TA '18 – Event overview | EBU Technology & Innovation

Location

The Technical Assembly takes place at the BBC's Quay House, MediaCityUK, in Salford, Manchester. Quay House is home to BBC News, Sport, 5Live and the flagship BBC Breakfast programme.

The BBC moved to MediaCity UK, in Salford/Manchester in 2011. Over 3,000 staff across 20 departments are now based here, delivering a range of programmes and digital services.

MediaCityUK is located in Salford Quays, on the banks of the Manchester Shipping Canal. The BBC shares MediaCityUK with Dock 10 Studios, a purpose-built studio block which also houses the BBC Symphonic Orchestra; the University of Salford, ITV, Kellogg’s, The Pie Factory studios and several creative agencies.

More than 500 ITV staff are based in MediaCityUK, with a purpose-built open air studio for ‘Coronation Street’ (the UK's longest running soap opera first broadcast in 1960) located across the canal.

Previously a busy commercial port, MediaCity (also known as “MCUK”) is now home to the Lowry Theatre and the Imperial War Museum North, with a growing residential community and thriving social scene.

BBC Security Protocol

All BBC buildings in MediaCity are entered via their own reception areas, which have swipe-card barriers and security staff. Delegates will be escorted in and out of BBC buildings by designated staff throughout the event.

Delegates must wear a visitor’s pass at all times. These will be available to collected from Quay House reception area on the morning of 7 June. Delegates will then be taken through an airport-style security check, with a personal scan (with a magnetic wand) and bag inspections. This process will be repeated on the second morning of the Technical Assembly (8 June).

Storage for small bags and coats in the Technical Assembly event area is limited. Delegates should therefore bring as little baggage into the building as possible.

Delegates staying at the EBU’s preferred hotel (Holiday Inn Manchester-MediaCityUK) will be able to leave their luggage in a designated room after check-out on the morning of 8 June, for collection after the end of the Assembly that day.

Transport for Greater Manchester

MediaCityUK has excellent public transport connections to Manchester city centre, where there are two major train stations, and Manchester International Airport.

Public transport across the city is managed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), which includes the Metrolink tram network, trains and bus services.

Plan your bus, tram or train journey on the TfGM website and check for the latest travel news with theTwitter: @OfficialTfGM

Tram

Metrolink trams are the quickest way to travel to and from MediaCityUK to Manchester city centre and beyond. They do not run a 24 hour service- the last trams leave the city centre at around 23.30.

Tickets must be bought on the platform before boarding. Ticket machines are on the platforms and normally accept payment by debit cards and cash. There are no ticket machines on board the trams and you could be fined £1,000 if you travel without a ticket.
Travellers coming from Manchester Victoria train station should board trams to “East Didsbury”, “Manchester Airport” or “Altrincham” and change at Cornbrook, then catch a tram going to either ‘MediaCityUK’ or ‘Eccles’.
Travellers coming from Manchester Piccadilly train station should board trams going to either ‘MediaCityUK’ or ‘Eccles’. The Piccadilly Gardens tram stop is a 5 minute walk from the station and also offers trams to MediaCity.
If you get an ‘Eccles’ tram, get off at the Harbour City or Broadway stop. These are a short walk from MediaCity.
Trams run around every 15 minutes between Manchester Airport and Victoria train station, via Cornbrook. Travellers should allow at least 1hr 30mins when travelling between MCUK and the airport by tram.

Bus

You can check maps and timetables for all local bus services on the Transport for Greater Manchester website.

Two companies operate bus services to MediaCityUK:

FirstBus (lilac, purple and pink buses). Twitter: @FirstManchester
Stagecoach (dark blue or green, with white and orange stripes). Twitter: @StagecoachGM

The number 50 bus service (Stagecoach) operates every 15 minutes between the Lowry Theatre and Manchester Town Hall in the city centre, between 6am and midnight during the week and on weekends. The Town Hall stop is 15 minutes’ walk to both Victoria and Piccadilly train stations.

