EICC Portraits 1 SA : EICC Chief Executive Marshall Dallas with Napier University Dean James O'Kane.

Edinburgh Napier University and the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) have launched the UK’s first MSc in Business Events, a degree only currently available at undergraduate level across the UK, with the first intake of candidates commencing study this September.

The Master’s degree has been developed by Edinburgh Napier – Scotland’s top university for hospitality, tourism and events management, in partnership with the EICC, Scotland’s leading conference venue, which will be providing work placements for the MSc students as well as delivering guest lectures as part of the course at the university’s Craiglockhart campus.

Professor James O’Kane, Dean of Business School, Edinburgh Napier University, said: “This new award in conjunction with EICC offers students a unique opportunity to study for a Master’s degree in a leading Business School for Tourism and gain experience working with an award-winning, world-class partner.

“The collaboration of the Business School and EICC has enabled the creation of a novel programme that will produce employment ready graduates with skills and experience aligned to the strategic challenges of the tourism sector, nationally and internationally.”

Marshall Dallas, Chief Executive of the EICC, said: “The business events industry is a fast-growing segment of Scotland and the UK’s economy and it’s more important than ever in 2017 that we keep ahead of global competition.

 

“There is a great feeling of collective confidence today that this Master’s qualification can be a real differentiator for the students who undertake it and today’s announcement represents the first step in an ongoing partnership with Edinburgh Napier University.

“Being a business which creates a platform for innovation and progression, we are thrilled to be working in collaboration with Napier on this initiative to produce amazing talent.”

The degree course will have 12 to 15 students in the first year, starting in September.

Opened in 1995, the remit of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) is to drive economic impact to the city and to date has helped to deliver around £500 million to the local economy while hosting over one million delegates and 3,000 events.

The EICC is owned by City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) and operates at arm’s length as an independent commercial venture. Edinburgh is the highest ranked UK conference destination outside London according to leading global industry body, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).