Getting around Manchester City Centre is easy, with the venue and hotels well-connected by public transport. Be sure to check out the travel, hotel, and tourist info pages for more details.

Destination + Travel Guide

The venue can be easily accessed by public transport or by car. There is parking beneath the venue (provided by the NCP) including 15 disabled spaces on the Upper Level of the Car Park, with lift access to the venue*. Blue badge parking is also available near the venue on Mount Street.

You can find out more on the venue’s ‘getting here’ pages.
*Please note there are currently alternative accessible routes in place within the NCP

Access is via the Main entrance (Central Foyer/Halls) which is fully accessible and sensor-activated and features Paxton Intercoms for assistance from the control room if required. 

Find out more about Central Foyer Entrance.

Most of the event space is on the ground floor/street level. Events/sessions on the first floor can be accessed via lifts. The venue has lots of room for wheelchairs and has several self-propelled wheelchairs available for use within the venue.

To enquire, contact Manchester Central’s Event Safety Team on +44 (0)161 834 2700 ext. 2211 or email us at firstaid@manchestercentral.co.uk. Bookings should be made in advance as availability cannot be guaranteed otherwise. 

As soon as you arrive at Congress, you’ll spot our Accessibility and Support Desk. Our friendly buddy team is here to assist with any questions, concerns, or requests you might have, whether it’s help navigating the venue, getting from session to session, or easing any worries about your stay. Please stop by and say hello!
Throughout the venue, we’ll also have a team of BSAVA staff and event stewards available to help.

We have a lowered registration desk to make it easier for wheelchair access, and all our theatres are equipped with ramps to the stages. There are also designated spaces for wheelchair users in the audience.

If you need to sit at the end of a row for any reason, please let the theatre staff know if they ask you to move. In busier auditoriums, staff may request people sitting at the ends of rows to move towards the centre to help fill seats, but they will understand if you need to stay at the end. Feel free to sit on the floor or stand at the edges of the room if that’s more comfortable for you, as long as you’re not in the camera’s line of sight.

There are accessible toilets in each of the main event spaces across the venue. These facilities include emergency pull cords. There is also a Changing Places Toilet which can be accessed via Central Foyer. To access the toilets, you will need a Radar Key which can be collected from the venue’s concierge desks (next to the Accessibility and Support Desk).

Need a quiet moment during the hustle and bustle of the event? Our Quiet Room, run by EventWell, offers a peaceful space to pause and unwind. This dedicated area, staffed by mental health first aiders, features calming sounds, meditation tracks, massage cushions, noise-cancelling headphones, and a selection of books and magazines.

All main theatres are equipped with induction loops, ensuring accessibility to our CPD sessions. Please approach a member of our event staff in the room for more information.

A Deaf Alerter® fire warning system is in place throughout the venue, compatible with Deaf Alerter® pagers which operate nationally and internationally. The venue does have a limited number of Alerters onsite. Ask at the concierge desk (next to the Accessibility and Support desk) for more information.

Assistance Dogs are welcome at out event. Please notify us if you need to bring an assistance dog so that we can make any necessary arrangements E: congress@bsava.com, T: +44(0)1452 726 720.

If you would rather not be approached by other attendees whilst onsite at the event then we do have ‘Do Not Disturb’ tokens that can be attached to your lanyard/badge that act as a visible indication to others that you would prefer to not engage in discussion at that time. These can be attached/removed, in case you are happy for others to engage with you for periods of time. These tokens can be picked up at the Accessibility and Support desk. As part of our sustainability programme, we would greatly appreciate you returning these at the end of your stay so they can be re-used.

For those that prefer to not wear a lanyard to hold your attendee badge, we do have a limited number of alternatives (Badge Clips), also available from the Accessibility and Support desk located in the Central Foyer. As part of our sustainability programme, we would greatly appreciate you returning these at the end of your stay so they can be re-used.