The number 53 bus (FirstBus) runs every 10 minutes from the Lowry Theatre between 6am and 22.50pm, 7 days a week. This service does not go to Victoria or Piccadilly train stations, but is useful for visiting the Whitworth Gallery and Manchester Museum on Oxford Road, to the south-east of the city.

There is a bus interchange at Salford Shopping Precinct (1a Hankinson Way, Salford M6 5JA) where you can access a wider variety of bus services.
Piccadilly Gardens (postcode M60 1AY) is the main bus interchange in Manchester city centre. It is 5 minutes’ walk from Manchester Piccadilly train station and 15 minutes from Victoria train station.

Buying and using bus tickets:

Day travelcards cost around £5. FirstBus does not sell single tickets, so you will have to buy a travelcard when using their buses.
Tickets are not transferable between different bus companies!
Tickets can be bought on the buses, but they are usually cash only. Some Stagecoach buses now accept payment by contactless card.
FirstBus and Stagecoach offer apps for buying and saving tickets to a smartphone, but these may not work without a UK home address:

Car

MediaCityUK is close to junctions with the M602 and M60 motorways and is a 15 minute drive from Manchester city centre.

The postcode for Satnav users is M50 2EQ. Main roads nearby are ‘Broadway’ and ‘The Quays’.

The Garage is a secure multi-storey car park at MediaCity, open 24/7, but it is expensive:

Taxi

Taxis visiting MediaCityUK are only allowed to pick up and drop off passengers from opposite the Holiday Inn at MediaCityUK hotel (postcode M50 2EQ), or from outside the Costa Coffee café (M50 2EQ).

There is also a taxi collection point outside the Lowry Theatre.

Hackney, or ‘black’ cabs – which are hailed on the street- are not common in MediaCityUK, so you should book your taxis in advance.

Popular private taxi companies which serve MediaCity, Manchester and Salford include:

Mantax − tel: 0161 230 3333

Street Cars − tel: 0161 228 7878

Club Cars − tel: 0161 436 4000

1010 Taxis − tel: 0161 793 281

Uber − online app

NB: Between 07.30-09.30am and 16.00-18.30 on weekdays, traffic is very heavy across Manchester and in MediaCity, which can cause delays. Allow additional time for your journeys at these times.

Cultural attractions

Imperial War Museum North – MediaCity

Manchester Art Gallery on Oxford Road

Central Library, St Peter’s Square

Manchester Museum on Oxford Road

Royal Exchange Theatre

Bridgewater Hall – for the famous Halle Orchestra

Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)

HOME − independent cinema, art gallery and theatre NEAR Deansgate tram stop

National Football Museum – close to Victoria train station

John Rylands Library – spectacular ‘cathedral of books’ open to the public

Canal Street – the heart of Manchester’s welcoming, historic LGBTQ community

Shopping

Arndale Shopping Centre, Market Street

Trafford Centre – 30-minute drive from MediaCity but not accessible by tram

Sports

Manchester United Football Club, at Old Trafford Stadium

Manchester City Football Club, at the Etihad Stadium (in east Manchester)

East Lancashire Cricket Club, Trafford Bar- cricket and rugby matches and large concerts in summer

Outside Manchester

Lyme Park – Stately home and deer park, an hour’s drive from Manchester

Tatton Park – Mansion famous for its gardens

Peak District National Park – Area of outstanding natural beauty popular with hikers, featuring Kinder Scout, the infamous Snake Pass road, remote villages such as Edale, Hathersage and the historic spa town of Buxton

Quarry Ban – one of the UK’s most complete Industrial Revolution sites

Where to eat and drink in MediaCity UK (MCUK)

Prezzo − Casual Italian restaurant with wood-fired pizzas

CAU − Argentinian steak house

Wagamama – Japanese restaurant with vegetarian and vegan menus

Nandos − Famous for flame-grilled chicken, also has vegetarian menu

Pokusevkis + Catena − Spanish style café-bar offering salads, sandwiches and good wine list

