Vet conference move brings £110m boost

MANCHESTER can expect a £110m economic boost when organisers of Europe’s largest vets conference move its event to the city for the first time.

The three-year deal will see The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) hold its conference in Manchester from 2021.

The bid, which Manchester Central secured in partnership with Marketing Manchester, will bring up to 10,000 delegates to the city for five days of lectures, practical sessions and abstract presentations. The event is estimated to be worth around £110m to the city’s local economy over the three-year period.

The BSAVA Congress has been held at the ICC Birmingham for almost 30 years, with the organisers electing to move to Manchester to meet the evolving needs of delegates.

Angharad Belcher, head of BSAVA Congress, said: “It’s time to move BSAVA Congress forward and revitalise the offering to our delegates and exhibitors. The move enables us to invest even more in speakers and delegate experiences, to make BSAVA’s education programme unsurpassable.”

Sheona Southern, managing director at Marketing Manchester, said: “Attracting a conference of such size and prestige from another UK city is testament to the hard work of Manchester Central and Marketing Manchester, who came together to sell the city’s strengths and key assets.”