Experience on Main Street Conference July 2025

8-9 JULY 2025, MANCHESTER

After a critically acclaimed second iteration in 2024, Experience on Main Street returns for 2025 with a larger, more comprehensive two-day event designed to bring together the most forward-thinking creative and business minds, innovators and leaders from some of the most exciting pioneers in the experience-focused sector.

Taking place at the state-of-the-art immersive venue, The Arcade Arena, Manchester, home to Pac-Man Live Experience, this flagship conference assembles a dynamic mix of people and organisations reimagining the future of towns, cities and destinations through the power of experience.

Now a must-visit conference for a wide spectrum of guests including central government, city and local authorities, developers, experience designers, leisure operators and more, this two-day gathering offers a compelling platform to provoke thought, spark fresh ideas, and drive impactful conversations around placemaking, development, regeneration, and the experience economy.

Backed by the UK Government and leading trade associations and organisations, Experience on Main Street promises an action-packed two days designed to inspire and challenge with a rich and engaging programme including:

• Private tours of standout local projects and destinations

• An immersive art trail created by pioneering company Wild in Art bringing creativity into the heart of the experience

• A forward-thinking conference featuring a diverse and prestigious speaker line-up

• A curated exhibition showcasing the latest innovations and expertise

• Dedicated networking opportunities designed to foster collaboration and partnerships

A diverse range of speakers TBA, who are shaping the future of the high street, venues and leisure destinations, will offer valuable perspectives on trends in the immersive and experience economy as well as spotlighting key UK regions such as Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle with insights from the developers, city councils, and creatives behind some of the country’s most ambitious projects, including Aviva Studios, Mayfield, Trafford Centre, and Liverpool ONE.

The ability to create unforgettable experiences is key to business success and Experience on Main Street will explore how uniqueness, design, sustainability, digitalisation, and immersion shape the experience economy and help businesses foster loyalty, drive engagement, and gain a competitive edge.

Attendees will include representatives from a wide array of fields, and it is an ideal opportunity to gain cross-disciplinary information from the following disciplines:
• Local and city authorities, inward investment leads, regeneration teams, cultural compacts, and Business Improvement District (BID) professionals

• Property developers, owners, and managers looking to integrate leisure, culture, and experience concepts into retail destinations, city centres, travel hubs, hotels, resorts, and cultural venue

• Architects and master planners specialising in innovative design for retail, leisure, entertainment, and mixed-use developments

• Creative and experience designers delivering bold, immersive solutions for shopping malls, entertainment venues, and hospitality-driven spaces

• Leisure and entertainment operators, as well as supply chain partners developing or delivering compelling, visitor-focused experiences

• Technology and design companies offering cutting-edge tools, systems, and solutions that contribute to the reinvention and regeneration of the UK’s high streets and shared spaces.

There will be opportunities to gain inspiring and valuable information on a more focused basis through networking with industry pioneers offering the chance to form partnerships, gain new clients, and exchange ideas with sector leaders offering practical takeaways to implement in business

Experience on Main Street is a unique opportunity for the industry, allowing guests to expand their horizons, step out of their silos, and celebrate the possibilities in
collaboration and shared knowledge. With an extraordinary change in the way city centres, and high streets are predicted to be used over the next few years and excitement from the professional and public communities alike, this is a gathering of some of the most progressive minds in the sector that will help to plot the future path to come.