pro-manchester
pro-manchester is a 40-year-old, membership-based business growth network serving 390+ corporate members across Greater Manchester through 150+ annual events, a 20,000+ subscriber newsletter, and sector-specific committees covering property, health tech, creative, and finance verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What pro-manchester does
pro-manchester is a membership-based business growth network serving the Greater Manchester region of the United Kingdom, founded in 1986. The organization operates as a company limited by guarantee (not-for-profit) with 11-50 employees, headquartered at Centurion House on Deansgate, Manchester. Its core proposition is facilitating connections between over 390 corporate member companies through an annual programme of more than 150 events attracting 10,000+ delegates, complemented by a weekly newsletter reaching 20,000+ subscribers and a member Newsroom for content publishing.
The organization's revenue model rests on three streams: recurring corporate membership fees (scaled by the number of Greater Manchester-based employees in each member organization), event tickets and registrations (e.g., HealthTech Conference 2026 at £85+VAT for members versus £125+VAT for non-members; Property & Regeneration Lunch at £55+VAT per person), and tiered event sponsorship packages. It operates multiple sector-specific committees (property, health tech, creative, corporate finance, retail, FinTech, racial equity) alongside two sub-brands: the SME Club (free resources for small businesses) and the Newsroom (member content publishing). Technology infrastructure consists of a website platform plus third-party tools (CVENT, Eventbrite, Insightly CRM) — pro-manchester is explicitly not a technology company.
The organization serves a horizontal mix of customers including SMEs, enterprises (e.g., Together, The University of Law), non-profits (e.g., Smart Works Greater Manchester), and creative/marketing firms (e.g., Truth Creative, Mediaworks). Its strategic positioning centers on being the central business community hub for Greater Manchester, now in its 40th year of operation. There is no evidence of external funding, M&A activity, geographic expansion beyond Greater Manchester, or technology investment beyond standard web and event-management tooling.
pro-manchester firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- pro-manchester
- Legal name
- pro-manchester Limited
- Website
- https://pro-manchester.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- pro-manchester is a 40-year-old, membership-based business growth network serving 390+ corporate members across Greater Manchester through 150+ annual events, a 20,000+ subscriber newsletter, and sector-specific committees covering property, health tech, creative, and finance verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
pro-manchester industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Networking & Events
- NAICS
- Business Associations (81391), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Event PR & Communications Support (BPAFADAO)
Keywords
Where pro-manchester is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
pro-manchester business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Corporate Membership Fees: Annual corporate membership fees charged based on the number of employees in the member organization within Greater Manchester. Membership is valid for one year with rolling renewal.
- Event Tickets and Registrations: Revenue from paid events including lunches, conferences, awards dinners, and annual events. Many events are free for members, but paid events include lunch series, key conferences, and annual dinners.
- Event Sponsorship: Sponsorship packages for events with various tiers offering branding, speaking opportunities, delegate places, and marketing exposure.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | HealthTech Conference 2026 - Member |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | HealthTech Conference 2026 - Non-member |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Property & Regeneration Lunch 2026 - Member |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Property & Regeneration Lunch 2026 - Non-member |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
pro-manchester product offering
Product offeringCore offering
pro-manchester is a membership-based growth network that connects ambitious businesses across Greater Manchester through an annual programme of 150+ networking events, sector-specific conferences and lunches, a member Newsroom for publishing content to 20,000+ subscribers, an SME Club supporting small and medium businesses, and event sponsorship packages that give member organizations brand visibility and speaking opportunities.
Product overview
pro-manchester is a membership-based growth network serving Greater Manchester's business community. The organization provides networking events, sector-focused conferences, a member Newsroom for publishing content to 20,000+ subscribers, an SME Club with free events for small and medium businesses, and sponsorship/advertising opportunities across their event portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SME Club: Provides free and useful information to small and medium sized businesses, supplying them with the tools and information needed to accelerate growth and achieve business goals.
- Newsroom
Products and services
- Corporate Membership Annual corporate membership giving Greater Manchester businesses access to pro-manchester's networking events, facilitated introductions, sector committees, Newsroom publishing, and sponsorship opportunities; membership fees are tiered by the number of employees in the member organization.
- Networking Events Programme 150+ annual networking events including conferences, lunches, workshops, and social gatherings across multiple sectors, attracting 10,000+ delegates annually. Many events are free for members, with paid events including lunch series, key conferences, and annual dinners.
- SME Club Free programme providing information, tools, expert advice, and dedicated events to help small and medium-sized businesses accelerate growth, with opportunities for experts to attract new business through advice-led sessions.
