After eight months, Urban Experience Limited is delighted at the way visitors from all parts of the Manchester community, and from all over the UK and the world, have been excited and enthused by Urbis. UEL is now planning new updates to extend and develop the visitor attraction.

Following a successful launch and with 80% of the visitor target to date achieved for the exhibitions, UEL is now setting the course for a planned programme of renewal. This will take into account extensive customer research.

The customer research shows that most of our exhibits are real winners, and that they intrigue and inform the visitor. Just three popular examples highlighted by our visitor research are ‘The Control Zone’ - the only place where face-recognition CCTV technology can be used by the public for fun and education; Global Cities - an interactive film show based on a taxi ride through cities of the world; and Manchester People – videos of local people talking about their lives in the city.

Urbis does not have the benefit of free admission like some other museums. Urbis has experienced no resistance to the £5 entry charge, £3.50 concessions, the same price as a cinema ticket.

Free entrance for the under-8s and to school parties has had huge take up. Urbis is an extremely valuable educational resource, illustrated by 11,712 school children visiting for free since opening – 20 per cent above target.

Urbis has other income streams which have proved to be great successes. It is a popular choice for businesses hiring the building for corporate events, and the fine dining restaurant Le Mont is an award-winning success. Income from these will be re-invested in the exhibitions.

Going forward, Urbis will develop a range of exhibits, temporary exhibitions, debates and education activity and continue to deliver its promise to visitors.

The £30m construction and development of Urbis are being managed by Manchester City Council Special Projects Team and are funded as part of the £42m Manchester Millennium Quarter by the Millennium Commission, the European Regional Development Fund, Manchester City Council and the Department of Local Government, Transport and the Regions (DLTR) and the Northwest Development Agency.