Inaugural Aerotropolis EMEA to Take Place in Manchester

DALLAS, October 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

It was announced earlier today that the inaugural Aerotropolis Europe, Middle East and Africa Conference and Exhibition (AEMEA) will take place in Manchester, UK 8-10 July 2014. Manchester will be hosting Aerotropolis EMEA 2014 in partnership with Airport City Manchester, as part of the International Festival for Business 2014. The announcement was made during the first ever Aerotropolis Americas Conference and Exhibition (AACE), currently taking place in Dallas at the Hyatt Regency DFW hosted by Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

Andrew Stokes, chief executive, Marketing Manchester, said: "Manchester and Airport City Manchester are delighted to be hosting Aerotropolis 2014, as part of the International Festival for Business. This three day Aerotropolis event provides the perfect platform to showcase the opportunity that Airport City will provide for the UK."

Adrian Newton, Group Director, UBM Live, commented: "We are delighted to announce Manchester as our first host of Aerotropolis EMEA. This event will help the city to raise their profile as a globally connected business destination and showcase what will be the UK's first Airport City. UBM is excited to be the driver for this concept through our Aerotropolis and Airport Cities events. We look forward to working with the teams at Manchester and the International Festival for Business to ensure this is a successful and productive event for all involved."

Airports are undergoing a metamorphosis as they increasingly take on the functions of the metropolitan Central Business District (CBD) and are now being recognized as corporate entities in their own right. As an airport city develops outwards from the fence line and the boundaries between airport and its surrounding urban centre or city become blurred, it becomes an integral business and residential district in its own right, termed the "Aerotropolis".

AEMEA is the annual regional event which provides a learning platform for real estate developers and professionals, planners who are active in airport development, economic development agencies, suppliers and solution providers, cargo and logistics operators and freight-forwarders, airport executives and managers, and others interested in development in and around airports.

The Aerotropolis events are borne out of the well regarded Airport Cities Conference & Exhibition which was established over 14 years ago and has been the world leader in driving the airport city concept of airports, establishing a commercial footprint in addition to their aeronautical revenues from airlines. The event recognizes that all parties are key to the establishment and growth of a true Aerotropolis. The event provides an opportunity for these partners to meet, negotiate, learn the latest techniques and case studies and hear from the leaders in their field.

It is fitting that Manchester should host the first ever AEMEA event as the UK's first Airport City will be located at Manchester Airport, which is the UK's third busiest airport. Outline planning permission for Airport City was secured at the start of 2013 and once the £800 million Airport City project is complete it will provide 5m sq ft of development, a mix of offices, hotels, advanced manufacturing, logistics and warehousing as well as potentially creating an additional 16,000 jobs in the North West of England as international businesses are attracted to the area.

The Aerotropolis event will bring together all the key players who can help airports and cities to drive economic growth and commercial development to their regions.

Notes to Editors

About Aerotropolis Americas

• The Aerotropolis EMEA Conference and Exhibition (AEMEA) is the new annual event for the global airport development and real estate communities, designed to complement the Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition (ACE) with a more practical approach and a regional focus.
• During its 12-year journey around the globe, a number of major international airports and pioneers of the Aerotropolis concept have hosted the Airport Cities conference, including Dubai, Detroit, Rome, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Beijing, Dallas, Memphis, Denver, Johannesburg and now Kuala Lumpur.
• The Airport Cities brand was acquired by UBM in 2012 and from 1^st August 2012 Airport Cities Conference and Exhibition, the Aerotropolis events and the Routes and ASM businesses became part of the UBM Live division of UBM plc.
• UBM Live connects people and creates opportunities for companies across five continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products, promote their brands and expand their markets.  Through premiere brands such as MD&M, CPhI, IFSEC, TFM&A, Cruise Shipping Miami, the Concrete Show, the Routes portfolio of events, Aerotropolis Americas, Aerotropolis EMEA and Airport Cities, UBM Live exhibitions, conferences, awards programs, publications, websites and training and certification programs are an integral part of the marketing plans of companies across more than 20 industry sectors. http://www.ubmlive.com

Follow us on Twitter: @AirportCities, @NikiMayYoung

About The International Festival For Business

"The International Festival For Business 2014 will help accelerate global business growth by connecting businesses with the smartest entrepreneurial minds and best opportunities in the world. IFB 2014 will feature over 100 world class events from June to July 2014 in Liverpool, attracting 250,000 visitors from across the globe and bringing £100million worth of investment into the UK economy."

For further details http://www.ifb2014.com