Strong demand for Airport City Manchester’s China road show from wide range of industry sectors

Posted on 11 June 2014 · Posted in News

Over 50 companies, from sectors including aviation, finance, legal and technology have registered interest to attend Airport City Manchester’s first international road show, which comes to Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen between 9th – 13th June 2014.

The China road show, which will be the first of a series of international road shows for Airport City Manchester, has created incredible demand from potential occupiers wishing to learn more about opportunities available for expanding their business into the UK and Manchester.  The Airport City development is one of the key projects at Manchester Enterprise Zone, one of the largest investment opportunities in the UK.

A key element of the road show will be announcing more in-depth information about Airport City Manchester’s CONNECT service. CONNECT, in essence will be a concierge service that will allow occupiers the chance to easily move and adapt to British life, meaning they can purely focus on doing business without the concerns and hassle of moving their homes and family.

CONNECT will offer help with visas, tax assistance, company registration, plus local issues such as residential advice and tips on the best schools and universities.  It will be a one-stop shop service added onto the lettings process for occupiers and will be tailored to suit the individual’s needs and requirements.

Knut Wiszniewski from Wiedemann Consultants (a company specialised in strategies, feasibility studies and project management for Airport City and Aerotropolis developments) who plans to attend in Beijing said: “We are really looking forward to attending Airport City Manchester’s road show. We’ve read a great deal about it and can see the potential a development of this size could offer international businesses.

“What struck a chord with us is Airport City Manchester’s CONNECT service. A major hurdle for Chinese businesses wanting to re-locate has been all the barriers, which one must get through to make the move. So a scheme like this is the perfect antidote and one that will resonate with many Chinese companies I believe. I’d recommend other corporations and airports to seriously consider attending to learn about all the benefits first hand.”

Sited within a government Enterprise Zone, Airport City Manchester, is a 5m sq ft development project at the UK’s third biggest airport and will transform the area into an international business destination in its own right, by creating a mix of retail, logistics, advanced manufacturing, hotel and office space.

Airport City Manchester will be the core element of the UK Government-designated Enterprise Zone, which is intended to stimulate business growth through the provision of subsidies in the form of business rate discounts, worth up to £275,000, super-fast broadband, simplified planning procedures and the retention of pooled business rates by the Local Authority for a period of at least 25 years.

Outline planning permission for Airport City Manchester was secured at the start of 2013 and DHL was announced as the first occupier in November 2013, taking a 37,308 sq ft bespoke logistics building.