, said: “BGN has done a fantastic job with the new site. Its e-commerce capabilities will add commercial value whilst the design and content now perfectly reflect what we stand for and how we help our customers in their quest for the ultimate night’s sleep.”

Knutsford-based SpectrumX adds financial controller to management team

News Desk

-

07/12/2022

0

Knutsford-based SpectrumX adds financial controller to management team

Damien Hancox, CEO, describes hire of life sciences sector finance and accounting expert as an important addition, as the Company grows its commercial offerings

SpectrumX, a Knutsford, UK-based healthcare and pharmaceutical company, today announces the appointment of Scott Grant as financial controller. Grant joins SpectrumX’s finance team – led by CFO Barry Saint – at a significant time for the Company, as it grows its commercial offerings and presence across the UK and continental Europe.

Grant will manage financial reporting and control activities for SpectrumX. Grant brings top-grade experience in the life sciences sector, focused on financial reporting, risk management and assurance, gained in the industry with a FTSE-100 listed group and as a practitioner at a Big 4 firm.

Most recently, he worked as lead finance business partner, and previously as financial controller, at Johnson Matthey, where he worked across the life science and technology business. He was also a senior associate at PwC, with a focus on biotech, for both listed and private entities. He holds a first-class honours degree in accounting and finance from the University of Hertfordshire and he is an ACA Charterholder.

Damien Hancox, CEO of SpectrumX, said: “We are delighted to have Scott join our team. With his sector-specific knowledge and audit background, he will be a key addition as we expand our commercial offerings and prepare for the next stage of our growth.”

Barry Saint, CFO of SpectrumX, said: “Scott joins our growing business at an exciting time in its development. I am pleased to welcome him to the team. He brings a wealth of expertise, and I am certain that he will make a significant contribution to Company’s ongoing success.”

Newly opened student home displays stunning attention to quality, detail and design

Property

News Desk

-

07/12/2022

0

Newly opened student home displays stunning attention to quality, detail and design

A strikingly designed, high-quality student residence opened recently in Manchester on schedule and in time for the new University year. Developed by Alumno, the development is unique in its appearance and architecture, and makes active contributions to the community, heritage, regeneration and arts scene in its locality. It also provides much-needed accommodation for students in Manchester, freeing up housing for local residents.

Named after the disused public house that previously occupied the site, the nine-storey Church Inn building in Manchester was designed by Carson & Partners and built by GMI Construction Group. Located close to major arterial road The Mancunian Way, it features 62 studio apartments, along with a communal area, rooftop terrace, office and storage space for 16 bikes. External landscaping highlights the history of the site, with the reclaimed facade bricks used to create a bespoke seating area.

Architect Iain Carson has created an iconic building, instantly recognisable with its name carved into the balustrade surrounding the rooftop. Ben Kelly, the legendary Hacienda designer, has added his own touch with the wooden slats on the ground floor, where there is also a nod to the Manchester’s musical history, with an oval window reminiscent of a speaker in an old-school sound system.

This is also reflected in the artwork in the communal areas on each floor, with portraits by Chris Floyd, including Sean Ryder (Happy Mondays), New Order and Oasis. Again, the work of finalists from the Photo North competition are on display. Meanwhile, signage from the old Church Inn pub is displayed at the entrance, and there’s even a model of the original pub building in the foyer.

Bespoke furniture in the development has been provided by David Tatham of Tatham Studio. Attention to detail picks out the orange in the Church Inn on the furniture, which is followed through on the wayfinding and interior design.

Commenting on the completed development, Alumno Managing Director David Campbell said: “We are delighted with this latest example of our design-led student accommodation philosophy of delivering exceptional quality and functionality for our residents. It’s all part of our mission to change the perception of student accommodation by creating unique buildings that reflect the heritage of the local areas and make a valuable contribution to the communities within which they are built.”

Where to Start

eSports Market Research

What Type of eSports Business to Launch

Make Business Plan

Try to Look for Non-Standard Solutions

About us

Company

Must Read

Subscribe to our newsletter