Glasgow Business . 35 www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com


The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) is one of the prime destinations for international events


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GLOBAL CENTRE P


Glasgow is attracting conferences from around the globe. In the last financial year, the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau recorded £141 million in conference revenue, the city’s best-ever annual return


aediatric gastroenterology, Chinese studies, oral maxillofacial surgery, pharmaceutical sciences


and dermatology – not subjects that too many of us get excited about, but together they present a very exciting opportunity for Glasgow’s economy. Over the next six years,


conferences in these specialist disciplines will atract around 12,000 delegates to Glasgow from across the world – contributing more than £20 million in ‘business tourism’ to the city’s economy. Over the past decade, Glasgow


has developed a reputation as one of the world’s leading conference centres, and is able to beat off strong competition from other major international cities thanks


to its high quality conference venues, increasing hotel capacity, ease of access, and, of course, the unique experience that Glasgow and Scotland provides its visitors. Te international conference


sector is a highly competitive market, but Glasgow has been able to punch above its weight thanks to the partnership approach of the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB). Tis agency works with Scotish Exhibition Conference Centre (SECC), NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow universities, and the wider business community to atract conventions business to the city. Another important string to


GCMB’s bow is its Glasgow Conference Ambassador


Programme, which secured just under half of all conference business booked in 2015/16 compared to just 30 per cent two years ago. Tis programme supports


more than 1,700 active ambassadors – drawn from the city’s academic, scientific, medical and business communities – which enables them to persuade their own sectors and associations to host a conference in Glasgow. Tis approach has paid


dividends, as GCMB has not only secured 513 new international and UK meetings through to 2022, in the last financial year, but has also been voted the UK’s best convention bureau… for the 10th successive year. In the financial year from April 2015 to March 2016, GCMB


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