Manchester Central has announced the appointment of Stephanie Newton as its new commercial director as the iconic venue continues to strengthen its global profile and economic impact.
Newton will officially join the business in June, 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, visits and events sector.
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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.
Lori Hoinkes, CEO at Manchester Central, 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.
