General Information

A full range of audiovisual equipment may be hired for the duration of the show from Blitz Communications, which is the preferred Manchester Central supplier. A price list and order form may be found here.

To further discuss your requirements or for more information please telephone 0161827 8759  or alternatively email:  tbailey@blitzcommunications.co.uk.   For more information on the services available from Blitz Communications, please visit www.blitzcommunications.co.uk

Please remember that sound must be kept to a reasonable level and that if you intend to play live or pre-recorded music you will need to obtain the relevant entertainment licence. (see ‘music/entertainment’).

All personnel (exhibitors and contractors) will be required to wear a Northern Restaurant & Bar 2012 security pass in order to obtain access to the halls during build-up, the show open period and breakdown.

Exhibitors - click here to order your badges.
Badge Queries: 01457 866720 or email marketing@northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk

Contractors
All contractors will be registered and given wrist bands for identification on arrival at Manchester Central.

Vehicle Passes
Vehicle documentation will be issued by the traffic officers on arrival at Manchester Central. Please note: There is no requirement for documentation to be completed prior to arrival at Manchester Central for contractors or vehicles.

Lighter than air balloons are not permitted within the exhibition halls.

Please note that breakdown will commence at the discretion of the Organisers and the Manchester Central duty manager. In any case, this will not happen before 1730hrs on Tuesday 13 March  (i.e. 30 minutes after the show closes) and under no circumstances until all visitors have left the hall.

Please note that any exhibitors leaving the building via the fire exits or loading doors will not be permitted re-entry until after breakdown has commenced.  Entry to the exhibition via the main entrance will be prohibited between show closure and breakdown announcement.

Strict traffic marshalling and access procedures will be in force and full instructions will be distributed in the on-site packs.

Any exhibits, stand equipment, fixtures and fittings left in the hall after 2200hrs on Tuesday 13 March will be discarded and any removal costs passed to the relevant exhibitor.

The Exhibition Hall at Manchester Central is uncarpetted. Shell scheme stands are supplied with charcoal grey cord carpet. Floor coverings on space only sites may be affixed directly to the hall floor using approved tapes (Sellotape Double Grip 4415 and Stikatak B7 exhibition tape). (See Stand Construction section: ‘carpet’ and ‘dilapidation charges’). 

A range of floor coverings are available from Blakex.  Please call Sally Hampton 01527 502477 or email:  orders@eventspecialistsltd.co.uk for further information.

Please note that all stand services are supplied from the ducting in the hall floor. To this end, exhibitors may wish to provide a platform for the effective ‘hiding’ of any pipes and wires. Platforms may be hired from Blakex by using the Shell Scheme Optional Extras order form.

Catering equipment is available to hire from Thorns Group.  To view the catering equipment range available click here.

For further information and to discuss your requirements please contact:

Sally Fisher on 0161 788 9064 or email:  sallyf@thorns.co.uk

The Manchester Central in-house caterer is Manchester Central  Hospitality and to place your order please see the order form in the ‘forms & downloads’ section.

Please note: Exhibitors are not permitted to bring food or drink purchased off the premises into the halls (except exhibitors’ own products for sampling).

Any Exhibitor wishing to use another catering company or to run any form of catering operation themselves, other than product sampling (see ‘sampling’) must make an application in writing to Manchester Central Hospitality.  In the first instance, please contact Lindsey Hanford on 07779 903789 or email lindsey.hanford@northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk. Exhibitors are advised that such arrangements will incur a fee.

Under no circumstances will individuals under the age of 16 be allowed into the exhibition hall during the build-up and breakdown periods. All visitors to the show must be 18 years or over (exceptions will be made for children under the age of 3 who are restrained within a pushchair or pram).

The stands, aisles and common areas will be cleaned overnight preceding each show open day.  Exhibitors with lockable areas on their stands should deposit a key clearly marked with their stand name and number at the Organisers' Office if this area is to be cleaned.

If you have any specific or specialist cleaning requirements, please contact the Manchester Central Operations Department on 0161 834 2700.  

All exhibitors cooking and/or reheating foods in any form on their stands must read the 'Health & Safety’ section of this manual and ensure that they comply with all necessary regulations, which includes the submission of a full risk assessment to the Organisers. Additionally, a Food Handling Certificate and proof of Employers Liability Insurance with a disclaimer against illness, injury and death should be available whilst on-site.

Any exhibitor cooking on stands must advise the Organisers by completing the ’Stand Activity’ form.

No third party deliveries will be accepted until after 8am on Saturday 10 March 2012.

