[Source: EventScotland] It has been another outstanding 12 months for EventScotland and the Scottish events and festivals sector since last year’s SportAccord Conference.

Our continued record in successfully attracting and delivering some of the world’s biggest events alongside our enviable portfolio of annual events and festivals reaffirms Scotland’s reputation as a world-leading events destination.

Among the highlights in 2018 was the successful delivery of the inaugural European Championships, which saw Glasgow and Scotland provide 11 days of sporting and cultural action with co-hosts Berlin.

The event was hugely popular with viewers throughout the continent. 567 million hours of action was viewed across 10 key national markets over 10 days of broadcasting, while in Glasgow more than 500,000 people attended a sports session, a Festival 2018 offering or visited the hugely popular live sites at George Square and Glasgow Green

The successful delivery of the event, which surpassed all expectations, showed what can be achieved when you are brave, ambitious and innovative.

Summer 2018 was also undoubtedly the biggest and best year for golf events in Scotland. There were no fewer than nine top-class golf events taking place across Scotland, featuring not only the biggest names from the men’s and women’s game but also the rising stars of the future and the legends of yesteryear.

Alongside the annual Scottish Open and Ladies Scottish Open, the history making European Golf Team Championships as part of Glasgow 2018, and Senior Open Championship, The 147^th Open at Carnoustie was undoubtedly the highlight of Scotland’s golfing summer. The Open attracted a record 172,000 fans, delivering an economic impact of £69 million according to the study by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre.  

Scotland also benefited from £51 million in destination marketing activity thanks to The Open being broadcast on television to more than 600 million households in 193 countries worldwide.

The success of our golf portfolio confirms Scotland’s reputation as, the Home of Golf and as we look ahead to The 2019 Solheim Cup, the biggest event in women’s golf, at Gleneagles this September, it continues to be the envy of countries around the world.

The last 12 months have also seen Scotland secure the rights to four international events over the next four years, most notably the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023. It, together with the IFSC European Championships 2019 for Lead and Speed, the Sprint World Orienteering Championships 2022, and the 2023 Island Games, join a strong pipeline of events in the coming years, including the UEFA EURO 2020, in which Glasgow will be one of 12 cities who will host the tournament to commemorate the 60^th anniversary of the Championship. All these events will continue to provide the opportunities to showcase Scotland’s expertise in delivering major international events.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events, said: “It has been another outstanding 12 months for EventScotland and the Scottish events and festivals sector. Together we have continued to build on our reputation as a world-leader in event delivery by pushing the boundaries and not being afraid to take on new challenges.

“The successful delivery of the 2018 European Championships along with securing a competition of such global magnitude as the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships reinforces Scotland’s position as the perfect stage for events and one of the world’s leading sports destinations.

“All this success wouldn’t be possible without SportAccord. The Conference plays a hugely important role in helping us build and maintain positive relationships with rights-holders and International Federations. It has allowed us to meet and network with key decision-makers to both understand their ambitions for their events while showcasing our experience and expertise, and is often the starting place for our bids.”

A kickboxing competition; the World Coastal Rowing Championship; a brand-new music festival celebrating the very best of The Highlands; and a special anniversary for a significant Scottish landmark are just some of the events which will benefit from a share of £143,500 from EventScotland’s National Events Programme Fund.

A total of 10 events, taking place across eight local authorities, have been awarded grants from milestone Round 40, to enhance event delivery and to further develop Scotland’s diverse events portfolio.

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said: “Over the years, our National Events Programme has played a crucial role in our work to increase domestic tourism across Scotland, complementing our International Programme of major events and supporting our long-term strategy of sustaining Scotland’s global reputation as the perfect stage for events.”

“It’s great to see the continued success of the programme, and we’re delighted to be able to support the ten events awarded in this latest round to develop and grow.”

Among the events to receive funding through the National Events Programme is the WKC (World Karate and Kickboxing Commission) Aberdeen Open, taking place at the AECC in May. The action-filled event, which is Scotland’s largest kickboxing competition, will offer spectators the chance to see local kickboxing talent as well as internationally acclaimed fighters from Ireland, Europe and the USA compete.  This is the first time that the WKC Aberdeen Open has received funding through the National Events Programme, with the event being awarded £5,000 to support PR and marketing activities.

Malcolm Evans, President of WKC Scotland, said: “We are extremely grateful to EventScotland for supporting The Aberdeen Open 2019, Scotland’s biggest kickboxing event. This is the fourth year of the competition and it has grown year on year to attract some of the best local, national and international kickboxers. Our main objective is to demonstrate the real benefits of kickboxing and increase public participation in the sport. The generous support of EventScotland has helped us work towards achieving this through investment in promotional activity which has allowed us to communicate the mental and physical health benefits associated with kickboxing, as well as attracting new audiences by building excitement ahead of the event on May 5.”

