The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) hosted the first major party political conference of the autumn season as the Liberal Democrats took up residence earlier this week (14-18 September).
With the venue’s almost completed SSE Hydro due to launch officially at the end of the month, the SECC had a big opportunity to showcase itself during a busy week of media and meetings.
“This event really underlines our venue’s ability to be a central hub for large scale and high profile conferences and events,” said Ben Goedegebuure, Sales Director at the SECC.
“At the SECC we’ve got the right technical requirements for a large media presence, two centres of operations for major national and international broadcasters on site, internal connectivity for busy delegates, a great city bustling with business and industry on the doorstep, all in a universally accessible destination.”
As Labour gathers for its annual conference in Brighton next week, with the Conservatives to follow in Manchester, CN will be reporting from all three venues and on the economic impact of the major party conferences in its November edition.
A sign that confidence in country manor conferencing is returning (at least to the Tory ranks) was a pre-annual conference away day for the Conservatives, 18 September, at Oxfordshire country estate, Heythrop Park (pictured).
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, was not short of confidence in gathering 200 of his MPs at the luxury manor, apparently unbothered by playing to any Tory stereotype.
The Times newspaper reported the event was ‘pacey’ and involved smart casual dress code and a game of football on the lawn.
Contacted by CN, the venue was tight-lipped about its role in the one-day conference. Nothing smart casual about the security arrangements clearly.
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