VisitScotland Business Events is backing the inaugural “Business Events Leaders’ Summit”, taking place at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow on Wednesday 21st March 2018.

The Business Events Leaders’ Summit is the first meeting of its kind in Scotland – uniting both senior leaders in business events and key figures from relevant economic sectors – to explore how to create lasting economic and social impact from events.

Attracting speakers from as far apart as Australia, Singapore, Ireland and The Netherlands – as well as top UK business events professionals – the Summit will provide a global thought leadership forum highlighting the importance of business events to economic planning, industrial strategy and sector development. Leading business figures and politicians will also participate in panel sessions designed to stimulate thought and provoke awareness of meetings as a tool which create lasting impacts on society.

Neil Brownlee, Head of Business Events at VisitScotland said: “Our own “Legends” and INNOVATETHENATION campaigns have already shown what can be done to bring greater collaboration between the business events industry and the development of the wider economy. We know that business events are catalysts for economic and social progress. I’m delighted that Scotland is leading and hosting such an exciting new international initiative. I urge all senior leaders interested in the debate about moving our industry further up the economic agenda to attend this Summit.”

Associate Professors Deborah Edwards & Carmel Foley, from the University of Technology Sydney, who have produced world-leading research in the business events field, will be keynote speakers at the event.

They said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be attending the Business Events Leaders’ Summit in Glasgow. It is a brilliant opportunity to meet leaders in the industry including Economic Sector Heads. Forums focused on thought leadership are always great places to be – we are sure there are going to be many ‘ah ha’ moments for those in attendance.”

Martin Sirk, Chief Executive of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), said: “Scottish meetings destinations have long been amongst the most innovative and forward-thinking players in the international association meetings sector. I often use examples from ICCA members in Glasgow and Edinburgh, so I’m delighted to join this Summit, and hope to learn a great deal as well as to share insights from other parts of the world into what’s happening and what thought-leaders are saying about the value and role of meetings.”

Sessions at the event include ‘The Power of Conferences: Stories of serendipity, innovation and driving social change’, ‘Identifying and Activating Key Markets’, ‘the Makings of a Tech City’ and ‘Developing the Meetings Industry’.  Speakers include Martin Sirk, CEO, International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA); Associate Professor Carmel Foley, from the Australian Centre for Event Management (ACEM) and University of Technology Sydney; and Linda Hanna, Managing Director, Strategy & Sectors, Scottish Enterprise.

More information, including a full agenda and how to register can be found at www.businesseventsleader.com