Also receiving funding the celebrations for The National Wallace Monument 150^th Anniversary. Two special events will be held to mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of the National Wallace Monument; Wallace 150, a unique evening illumination event, marking the start of a special programme of celebrations, and Wallace Wha’ Hae, a family-friendly festival with activities themed on Wallace and his legacy. £25,000 has been awarded to the events to support the delivery of both headline events.

Ken Thomson, Marketing Manager at Stirling District Tourism said: “2019 is a really important year for The National Wallace Monument – as we mark the 150th Anniversary of the famous landmark – and we are really looking forward to welcoming everyone who joins us for the commemorative events in September.  We really appreciate the support of EventScotland – which has been invaluable in helping us to prepare for these celebrations.”

The other events to receive funding from the latest round include:

• Dundee Design Festival - Dundee Design Festival has a new location for 2019. The city’s third design festival will explore the theme of what makes a Liveable and Loveable city from inside a challenged shopping centre in the heart of the city.  Designers across all disciplines will be based at the Keiller Shopping Centre alongside a new exhibition and pop-up shop as part of a week-long programme of interactive workshops and talks where visitors can experiment with the process of design. To support its ambitions, the festival has received £20,000 to expand its marketing activity, develop its new venue and expand the capacity of ‘PechaKucha Night’, which will be its biggest to date at Dundee’s Caird Hall. 
• The Gathering – This new one-day festival, in the grounds of the historic Northern Meeting Park in Inverness, will feature a host of exciting traditional and folk based bands from The Highlands and Scotland alongside a line-up of the finest craft food and drink suppliers from the region. The event has been awarded £10,000 towards its infrastructure.
• Barrhead Rainbow Run -  A 5km fun run, where runners of all ages and abilities tackle a number of interactive challenges on-route, including paint stations, inflatable assault courses, slip ‘n’ slide and foam pits, has received £4,000 to enhance the visitor experience and encourage extended stays by participants in East Renfrewshire
• Run the Blades – a unique trail running event held within the UK’s largest windfarm, Whitelee Windfarm, and incorporating three distances – 10km, half marathon and 50km ultramarathon – Run the Blades has been awarded £12,500 to enhance the spectator experience of its event village, including a large outdoor screen and additional marquees. 
• Solas Festival – A family-friendly weekend arts festival at Errol Park, Perthshire with performances and workshops in music, theatre, dance, literature and visual arts, as well as talks and debates has received £9,500 for infrastructure costs to enhance the children’s and wellbeing area as well as its social media marketing for this strand of the programme. 
• Youth Beatz –Scotland’s largest free youth music festival returns to Dumfries’ Park Farm in 2019 with a spectacular line-up of acts, including Professor Green and Sigma.  The festival has received £25,000 to maintain the size and scale of event following its key part in Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018 signature event programme, ensuring a continued legacy from the Themed Year.
• Stranraer SkiffieWorlds - A colourful and friendly celebration of coastal rowing. Stranraer and Loch Ryan in South West Scotland will host the major international coastal rowing event ‘SkiffieWorlds 2019’ which will see up to 1,000 participants compete. The event has been awarded £22,500 support an enhanced on-shore festival for visitors as well and increased marketing and PR activity for the event.
• St. Andrews Voices - A unique 4-day Scottish festival devoted to vocal and choral music, 2019 will see the beginning of a new partnership with light projection artists Luxmuralis, who will create a unique, immersive voice and light event themed around the universe over two evenings which will take over iconic buildings across the whole town of St Andrews with the main event taking place in Holy Trinity Church. Live music will be performed by Owain Park and Gesualdo Six, as well as creative input from local community groups in the festival’s annual learning and participation programmes £10,000 has been awarded to support the addition of this new partnership.

Since establishing the Programme back in 2004, EventScotland has invested more than £5.8 million into 511 events covering the length and breadth of the country. The support has allowed for the strategic development of events which occur outwith Edinburgh and Glasgow, to help drive domestic tourism, deliver economic impact for local communities and generate media profile for Scotland. It is estimated that to date the Programme has contributed £97.6 million in total to the Scottish economy.

Many of Scotland’s best loved events, including Wigtown Book Festival, Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival and the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running, have greatly benefited from the Programme’s support and have subsequently gone on to progress to EventScotland’s Beacon and International Programmes.

Malcolm Sutherland, Event Director of Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running, said: “The National Events Programme was instrumental in contributing to the growth and development of the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running into one of the UK’s best loved marathons and Scotland’s largest participatory sporting events. We have seen very positive outcomes from EventScotland’s support over the years, with an increase in those travelling from outside Scotland to take part in the marathon and the resulting economic impact and benefits to the surrounding area of staging a high-profile sporting event.”

