Events

One of the sessions available to attend:

In person: Leeds Playhouse, Courtyard Theatre

Thursday 16th October 2025, 12:00 - 13:30 

From boutique bars to international hotel chains, towns and cities worldwide champion hospitality and tourism. But are we truly supporting the sector? Despite UK hospitality employing 3.5m and contributing £140bn to the economy, it faces staggering rising costs and national insurance hikes for starters.

Speakers include: Fred Sirieix 

In person: Manchester Metropolitan University 

Thursday 16th October 2025 

• 15.30-15.35: Welcome to the seminar - Prof Steve Millington, Manchester Met
• 15.35-16.00: Pools of Atmosphere at Manchester's Christmas Markets - Dr Rebecca Abushena, Manchester Met 
• 16.00-16.25: (Dis)ordering atmospheres on Blackpool's North Pier - Dr Chloe Steadman, Manchester Met
• 16.25-16.50: Reimagining the High Street: Learning from Manchester’s Halloween in the City - Diogo Gaspar Silva, Centre of Geographical Studies, University of Lisbon
• 16.50-17.00: Concluding reflections - Prof Steve Millington 

Webinar: Online

Thursday 23rd October 2025 12:00 - 13:30

This free webinar will delve into the latest research linking planning, green and blue space, and health inequalities. Professor Ben Wheeler and Dr Mark Ferguson (the University of Exeter), will critically engage with opportunities and risks that planners face when integrating green and blue space, and explain the benefits of a ‘systems approach’.

In person: Manchester 

Wednesday 29th - 31st October 2025 

The 2025 IPBA conference, to be held in Manchester, endeavours to shed light on the potential of place branding as a force for good amidst a rapidly evolving global landscape. The conference seeks to further the discourse on how place branding, an inherently interdisciplinary domain, can serve as a catalyst for positive change and development across diverse sectors and communities.

Webinar: Online

Wednesday 5th November 2025 

To mark World Urbanism Day 2025, the Institute of Place Management is hosting a global conversation exploring one of the most urgent and interconnected challenges of our time: housing.

This international session will feature contributions from Australia, Ireland, Slovenia, and the UK, examining how different countries are tackling housing supply, affordability, design quality, and climate resilience through place-based responses. From adaptive reuse and intergenerational living, to community-led infill and planning code reform, the event will showcase practical innovations and shared learning across borders

Online: Webinar 

Thursday 6th November 2025  | 11:00 - 12:00

Come along and join our final Q&A session before the course begins in January!

You'll have the chance to meet the whole IPM academic teaching team and hear from students who have already enrolled. It's a great opportunity to connect with your peers and get your questions answered!

In person: Manchester Metropolitan University 

Wednesday 10th June 2026

The IPM Conference is confirmed for Wednesday 10th June 2026 - and it’s a special one.

We will be bringing together our global network of place leaders, place makers, place thinkers, and place policy shapers to celebrate 20 years of the Institute of Place Management. It’s an opportunity to reflect on two decades of pioneering place management - and to look boldly toward the future.

As we mark this milestone, the 2026 conference will convene a truly international community of practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to explore how the discipline is evolving and where it goes next.

While the main conference takes place on Wednesday 10th June, we’ll also host a dynamic programme of walking tours, masterclasses, and a research seminar on the days either side - giving you even more reason to join us in Manchester, UK.

The conference will also be a moment to reconnect and celebrate our community - bringing together IPM Alumni, current students of the postgraduate course in Place Management and Leadership, and experts from the High Streets Task Force.

Online: Webinar

Thursday 9th October 2025 | 12.00 GMT/13.00 CEST 

Join the Institute of Place Management and The Regional Studies Association for a join discussion on Privately Owned Public Spaces (or POPS as they are becoming know as). 

Place managers across the UK are increasingly dealing with Privately Owned Public Spaces from city squares and retail plazas to repurposed industrial sites. A new open access article by Dr Jenny Kanellopoulou, Dr Nikos Ntounis and Prof Steve Millington, explores how these spaces are managed on the ground and what that means for their ‘publicness’. This event discusses these findings.

*The webinar is open to all. RSA membership is not required; however, you must create an RSA profile to register.

Online: Webinar 

Tuesday 7th October 2025  | 11:00 - 11:45

Find out more about postgraduate study at IPM; including the Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and full Masters course, which are all available to study part-time.

Come and join us for an engaging course overview and an exclusive taster session delivered by Steve Millington, the first ever Professor of Place Management! 

Online: Teams 

Tuesday 14th October 2025

We’re excited to invite you to our introductory session on Continuing Professional Development (CPD) learning, hosted by The Institute of Place Management (IPM). 

Webinar: Online

Thursday 25th September 2025

We’re excited to invite you to a focused and practical online session this autumn, designed to build on the growing interest in the Place Management Apprenticeship at Manchester Metropolitan University. 

Open to IPM Members and Non-members. 

Webinar: Online

Wednesday 24th September 2025 | 12:30 - 13:30 

How do we revitalise our high streets? Join Ian Harvey from the Institute of Place Management at Manchester Metropolitan University to explore findings from the High Streets Task Force - and hear why arts and festivals should be recognised as vital ‘social infrastructure’ in the revitalisation of our towns.