 If you need to have something delivered to your stand using a courier or third party, please ensure the following:

	That a representative of your company is on-site to receive and sign for the delivery.  The Organisers are unable to accept responsibility for any goods delivered to unstaffed stands and regret that we have no storage facilities available.
	That the delivery company/courier has the necessary lifting equipment to unload your consignment (eg. Forklift for palletised product)  The Organisers will not be responsible for off-loading nor transporting items to the stand and do not have any trolleys available.
	That your packages/consignments are addressed as follows:             Contact Name Exhibitor’s Company Name, Stand Number Northern Restaurant & Bar Manchester Central Convention Complex Petersfield Manchester, M2 3GX
	That deliveries are only made during the hall open hours (but not show open hours) - please see ‘Timetable’.

Exhibitors will be charged for the cost of making good, restoring or renewing any damage to the hall or stand site (marks by paint and adhesive tapes etc).

Exhibitors should be aware that they have obligations under the Disability & Equality Act 2010 becausewithin the context of this Act, exhibitors are considered to be 'Service Providers'. Exhibitors must ensure that when designing or planning their stand they follow the 3 principal duties:

• Access to exhibits must be available to all visitors
• Double deck stands must replicate facilities or exhibits on both levels of the stand (this could be in the form of detailed literature and visuals or video footage.)
• Platform floors must have ramps.
• Doors must be wide enough for wheelchair access (750mm) and have vision panels.
• Wheelchair users can only reach 1.4m. Therefore low level counters (760mm) or lap trays should be used.   Alternatively, staff can assist but this should be clearly signposted.
• Information and literature should be printed clearly and available in alternative formats such as enlarged, tactile or audio.
• Presentations should have transcripts or subtitles, be well lit and have access for wheelchairs.
• Signage must be positioned where it is visible to all visitors and a minimum of 16 point text.
• Staff should be briefed on their responsibilities and trained to assist disabled visitors.
• If it is ‘unreasonable’ to provide access for disabled visitors, alternative access could be in the form of detailed literature and visuals or video footage.

All business including the dispensing of literature and promotional material must be conducted from your stand.  Exhibitors or their representatives are forbidden to hand out leaflets, product samples etc, at the entrance to the event, in the gangways or in any part of the exhibition hall.    

Emergency procedures for Manchester Central can be found in the ‘forms & downloads’ section and will also be distributed to all exhibitors before the show opens, via a stand drop. 

Please ensure that all your stand personnel are aware of these procedures. (see Health & Safety section: ‘emergency procedures & evacuation’)

Any exhibitor wishing to arrange catering for private hospitality functions should contact Claire Mulroy on 0161 834 2700 ext 2223.

There is a first aid centre which will be manned during the build-up, open and breakdown periods. It is situated half way down the hall on the right hand side and can be contacted on 0161 834 2700 ext 2211 or mobile 07527 254221.

Assistance may also be obtained via any member of the Northern Restaurant & Bar team, Security staff or the Organisers' Office.

In a first aid emergency, where an ambulance is considered necessary, a telephone call should be made directly to the Central Control Room on 0161 834 2700 ext 2206.

The official furniture contractor is Thorns Group.   To view a range of furniture available click here.

For further information or to place an order please contact Sally Fisher on 0161 788 9064 or email: sallyf@thorns.co.uk

Gangways must remain clear at all times including build-up and breakdown.  Exhibits and stand-fitting, including doors or windows that open, must not project into the gangways.

The installation of a temporary mains gas supply is prohibited at Manchester Central. (see ‘liquid petroleum gas’).

There are no glass washing facilities available within the hall.

Graphics will not be permitted if affixed to towers and walls that overlook other stands where the logo/message is considered by the Organisers to intrude on the neighbouring stand.

Ice is provided free of charge and will be available for collection by exhibitors. Exhibitors will be advised of collection points in the on-site welcome pack. Exhibitors must provide their own ice buckets and wine coolers.

Manchester Central has a facility for wi-fi connection to the internet.  These connections can only be purchased on-site through the Manchester Central WiFi Portal using a credit/debit card. The following table outlines the time plans that can be purchased:

* The 15 minutes free tariff does not allow the user to log on and off. 

It is recommended by the venue that Exhibitors requiring an internet connection on their stand for checking emails, web browsing, demonstrating product etc are advised to purchase a more advanced connection,  which would give a more dedicated bandwidth with increased download speeds. This type of connection is charged per event and can be pre-ordered using the Internet Connection Form (Click Here or see the 'forms & downloads' section), to avoid any delays before the event opens.

As an alternative, exhibitors may prefer to purchase a 'mobile broadband dongle' from any mobile telephone retailer.  At point of purchase please check coverage by quoting the venue's postcode:       M2 3GX.