Dockyard Pub – Popular with MCUK workers and residents. Good food, excellent beer selection

The Botanist − Quirky bar specialising in gin cocktails, with balcony views of the Lowry Theatre

The Alchemist − Spectacular cocktail bar on the canal, next to the Lowry theatre

Grindsmith − Boutique café where coffee is taken seriously! Beans are roasted and ground fresh daily

Ziferblat − unusual café where you only pay for the time you spend there. Located in the new Tomorrow building, next to the Premier Inn MediaCityUK

Costa Coffee − chain café, with two stores in MediaCityUK

Pret a Manger − popular café serving breakfast, sandwiches and salads

Booths − a small café on the second floor of Booths supermarket

Supermarkets near MCUK

The nearest food stores in MediaCity are Booth’s mini-mart (next door to the Holiday Inn Express at Media City) and a WHSmith newsagent within The Studios building.

Tesco Express, Londis and SPAR have small shops within a 15 minute walk of Quay House.

An ALDI and an M&S Food store recently opened in the White City shopping centre on Chester Road, with a Tesco Extra superstore nearby. These are about 20 minutes’ walk from MediaCityUK.

Where to eat and drink in Manchester

Manchester has countless cafes, bars, restaurants and ‘pop-up’ food stalls across the city, which feature cuisines from across the globe.

We have provided some ‘top picks’ below. Check TripAdvisor and TimeOut Manchester for customer reviews and other recommendations.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurants-g187069-Manchester_Greater_Manchester_England.html

Vegetarian/vegan

Bundobust – Located in Piccadilly Gardens, Bundobust was rated one of Manchester’s best Indian restaurants in 2017. It offers vegan ‘Gujarat inspired street food’ on small plates- great for sharing.

Greens – Found in the trendy suburb of West Didsbury, a 35 minute tram ride from the city centre, Greens is worth the journey. Led by celebrity chef Simon Rimmer, Greens prides itself in using locally grown vegetables.

V-Rev– Short for ‘Vegan Revolution’, this American-style diner in the city’s Northern Quarter proves that vegan food isn’t all lentils and salads!

Fish & Seafood

Umezushi – classic Japanese sushi restaurant, close to Manchester Victoria station.

Randall & Aubin – up-market brasserie with a French-inspired menu.

Hip Hop Chip Shop – A modern take on ‘traditional’ British fish and chips, the Hip Hop team run a popular pop-up stall at MediaCity, and are opening a new restaurant in the city centre.

Steak, burgers and BBQ

Red’s True Barbecue – Opposite the Town Hall in Albert Square, this BBQ restaurant is so popular that you have to book a table to get in!

Hawksmoor – Popular steak and seafood restaurant on Deansgate in the city centre.

The Parlour – Found in the Chorlton suburb in south Manchester, The Parlour does excellent burgers and traditional ‘Sunday roasts’ of beef, chicken or pork with gravy and fresh vegetables.

Tapas

Bar San Juan – a tiny corner tapas bar in Chorlton, extremely popular on sunny afternoons. Expect to wait 30-45 minutes for a table– the food is worth the wait.

Evuna – With two tapas bars in the city centre, Evuna is also a Spanish wine importer which offers tasting events.

Levanter Fine Foods and Baratxuri – Two excellent tapas restaurants in the picturesque village of Ramsbottom, around a 35 minute drive north from the city centre.

Pizza

Double Zero – opened in 2016, this Chorlton pizzeria quickly became known for its fresh, hand-stretched pizza with a distinctive sourdough base.

Dough – popular pizza restaurant in the Northern Quarter, with gluten-free and vegan options.

Pubs

The Briton’s Protection – famous for its regular folk music nights and close Deansgate tram stop in the city centre.

The Horse and Jockey – Large pub in Chorlton with its own brewery.

TA '18 – Event overview