Manchester Central will begin offering free Wi-Fi – with speeds of up five mega bytes per second (Mbps) – to exhibitors, delegates and visitors as of 1 January.

Angie Robinson, Manchester Central’s chief executive, said: “We strive to be the best at what we do. A few venues already offer delegates free Wi-Fi but we are breaking new ground and raising the bar in events and conferencing by also offering it to everyone who comes through our doors.”

Manchester Central, which recently hosted the Labour Party Political Conference, already is fully Wi-Fi compatible but currently only up to a speed of two Mpbs, but investment in new and improved Wi-Fi access points across the venue has significantly improved wireless capacity. Hardwire connections will be the only element paid for by exhibitors.

As reported previously on meetpie.com, The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers' (ABPCO) Conference Cloud campaign, which calls for free Wi-Fi for delegates, was launched in August 2011 and was extended to hotel accommodation this September.

ABPCO chair Michael Foreman added: “We are delighted that Manchester Central has taken this step and that the Conference Cloud continues to gain support across the industry. The fact the campaign has influenced major venues to take such brave strategic decisions is testimony to the importance of this issue.”