All exhibits, articles and other property brought into the exhibition hall by an exhibitor, his agents and/or his contractors shall be at the sole risk of the exhibitor or contractor. The Organisers will not be responsible for any loss, damage or destruction occasioned thereto by any cause whatsoever. The Organisers will not be liable for any loss, delay, damage, costs, expenses or monies in respect of the postponing, abandoning, cancelling, transforming or curtailing of Northern Restaurant & Bar for any reason. Any losses, damages and insurance claims need to be reported, in writing, to the Manchester Central security office or the police within 24hrs.

For further information please refer to the terms and conditions of your Contract for Stand Space.

Late working cannot be guaranteed, but if granted will incur additional costs.  We are unable to invoice for late working, and to this end cash or cheque will be the only payment method accepted on-site.

Requests for late working made on-site must be received by the Organisers before 1400hrs on the day in question.

The use of LPG is permitted at Manchester Central for the demonstration of an appliance and/or for cooking on stands.  Please note the use of Propane gas is prohibited. 

Any exhibitor who wishes to use bottled gas on-site should apply for approval by contacting Lindsey Hanford on 07779 903789 or email:  lindsey.hanford@northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk.

Any use of bottled gas that is approved will require on-site connection and certification by a CORGI registered fitter (the approximate cost is £120 and will be re-charged to the exhibitor) together with a full risk assessment.

All necessary maintenance and re-stocking of stands should be carried out each morning between 0800hrs and 0930hrs as it is not possible to do this during the open hours.

Please Note:  If you need deliveries to be made from outside the building (e.g. regular deliveries of product) you must contact Lindsey Hanford on 07779 903789 who can make the necessary arrangements.

If you intend to play pre-recorded music on your stand you need both Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) and Performing Rights Society (PRS) licences even if you have a TV licence; Local Authority entertainment licence or Video Performance Ltd licence.

If you intend to have live music performed on your stand, you need a Performing Rights Society (PRS) licence only.

These organisations are liable to check for valid licences during the show and you are thereforev advised to arrange for the necessary paperwork to be raised as soon as possible, by contacting the following:

PRS:     Berners Street, London, W1P 4AA   Tel: 020 7306 4504
VPL:     1 Upper James Street, London, W1F 9DE Tel: 020 7534 1400
PPL:      Contact Lindsey Hanford - tel: 07779 903789 or email lindsey.hanford@northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk

In the event of an exhibitor not being in possession of a correct licence, both the PPL and PRS will charge the Organisers directly. This charge will then be passed to the relevant exhibitor.

Please ensure that music and commentary for demonstrations, videos, presentations etc, are kept at a level which will not interfere with neighbouring stands.

Please note that candles and other naked flames are only permitted if an integral part of the product on display.  In these cases, a full risk assessment must be completed and submitted to the Organisers.   

No noisy work or work producing objectionable odours will be permitted during the open hours of the exhibition.

The Organisers' Office is situated to the right of the main entrance and will be open from 0800 hrs on Saturday 10 March to 2200hrs on Tuesday 13 March (hall open hours only).  The telephone number for the office is 07779 903 789.

Whilst the exhibition is open to visitors, the public address system must be used solely for Organisers’, Police and Security announcements.  Unfortunately, this precludes its use for exhibitors’ or visitors’ messages.

It is prohibited to store empty packing cases on or behind exhibition stands and in the secure storage area.  To this end, all empty packing cases must be removed from the venue prior to the show opening on Monday 12 March. 

Manchester Central is served by two large car parks:

Undercroft which is open 24hrs per day, 7 days per week and accessed via Lower Mosley Street.  Height restriction of 6’ 9”.
 
Upper Level which is open from 0730 hrs - 2100 hrs, 7 days per week and accessed via Albion Street (Trafford Street).  Height restriction of 6’ 10”.

Exhibitors can obtain special Car Park vouchers for the Undercroft Car Park at a reduced rate of £12.00 per day (incl VAT) for the build up, breakdown and open days of the events. Tickets must be purchased before the deadline date of 10th February 2012 using the application form (click here) and paid for in advance

Commercial vehicles cannot be accommodated on-site during the show’s open period but nearby facilities are available at NCP Owen Street.  See maps in the ‘forms & downloads’ section of this manual.

Please note that neither the organisers nor Manchester Central have any jurisdiction over the on site car parks which are owned and fully managed by National Car Parks (NCP),

The official supplier of refrigerated units is Lowe Refrigeration.  To view the range available for hire click here and for price details and order form click here.

For further information and to discuss your requirements please telephone Rosemary or Ian on 02892 604619 or email: rosemary@loweref.co.uk.

All rigging must be undertaken by Manchester Central’s official contractor - Outback Rigging.  

Outback Rigging's Information Sheetand Price List/Order Form may be found here.

