Discovering diversity among Scotland’s cities

Scotland has a fantastic mix of stunning landscapes, wildlife and wonderful local produce, combined with a thriving arts and culture scene. VisitScotland’s Tom Maxwell describes the nation’s vibrant culture and heritage, and reflects upon the 2015 year of food and drink.

Following the spectacular success of the Year of Food and Drink, which saw more than one million people attend events the length and breadth of Scotland as part of the focus year, the country has turned its attention to the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.

It is a field in which Scots have excelled over the years, in a country that can boast the invention of everything from the telephone and television to penicillin and the pneumatic tyre. It will also be evident to anyone looking to host a conference or other business event in Scotland that the country continues to innovate. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in two of the country’s most well-known venues – the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) and the SSE Hydro, in Glasgow.

Home to the world’s first hall-wide moving floor system, the EICC’s stunning glass atrium provides a perfect welcome point to the 1,600 square metre Lennox Suite – Europe’s most technologically advanced meetings and events space. The moving floor can be reconfigured into numerous different set-ups, including flat‑floored exhibition banqueting for 1,400 guests, a tiered auditorium for 2,000 and arena mode for 1,400. Next year, the 228-room Hampton by Hilton hotel will open in Fountainbridge, within walking distance of the EICC.

The SECC, meanwhile, is also a world-leading venue, attracting high-profile events from all over the globe. The SSE Hydro, which has a capacity of 13,000, plays host to around 140 events each year. It has been designed to be flexible, accommodating a wide range of conferences and events, including some of the world’s biggest music stars.

Attracting around a million visitors a year, it was ranked last year as the second busiest entertainment arena in the world, ahead of Madison Square Gardens in New York and behind only London’s O2 arena. The unique façade of The Hydro, made up of pneumatic translucent cushions, allows natural light to illuminate the foyers during the day and the arena to ‘glow’ at night.

Recognising the riverside
Another superb addition to the Glasgow landscape is the Riverside Museum – a five-star VisitScotland visitor attraction. Taking visitors through a fascinating history of transport, the museum is also a flexible exhibition space that offers conference organisers a stunning, iconic waterfront location with a number of event options. A unique concept is the museum’s Main Street, which can host bespoke receptions for 120 people in a beautiful re-created 1900s Glasgow street. The entire museum can be hired out with opening times, offering a maximum capacity of 800. Outside, the museum boasts a large plaza, which can host a range of events, from concerts and rallies to formal functions and fairs, while berthed adjacent is The Tall Ship Glenlee, which can comfortably accommodate up to 200 people – again presenting organisers with further venue options.

Among Glasgow’s dazzling range of hotels is the five-star, £26 million Blythswood Square. Home to a 10,000 square foot Urban Day Spa (the first of its kind in Glasgow’s city centre), the 100-room hotel includes seven suites. The Monte Carlo Suites, beautiful oak-panelled events spaces, offer bespoke private dining menus and a range of flexible room layouts, as well as cutting edge audio visual technology.
There is even a custom-designed 52-seater meeting table for those all‑important round-table discussions.

The Screening Room, meanwhile, is perfect for product launches and presentations. A unique cinema available for private hire, each of the Screening Room’s 40 seats are finished in a custom Harris Tweed fabric.
Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh
After a £24 million investment programme, the iconic Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh was unveiled as part of the Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts portfolio. Following this significant investment, the landmark property, which sits beneath Edinburgh Castle on the world-famous Princes Street, The Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, marks a spectacular Scottish debut for the luxury brand.

A legend in the hospitality industry, the Edinburgh Caledonian first opened its doors to international travel more than a century ago. The restored hotel, at the west end of the world-famous Princes Street, provides an unforgettable experience for guests that continues the legacy of the Waldorf Astoria in New York.

The Caledonian offers a range of meeting and event spaces that are certain to impress even the most well-travelled delegates. The newly restored listed Castle Suite adds a touch of luxury to guarantee a memorable event, while the hotel is also home to a further eight flexible meeting rooms. The Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, can host events for up to 250 guests with Wi-Fi access across all meeting rooms. The hotel also features 241 bedrooms, seven suites and a luxury Guerlain Spa. Guests are spoilt for choice with four food and beverage outlets, including two restaurants from the Michelin-starred Galvin brothers with their first Scottish venture.

And if there’s an appetite among your delegates for good food, then TV chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant, Jamie’s Italian, is a mouth-watering addition to the site of the Assembly Rooms.

The unique, A-listed George Street venue re-opened last summer following a major restoration and refurbishment project. A hugely popular venue, particularly during the Edinburgh International Festival, the Music Hall and Ballroom are large, opulent spaces, ornately decorated with intricate plasterwork and crystal chandeliers.

As well as additional space and flexible room layouts, a range of new facilities are available, including state-of-the-art background lighting and sound systems, in-house audio visual, plasma screens in the foyer and a fully equipped finishing kitchen for exclusive use of the event caterers.

A grand display of excellence
Another multi-million pound development has recently taken place at Edinburgh’s Sheraton Grand. The hotel now offers a new dedicated meetings and events complex, complete with its own private entrance. With 14 flexible function rooms, the Conference & Banqueting complex is the largest of its kind in Scotland’s capital. The Atrium forms the centrepiece of the new events space, offering over 5,400 square feet of floor space for receptions, exhibitions or break-out sessions. The Edinburgh Suite is the largest hotel function space in Edinburgh, able to accommodate up to 1,500 guests for a reception when combined with The Atrium.

In Dundee, Scotland’s ‘City of Discovery’, work is under way on a £45 million museum that will add significantly to the country’s appeal among the business events community. Featuring more than

1,500m3 of flexible gallery space, the new V&A, which is due to open in 2018, will boast one of the largest dedicated museum-standard exhibition spaces in Scotland. The facilities at the museum will provide first-class opportunities for conferences and other events to be held in unique venues. These include the great hall, which will be available to host receptions, while galleries can be hired on a private access basis. There will also be a number of workshops and meeting rooms which will be suitable for the needs of business customers.

Travelling north
Further north, a journey into the magical Scottish Highlands may be just the thing to get creative juices flowing. Set within acres of manicured grounds, the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness is the perfect blend of historic grandeur, contemporary design and passionate service. On target for completion this December, The Kingsmills Suite will offer 410 sq m of the newest design‑led meeting and events space.

A relaxing circulation and breakout area, exclusively for guests of the Kingsmills Suite, enables unsurpassed choice of event schedules.

In the North East, the new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) will open in 2019 and will be the county’s second biggest conference centre. The new site will have four times the available space of the existing AECC, will double the arena capacity to 12,500 and create 47,000 square metres of flexible exhibition space. The site itself will include three hotels and its very own energy centre.

Of course, Scotland has many more hotels and conference spaces available and is home to a myriad of exciting opportunities for unforgettable events.

Further Information
www.conventionscotland.com