- Newsroom Member content platform allowing corporate members to publish news stories, events, and other information free of charge to the entire network, reaching an audience of 20,000+ subscribers via the weekly newsletter.
- Event Sponsorship Packages Multi-tier sponsorship packages for pro-manchester events offering branding visibility, speaking opportunities, delegate places, and marketing exposure to event attendees and the wider network.
- HealthTech Conference Annual health tech conference highlighting the region's health tech achievements; ticketed event at £85+VAT for members and £125+VAT for non-members, open to corporate members and non-members in the Greater Manchester health tech ecosystem.
- Property & Regeneration Lunch Annual two-course lunch event for the Greater Manchester property and regeneration sector, priced at £55+VAT per person (or £525+VAT for a table of 10) for members and £70+VAT per person (or £675+VAT for a table of 10) for non-members.
- Creative Conference Annual creative-sector conference exploring the art of significance, delivered as part of pro-manchester's sector events programme for creative industry professionals.
- Retail Lunch Annual retail sector lunch addressing shifting retail landscapes, economic pressures, digital change, and market forces, delivered to Greater Manchester retail professionals.
- REG Connects Annual gathering connecting business, leadership, and action for racial equity and inclusive growth within the Greater Manchester business community.
- Corporate Finance Mid-Year Review Bi-annual corporate finance review featuring expert insights on the past six months of deals, combined with an industry networking social for Greater Manchester corporate finance professionals.
Quantifiable outcome
- Members have access to events attended by 10,000+ delegates annually
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use pro-manchester
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
pro-manchester technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
pro-manchester partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Business Growth Hubcorepro-manchester works closely with the Business Growth Hub as a key strategic partner to provide business support services to members. The organization refers members to the Business Growth Hub for business development assistance.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
pro-manchester competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Enterprise Nation: UK-wide small business growth network providing events, content, and a member community — closely comparable to pro-manchester's SME Club, networking events, and member-publishes-content model.
- Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce: Largest regional business membership organization in Greater Manchester offering networking events, policy advocacy, and member services — directly overlapping with pro-manchester's geography and membership/event model.
- Business Network International (BNI) UK: Structured business networking organization running weekly chapter meetings and member-to-member referral events — comparable event-driven, membership-based B2B networking model.
- ActionCOACH UK: Business coaching and development franchise network running events and workshops for SMEs — directly comparable in targeting SMEs with membership-style programs and event programming.
Broad incumbents
- British Chambers of Commerce: National umbrella for regional UK chambers of commerce — directly comparable business-association membership/events model at national scope.
- Institute of Directors (IoD): UK-wide director and business-leader membership body running events, training and networking — broad incumbent with the same corporate-membership and events DNA as pro-manchester.
- London Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Major regional business chamber running large-scale networking events and member services — comparable membership/events model but at much larger scale and different geography.
- Federation of Small Businesses (FSB): UK-wide membership association for small businesses offering events, advice, and lobbying — broad incumbent that overlaps with pro-manchester's SME proposition on a national scale.
Regional players
- Lancashire Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber of commerce in the North West offering networking events and member services — adjacent North West region to Greater Manchester with similar business-association model.
- Leeds Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber serving the Leeds City Region with events and corporate membership — comparable regional business networking model operating in a different Northern UK geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
pro-manchester social profiles
Digital presencepro-manchester financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
pro-manchester leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
pro-manchester funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
pro-manchester M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about pro-manchester
What does pro-manchester do?
pro-manchester is a membership-based growth network that connects ambitious businesses across Greater Manchester through an annual programme of 150+ networking events, sector-specific conferences and lunches, a member Newsroom for publishing content to 20,000+ subscribers, an SME Club supporting small and medium businesses, and event sponsorship packages that give member organizations brand visibility and speaking opportunities.
Is pro-manchester a public or private company?
pro-manchester is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was pro-manchester founded?
pro-manchester was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is pro-manchester based?
pro-manchester is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does pro-manchester make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Corporate Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Tickets and Registrations and event Sponsorship.
Who are pro-manchester's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Enterprise Nation, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Business Network International (BNI) UK and ActionCOACH UK. Broad incumbents are British Chambers of Commerce, Institute of Directors (IoD), London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Regional players are Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and Leeds Chamber of Commerce.
Does pro-manchester have an API?
No public API is recorded for pro-manchester.
What industry is pro-manchester in?
pro-manchester's product category is Business Networking & Events. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAK, Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services, with a secondary code of BPAFADAO, Event PR & Communications Support. Its NAICS code is 81391.