For further information please contact Mark Oakley on 0121 781 0272 or email: markoakley@outbackrigging.com

Risk assessments are a statutory requirement within the workplace.  Please ensure that you or your contractor submits a risk assessment if you, your stand and/or its associated activities fall into one of the following categories:  cooking or reheating of food; serving of alcohol; moving features and equipment demonstrations; products that are formed using bottled gas, naked flames, sharp implements; anything that may be considered hazardous to visitors and/or exhibitors.

All risk assessments and method statements should be emailed to:  lindsey.hanford@northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk

Please contact Lindsey Hanford on 07779 903789 if you require any assistance with the completion of this documentation.

Bottle banks for the recycling of empty glass containers and bins for the disposal of food are available at the back of the hall and accessible throughout the day.  All other rubbish should be left in the aisles during build-up and at close of show on Monday 12 March for collection by the on-site cleaners.

If you intend to sell food or drink from your stand then you must comply with the following regulations:

The Northern Restaurant & Bar sales team will be onsite from Saturday 10 March 2012 and may be contacted via the Organisers' Office.

The offering of product samples (food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink) is permitted at Northern Restaurant & Bar under the following conditions:

Please note that any exhibitor found to be in breach of the sampling rules and regulations (and who has not applied and paid for the above exemption by the due date) during Northern Restaurant &  Bar will be subject to a £250 (plus VAT) per day fine which will be payable before the end of the close of show on Tuesday 13 March 2012

3fl oz (85ml) plastic sampling cups are available at a charge of £2.50 per sleeve from the Organisers, while stocks last.

Please note:  The organisers only have a limited supply of cups and exhibitors are advised to make their own arrangements if it is anticipated that a large supply will be required for the duration of the show.

The Organisers will take all reasonable security precautions during the build-up, open and breakdown periods. However, exhibitors are advised that they should take sensible steps to protect their property. It is worth considering using a night sheet to protect your stand and also to remove or lock away valuable items overnight or when unattended.

Any precautions you take are in your best interest as neither Holden Media, Manchester Central nor any appointed contractors are responsible for any loss or damage to any goods at any time during the exhibition. It is essential that you report any loss sustained from your stand to the Security/Organisers' Office immediately.

To help ensure effective security at the show, please follow these guidelines:

	Delegate one member of your stand personnel to be responsible for your company’s safety and security at the exhibition. Do not leave cash, handbags, phones, valuables etc. in drawers, cupboards or on open exhibits on your stand. Do not leave wallets in unattended clothing.
	Check all lockable desks and cupboards before leaving your stand.
	Please note that build-up and breakdown days are high risk periods.
	You are recommended to work in pairs so that the stand is manned at all times.
	On show open days make sure your stand is manned prior to the official opening time and do not leave your stand at night before the hall is clear of all visitors.
	Should you have small valuables which you wish to leave on your stand, you are advised to provide yourself with lockable steel cabinets or other safe storage areas.

In line with current legislation, Manchester Central is a non-smoking venue.

Spittoons are not provided by the organisers and exhibitors requiring such facilities are requested to make their own arrangements.

Please note: There are no secure storage facilities at Northern Restaurant & Bar. Please ensure your stand design makes provision for such storage.

Fire regulations prohibit the storage of packaging behind or on stands.  Offending items are liable to be removed without warning by the Fire and Safety Officers. (see ‘lifting’)

This Exhibitor Manual forms part of the Contract for Stand Space’s Terms and Conditions, a copy of which are available on request from the Organisers.

Please note that you may be excluded from occupying your stand if full payment has not been made in accordance with the payment structure as laid down in your Contract for Stand Space.

Full traffic scheduling details will be forwarded to exhibitors/contractors under separate cover.  Please note: All vehicles must enter Manchester Central via the vehicle ramp off Albion Street.
   
The police strictly enforce all parking restrictions in the roads around Manchester Central, most of which have yellow lines and others residents’ parking only.
   
Once vehicles are unloaded they MUST be removed to allow further traffic onto the bays.
   
Vehicles should be parked up at one of the surrounding lorry or car parks.  See the maps in the 'forms and downloads' section of this manual.
Please note: The Police will remove any vehicles that do not comply with these procedures and restrictions.

All vehicles unloading/loading during the build up and breakdown periods must register at the traffic barrier on arrival at Manchester Central, when all documentation will be completed. 

Please note:  parking is not permitted within the Manchester Central complex.  Once offloaded/loaded, all vehicles must be removed (see ‘parking’)

Exhibitors wishing to play music videos must apply for a licence by contacting Video Performance Limited on 020 7534 1400.

Any exhibitors requiring water and waste facilities should contact Ian Ellis of Meville Exhibition Services on 0121 780 0477 or complete the Piped Services Order Form. 

Please Note: All food and drink exhibitors are required by law to have appropriate water and waste facilities on their stands.  (Please see Health & Safety section: ‘food & drink information’.)