Edinburgh’s convention bureau has partnered with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce to showcase the power of business events for the city, with Edinburgh International Conference Centre’s (EICC) Inaugural partnership event, ‘Why business events matter: the economic power and impact of events’ on 30 April.
At the event, Professor Gary Hutchison, dean of applied science at Edinburgh Napier University, Tanya Gaxiola, Turing Fest’s chief operating officer and Lesley Williams, director at Caellium and former managing director of Best Cities, will discuss how a collaborative cross-sector approach can pay dividends for the city.
Marshall Dallas, EICC, CEO, said: “We’re excited to partner with the Chamber of Commerce, and we fully expect next week’s event to be insightful given the caliber of speakers we have in place.”
The EICC took on the guardianship of Convention Edinburgh on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council in May 2022 amid a period of funding challenges. During this time, Convention Edinburgh has received over 400 enquiries, confirming 60 events which will attract over 21,000 delegates to the city, equating to £47m of 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.
She continued: “It is vital that our policy-makers understand the role and impact of business tourism, which attracts high-spending visitors, many of whom will return to the city for holidays after attending business events here, and some even to live and work. It is a crucial component in promoting our city to the global community and has proven to be extremely successful.”
