Welcome to the March Newsletter
Our programme for 2025 continues to evolve, and inspiring events are being added regularly. We are receiving positive feedback, and attendance and revenues are increasing. Many of the events are selling out. Please book early; if circumstances change, please remember to cancel your tickets.
The three Manchester Lit & Phil Sections — Arts, Science & Technology, and Social Philosophy — generate the core of our events. The volunteers on these committees work tirelessly, identifying speakers, managing the events, and hosting our guests. They often get overlooked, but I wanted to mention them and invite anyone with a passion who would like to know more about the work of the Sections to contact our three Section Heads.
Please email info@manlitphil.ac.uk. Your message will be forwarded to the appropriate Sections, who will contact you directly.
As we start work on the Autumn program, Ian Cameron is leading a team that will examine increasing the scope of subjects we present and look at improving the event experience.
Our marketing and promotional efforts, led by Alan Wareham and Rachel Croft, are having a real impact. These initiatives take many forms, from the posts and mailings you all see regularly to modest investments in advertising to enhance the visibility of the Society and its events.
Starting to stabilise our financial position has made investing in marketing and promoting our events possible. Alison Carey and Peter Carstensen have led this complex piece of work. Our investment strategy is being managed against a revised plan in a volatile world.
Our costs are actively managed, and our expenditure on venues, marketing, and promotional materials is monitored for its impact. With this enhanced level of control, we are also reserving funds for events to increase our visibility by collaborating with high-profile speakers and local organisations.
As part of this month’s call to action, we are increasing our social media activity. To help drive our visibility, please follow us on your preferred channels, engage with the content, post about upcoming events, tell people about the events you have attended, reply to comments, and start conversations. Growing our online community is crucial.
To close, thank you all for your support.
February 28th was our 244th anniversary; as we approach our 250th year, we are already discussing how to celebrate our history while creating a new future.
I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event.
Regards,
Peter Wright