Scotland to Share Events Expertise with International Industry Officials

Scotland will reinforce its leading position in staging major events over the coming weeks, with VisitScotland and EventScotland personnel playing key roles in a number of high-profile engagements during the month of April.

On Tuesday April 5, Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, will deliver an address at a unique Franco-British ‘Sport is Great’ forum hosted in Paris by UK Trade & Investment, the government agency which seeks to boost the success of UK businesses in international markets. The day-long conference will bring together high-level speakers and leading voices from the French and British sports industries to debate key issues and discuss forthcoming major events.

Specifically, Mr Bush will provide an overview of Scotland’s vision for the events industry detailed within the national event strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, and discuss the economic, social and cultural importance of bidding for and delivering major events.

On the same day, Stuart Turner, Head of EventScotland, will also be engaged in the French capital, at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. There, Mr Turner will advise the OECD Tourism Committee on the role played by Scotland’s events portfolio in driving tourism.

Later in the month, Messrs Bush and Turner will be called upon to share Scotland’s expertise at the annual SportAccord Convention, taking place at the Swiss Tech Convention Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland. From April 17-22, the World Sport and Business Summit will bring together International Federations and officials from all levels of sport and related industry sectors to discuss key challenges, address business opportunities and drive innovation.

On ‘City Day’ (Tuesday April 19), Mr Turner will first take part in the ‘City-to-City’ gathering, attended by representatives from regions, cities and countries who are encouraged to share experiences and lessons learned. The 2015 World Gymnastics Championships will form the basis of a presentation on the role played by Scottish partners in delivering that landmark event and the example this provides to other municipalities.

Mr Bush will then play a central role in the City Forum, a ‘go-to’ event for delegates which boasts an excellent line-up of speakers who will assess the impact of sporting events. He will be joined on stage by BBC World journalist and anchor, David Eades, to discuss the process through which cities can determine which sporting events to bid for and when it’s the right time to ‘just say no’.

Ahead of the ‘Sport is Great Forum’ in Paris, Mr Bush said:

"Scotland’s status as a leading event destination is now acknowledged worldwide and this has been cemented by our best practice approach to bidding for, securing and delivering major events.

"I am delighted that both Stuart and I have been asked to share the knowledge and expertise that Scotland has demonstrated in recent years through the staging of events like the XX Commonwealth Games, 2014 Ryder Cup and 2015 World Gymnastics Championships, in Paris and at the SportAccord Convention.

"These invitations to present to some of the leading figures within the global sporting events sector about what we have learned, as well as the skills and knowledge we now possess, are a huge endorsement of the progress made by all parties within Scotland’s events industry."

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord Convention, said:

"Over the years, Scotland has continued to win and host world class events. Its success is self-evident with the growing list of past and future sporting events, placing Scotland firmly on the international map as a desirable ‘go-to’ destination for sport.

"EventScotland’s success is a great example of the opportunities and value the SportAccord Convention brings to host cities, by helping to put them in front of key decision-makers for sport."

For more information, contact:

Scott Peddie, Events PR & Media Manager, EventScotland

0131 472 2286 // 07966 002 009 // scott.peddie@eventscotland.org

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only