On this week’s podcast, our host, James Dickson, was joined by the CEO of Manchester Central, Shaun Hinds, to discuss the future of sustainability at the tech-advanced venue. With more than 25 years in the hospitality, property and business service sectors, Shaun was appointed CEO in June 2017 after serving in leadership roles at the Association of Event Venues, YourWelcome and the BridgeStreet Global Hospitality. “We’re proud of our heritage but we need to remain relevant and we need to remain contemporary in a very fast-moving world,” Shaun stated when explaining how Manchester Central facilitates the needs of the modern event organiser. The team at Manchester Central commits itself to provide a flawless infrastructure so that clients can deliver unique and top-of-the-range experiences. The team works with specialists and its existing infrastructure to explore that they, as a venue, can offer their clients. Situated among universities, Media City, hotels, stations and retail areas, the venue lends itself well to event organisers looking for their next venue. Drawing Shaun’s attention to the venue’s sustainability focus, James asked what Manchester Central is doing to improve its carbon footprint. Shaun stated that he increasingly sees sustainability being placed in the top three places on clients’ agendas because clients themselves are becoming increasingly conscious of their own environmental impacts. “As a venue, we take it pretty seriously,” Shaun said, explaining the recycling and waste policies the venue has in operation. The venue also has a dedicated team that is responsible for managing the supply chains and audit trails to follow its recycling. If you would like to feature on one of our weekly podcasts, email [email protected].

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.