New Edinburgh partnership agreed to showcase the power of business events for the city

Recent research found that international delegates spend some £450 per day when visiting the city.

Convention Edinburgh is partnering with the city’s chamber of commerce to showcase the power of business events for the capital.

An inaugural partnership event is set to take place on Tuesday April 30 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), where speakers from across Edinburgh’s events, technology and academic sectors will discuss how a cross-sector approach can pay dividends for the city.

The EICC took on the guardianship of Convention Edinburgh on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council two years ago. During this time, the convention bureau has received more than 400 enquiries, confirming 60 events which will attract some 21,000 delegates to the city, equating to an estimated £47 million of economic impact.

Women in Leadership Conference at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, one of the business events brought to the city by Convention Edinburgh. Picture: Malcolm Cochrane

Marshall Dallas, chief executive of the EICC, said: “We’re excited to partner with the Chamber of Commerce, and we fully expect next week’s event to be insightful given the calibre of speakers we have in place. Importantly, it also reflects on the shared passion we have for Edinburgh and how business events can have an outsized benefit towards local economic impact.”

Liz McAreavey, chief executive of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “The £47m economic benefit clearly illustrates the value that the convention bureau brings to the city. In addition to this, the bureau’s work supports jobs across a wide range of sectors in the city, both directly and indirectly.”

The speakers lined up for the event include Gary Hutchison, dean of applied science at Edinburgh Napier University; Turing Fest’s chief operating officer Tanya Gaxiola; and Lesley Williams, director at Caellium and former managing director of Best Cities.

Amanda Wrathall, lead at Convention Edinburgh, added: “The small but agile team we put together for Convention Edinburgh has done a fantastic job over the last couple of years, with their performance reflected in the positive numbers that have come through. Credit must also go to the multiple city partners who have supported and contributed to the business event outcomes to date.”

VisitScotland’s business events association report in March revealed that business event visitors to Scotland spend more per head than any other kind of visitor, with an international delegate spending an average £450 per day.

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