Glasgow’s SEC is looking to secure funding for up to £200m as part of visionary new plans to create a ‘unique global campus’.
The Scottish Event Campus has applied for ‘planning permission in principle’ to develop a state-of-the-art facility at the west end of its site, to keep up with ‘constantly evolving’ global competition.
The SEC, which sits on the banks of the River Clyde, has undergone significant transformation over the course of the last three decades with the addition of the SSE Hydro and SEC Armadillo.
However, the main SEC Centre is now the focus of attention for city planners who are looking to add an estimated £123m of economic benefit to the Glasgow area, £106m to Scotland and £71m to the UK.
This would be in addition to the £400m of impact for Glasgow, £227m for Scotland and £136m for the UK generated annually from the existing facilities..
Billy McFadyen, Finance & Development Director, SEC said: “During the past two decades, Glasgow and the SEC have succeeded in the conference and exhibition market and strong, city-wide partnerships have been instrumental in securing business. It is widely recognised that events drive immediate economic benefit of scale for cities and countries. Conferences and exhibitions in particular, provide a catalyst for further long-term economic benefit. The focus now is to secure funding support for the project which will be of significant benefit to Glasgow, Scotland and the UK’s economy”.
“The SEC currently offers Glasgow and Scotland a solution to stage events of varying sizes. However, competition worldwide is robust and constantly evolving. In order to maintain this level of success we need to invest in our product to ensure we have the best facilities. The plans for this expansion will fulfil this and create a truly unique UK Event Campus which will be world class.
Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Stuart Patrick, said: “The SEC constantly secures a stream of major events and is an enormous asset to the city, keeping Glasgow firmly on the world stage.
“But in a highly competitive sector venues must constantly evolve, and this imaginative planned expansion will help ensure the city’s share of the conference and exhibition markets continues to grow.”
The £150-£200m project focuses on developing the west end of the campus and includes a dedicated entrance, additional highly flexible meeting, exhibition and networking spaces, and panoramic views of the city and River Clyde.
The application is the next step following a previous feasibility study which was carried to establish viable options for upgrading and expanding the campus, principally to facilitate further growth in the Conference and Exhibition sectors. It was also supported by a robust business plan and economic impact study as the rationale for the new facilities.
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