Business events, sometimes referred to as MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) events, is a crucial sector that provides a measurable contribution to Scotland’s visitor economy.
They're a vital tool to:
Business events are run by organisations for their members or employees, or for a specific target market with specific knowledge. They can attract thousands of delegates to a city and create a significant social and economic impact.
The ongoing success of this sector continues to showcase Scotland as a world class destination for business events.
The business events sector is broadly comprised of three main strands:
Our business events team attract business events to Scotland from the rest of the UK and key international markets.
We work with in partnership with the City Convention Bureaus of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, and Aberdeen. We also assist a range of venues to attract events related to Scotland’s key industry sectors. This work aligns with Scotland’s National Performance Framework.
Alongside Scottish partners, we attended several national and international industry events at which we set up new leads, share knowledge and inspire attendees with the great work being done in Scotland.
The business events sector is one of the highest yielding sectors from international markets. Typically, delegates spend more than leisure visitors. Attracting these events helps make a significant contribution to tourism expenditure in Scotland.
The business events industry is also less seasonal, often bringing in business out-with peak periods. Events can often be booked years in advance, guaranteeing business on the books.
Businesses working with us include conference centres, hotels, and unique venues. They also include suppliers to the conference market. The positive impact is spread across transport, entertainment, audio visual (AV) and caterers.
£175 million
approximate economic value
95,000
delegates attending association events
282
association events attended in Scotland
50%
approximate percentage of life science events
