Scottish tourism urged to "Rise to the Challenge"
Worth more than £800 million to Scotland's economy, business tourism accounts for 20 per cent of the total tourism expenditure in Scotland. The country's two main cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, remain second only to London in the UK in terms of numbers of international association meetings hosted.
Jack Perry, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, commented: "Despite the challenging economic climate, Scotland is still a global player in the conferences market and the sector has clear growth potential.
"During the downturn, we must continue to invest in our infrastructure, so we can provide consistently high standards of service and facilities combined with effective sales and marketing strategies. This event will encourage companies to consider the changing environment and learn from what is happening in other business tourism organisations and destinations."
The event has firmly cemented its place as a highlight in the calendar of tourism's conference and meetings industry, attracting some of the most experienced and ambitious events and conferencing professionals from across Scotland and from overseas.
It provides a forum for owners and senior managers to network and hear updates form UK and international speakers on sector trends and developments. The aim is to help Scotland's business tourism sector to compete on a national and international basis within this highly demanding market, through international best practice and industry examples.
Caroline Packman, head of business tourism at VisitScotland, added: "These are difficult times but business tourism is a strong sector that extends across the whole of Scotland. This event aims to help develop the knowledge and capability to address both the immediate challenges and instil confidence within the industry to make the changes that will support growth over the coming years."
The theme of this year's business focused conference is "Rising to the Challenge" and maximising opportunities in the current economic downturn. The programme will include a successful international business tourism destination, a focus on service excellence, economic trends, and case studies of best practice venues
This year's programme includes expert input from local, national and international speakers who will offer valuable advice to help businesses develop their potential and realise opportunities in the business tourism marketplace. The Conference will be chaired again by Martin Lewis, Managing Editor of Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazine. The impressive line up for this year's event boasts a keynote presentation from business author, consultant and entrepreneur, Peter Fisk. Other major players in the industry sharing the secrets of their success and leading discussions include:
- Dr Dominic Swords, economist, Henley Business School
- Anne Rodven, convention director, VisitOSLO
- Peter Rand, director of industry relations, Zibrant
- Andrew Stembridge, managing director, Chewton Glen Hotel and Spa
- Lesley Williams, business development director, Prestige Scotland
The Conference will take place at the SECC and is delivered annually by Scottish Enterprise in partnership with VisitScotland's Business Tourism Unit.
About business tourism in Scotland
Spend per night by business visitors is almost twice that of other visitors.
- Edinburgh and Glasgow remain second only to London in terms of number of international association meetings held in the UK.
- In 2007 Glasgow's ranking rose from 30th to 25th position worldwide in terms of no. of delegates hosted.
- 25 per cent of all international association meetings held in the UK are hosted by Scotland.
- 89 per cent of clients are satisfied with their event in Scotland
(Source: VisitScotland 2008)
Further information on business tourism can be found at the Convention Scotland website