Visit Manchester has become the latest UK conference destination to join the Meetings Industry Association and bring a minimum of 65 of its leading venues into membership and through the AIM accreditation scheme. This now brings the number of venues accredited under the VistBritain endorsed scheme to 459.

In a further move, Visit Manchester has made AIM an integral part of their conference marketing activity; in 2011 Visit Manchester’s conference guide and new business tourism website will solely feature venues that are AIM accredited, demonstrating that Manchester is firmly committed to place quality at the heart of its offer to event planners.

Paul Simpson, managing director of Visit Manchester, the tourist board for Greater Manchester, said: “The city was recently named Best UK Destination in the 2010 Confex Awards. That recognition was in no small part to our commitment to quality and the breadth of product that the city has to offer. The AIM accreditation scheme is a badge of honour that the city is proud to promote.”

As well as having the official endorsement of VisitBritain throughout England and Wales, AIM is also supported by Visit England, Visit Wales,  MPI and ABPCO, and is the only recognised accreditation scheme for the meetings industry within the UK. 

Visit Manchester has made an initial two year commitment to the scheme, and the news comes as the MIA launches a dedicated Destinations Group designed to further represent the views of the growing number of members from destinations and convention bureau around the country.