A senior VisitScotland official took part in a European strategic forum for the business events industry in Monte Carlo last month.
Neil Brownlee, Head of Business Events at VisitScotland, was invited to participate in a three-day ‘influencers’ summit’ for a select group of 40 business events leaders at the Fairmont Monte Carlo.
Organised by the PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association), the event was the first of its kind on the continent and was designed as a knowledge exchange to share insights and expertise to develop the business events industry.
Speakers at the event included Luke Williams – Professor, NYU Stern School of Business; Founder and Executive Director of the NYU Innovation Lab – and Inma Martinez of Deep Science Ventures, who has been described as ‘one of Europe’s top talents in social engagement through technology’ by Fortune and TIME.
Brownlee said: “I was delighted to be invited by PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) to contribute to the first event of its kind in this territory. I was part of a group of 40 senior leaders and influencers from within the business events community who gathered together for the three-day summit to share insights and expertise to develop solutions by Europeans for Europeans in the Business Events industry. The group encompassed top-level leaders from the European business events industry and therefore influencers to PCMA.
“Education is at the core of PCMA’s approach to the growth of the industry, supported by their commitment to the belief that business events are the key to organisational, individual, social and economic progress. This underpinned the principal focus of the summit, with the sharing of knowledge and ideas at the highest strategic level.”
The event began on June 25 with a ‘Program kick off & Cocktails’ followed by dinner at the Fairmont Monte Carlo. The following day featured a plenary session and networking lunch and covered topics such as ‘Defining PCMA’s European Movement’. Other event highlights included a PCMA Regional Advisory Board Meeting and a dinner hosted by Monaco Convention Bureau.
Brownlee added: “It was an excellent opportunity to represent Scotland at this level in the industry. VisitScotland has enjoyed a long and close working relationship with PCMA, which has seen Scotland hosting both the corporate and medical global summits in 2012 and 2015. The summit was a great success, further consolidating our shared belief that business events play a key role in creating economic development and social change.”