So when it comes to live events, event
planners can look to stage their next event
in an environment known and celebrated for
enlightenment and invention – Scotland is the
home of advancement, fresh thinking and new
discoveries.
This reputation for excellence in innovation is
supported by award-winning live event venues
and suppliers. Our principal cities are home to
world-class live event venues such as Glasgow’s
Scottish Event Campus (SEC) including a 12,000
seat auditorium, which is one of the world’s five
busiest conference centres and also features
the SSE Hydro, a state-of-the-art versatile event
space that has been voted number two in the
world by Pollstar. The Edinburgh International
Conference Centre (EICC) recently underwent
an impressive £30m expansion – adding to its
superb existing facilities including an innovative
moving floor system. Looking ahead, Scotland’s
excellent facilities will be bolstered further
with the new £333m Aberdeen Exhibition and
Conference Centre (AECC), featuring a cutting-
edge 12,500 person capacity event arena
opening in 2019, and the £45 million V&A at
Dundee designed by Japanese architect Kengo
Kuma, which will feature more than 1,500 square
metres of flexible gallery space, with first-class
opportunities for hosting events.
Advancements in connectivity continue to
develop, with new direct routes from Norwegian
Airlines, WestJet, Delta, Qatar, Etihad, Air
Canada Rouge, and Air France. Virgin Atlantic
and Flybe have also recently announced a new
partnership opening up new routes connecting
travellers from the US, Asia, Africa and the Middle
East to Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Equally, with
passenger numbers soaring, Scotland’s airports
are also expanding thanks to the confidence
delivered through increased visitor numbers
and growing airline connections. Over the last
decade, the number of passengers travelling
through Edinburgh Airport has increased by
20%, and passenger numbers are predicted to
rise by a further 18%, from 11.1 million last year
to 13.1 million in 2020.
Always looking ahead, Scotland continues
to be an exceptionally appealing destination
for hosting live events, offering a rich history
of innovation with all the facilities of a
contemporary business destination.
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