There are very few venues that are as cool as The Concorde Conference Centre. Featuring a Concorde G-BOAC as the star of the show, the conference centre pays homage to this iconic aircraft, which evokes a sense of wonder and nostalgia, and reminds us of all of the groundbreaking achievements in aviation history. Although Concordes retired from commercial operations 20 years ago, the pinnacle of aviation technology can now be visited by any aviation enthusiast. What’s more, the space also serves as a popular event venue, where conferences, product launches, gala dinners, weddings, exhibitions and even intimate concerts are hosted every month.
Located in the Runway Visitor Park, adjacent to the bustling runways of Manchester Airport, The Concorde Conference Centre can be reached by train or car. The Manchester Airport train station is less than 3 miles from the Park and Street Cars taxi booking desks can be found at all terminals and the rail station. You can’t miss seeing this symbol of human determination and ingenuity in person, whether it’s for a day trip or when organising your next event.
Facts, Curiosities and Interesting Things about Concorde Conference Hall
1. The flagship G-BOAC Concorde is only one of the 20 aircraft built in total.
Even though the project was set out to build 100 aircraft, only twenty aircraft were actually built, six for development and 14 for commercial service. The flagship G-BOAC Concorde which is also the focus of The Concorde Conference Hall is only of the production aircraft used by British Airways.
2. The name of the aircraft was intended to reflect the agreement between the two governments.
Given that it was a Franco-British venture, the name of the supersonic airliner reflects the treaty between the British and French governments for the development of the project. The name itself is from the French word concorde, which has an English equivalent, concord, meaning agreement, harmony, or union.
Some prominent figures have journeyed with the Manchester Concorde plane.
Whilst in service, the Concorde plane exhibited in Manchester hosted many celebrities in the likes of Michael Jackson and Phil Collins, as well as Royals, including Princess Diana, The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH Queen Elizabeth II.
What can you do at the Concorde Conference Centre?
The Concorde Conference Centre is the main attraction of the Runway Visitor Park, where you can visit the aircraft and take the Platinum, Classic, Technical and Supersonic Short Tour. The space also offers an incredible backdrop for business meetings and conferences, galas, exhibitions and concerts.
What’s more, inside the RVP you can also go visit a former RAF military spy plane, Nimrod. There’s also a DC-10, Avro RJX and a retro Trident airliner, which reflect what flying was like in the 1960s and 1970s. If you decide to spend the day with your family learning about these fascinating aircraft, you can also pop by the RVP café which offers a wide range of hot and cold drinks, tasty meals and food to grab on the go.
You won’t find many other venues as unique as the Concorde Conference Centre at Manchester Airport. The enormous aircraft takes pride of place inside the hangar and looks as if it is ready to take off at any moment.
And if the world-famous Concorde hanging over your head isn’t enough to impress, you may be happy to know that it has also hosted breathtaking Candlelight concerts celebrating iconic tunes by timeless composers and contemporary artists or magical scores from your favourite films. In fairness, not much sounds better than listening to dazzling renditions of iconic songs in a huge airport hangar while hundreds of flickering candles illuminate the Concorde that hangs above you.