The National Events Programme is a strategic development programme with eligible events able to bid for a maximum of three rounds of funding. The deadline for the next round of the National Programme is 7 June 2019 with events taking place from January 2020 onwards eligible to apply. Guidelines for entry are available on www.eventscotland.org.

[Source: EventScotland] Scotland’s position as a world-leading host for major events has been reaffirmed with the announcement on 8^th February that it has been awarded the inaugural Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Cycling World Championships in 2023.

The Championships, which will take place at venues in Glasgow and across Scotland over two weeks in August 2023, has been awarded in recognition of the country’s proven expertise in delivering world-class and ground-breaking events.

The vision of UCI President, David Lappartient, this historic and innovative event will bring together 13 existing individual World Championships cycling disciplines into one mega event for the first time. The Championships will bring together thousands of the world’s best cyclists all vying to win the iconic rainbow jersey, in what will become the world’s biggest cycling event, broadcast to a global audience.

Speaking at today’s announcement at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, UCI President David Lappartient, said: I am delighted that the UCI has today awarded the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships to Glasgow and Scotland. The creation and the implementation of this event was one of the commitments I had made during my campaign for UCI presidency and I am proud to have fulfilled it. I wish to thank EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling for their enthusiastic involvement in the very first edition of this historic event, which will uniquely showcase our sport and its different disciplines on an international stage. Glasgow and Scotland has a great deal of experience in the organisation of major sporting events, notably multi-sports, such as the first edition of the European Sports Championships that it organised in 2018. I am convinced that the UCI Cycling World Championships will be a great success, and I look forward enormously to preparing them with our Scottish partners.”

Both Glasgow and Scotland’s records are self-evident when it comes to delivering mega events, having hosted some of the world’s biggest sporting events in recent years; including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2014 Ryder Cup and Glasgow 2018 European Championships, with the 2019 Solheim Cup and UEFA EURO 2020 to come over the next 18 months.

It is this unrivalled events experience, which also includes such cycling events as the annual Mercedes Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup at Fort William, the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, OVO Energy Tour of Britain and the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup in recent years, which made Scotland the UCI’s destination to host the maiden edition of what is destined to become every four years an outstanding fixture of the international cycling competition calendar.

Combined with Glasgow’s existing investment in world-class cycling infrastructure such as the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the Glasgow BMX Centre in Knightswood, this ensures that Scotland will be able to host this event without having to build any new venues.

The opportunity to be the first-ever hosts of the UCI Cycling World Championships will also provide a visible focus to support the acceleration of a range of local and national policy initiatives across the areas of health, transport, sport and tourism, and which would see Scotland aspire to become one of Europe’s top cycling nations.

Reacting to the news, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said: “As the first ever host of this event, Scotland will cement its position as a leader and innovator in the planning and delivery of major sporting events. It builds upon the successes of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2014 Ryder Cup and last year’s European Championships.

“Our overall aim is for Scotland to become one of Europe’s top cycling nations with cycling firmly embedded across Scotland as the favoured way to travel to school and work, as an enjoyable leisure activity and an efficient way to improve health.”

Sir Chris Hoy, six-times Olympic gold medallist, said: “To see Glasgow build on the legacy of the Commonwealth Games in 2014 - and more recently the European Championships - to become the first city to host a combined cycling world championships is a real coup for the city and Scotland. I’m looking forward to witnessing first-hand what I know will be another fantastic event not only on the velodrome track in 2023, but across all disciplines of our great sport.”

Katie Archibald, Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion, said: “I’ve competed in a few major events in Scotland, and they are amongst some of my career highlights thanks to the amazing support myself and my team mates get from the home crowd. The UCI World Championships 2023 sounds really exciting, it’ll be the year before the Paris Olympics, meaning all the nations will be ramping up their preparations so the racing will be great to watch. I also like the idea of being able to support my team mates from other disciplines in their world championships.”

Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “This is a huge announcement and achievement for the city. Being the first ever hosts of this event – which will become the pinnacle of the international cycling competition calendar – will cement Glasgow and Scotland’s position as a worldwide leader and innovator in the planning and delivery of major sporting events.

“Our city is one of the top five sporting cities in the world, and events like the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will help us continue to climb these rankings and realise our big aspirations. This event will be the biggest event staged in the city, and indeed the country, in the coming years – and we cannot wait to welcome athletes, officials, and spectators from around the world to Glasgow.”

Today’s announcement follows months of work by EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Sport and British Cycling to secure the event after the UCI announced its ambition to create this brand new cycling concept back in 2018.

Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport said: “UK Sport is delighted to see that Scotland has been chosen as the first ever host of the exciting new concept that is the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

“The decision from the UCI demonstrates once again that the UK remains a world leading innovator when it comes to hosting global sporting events as well as an open and welcoming place for athletes, coaches and fans across the globe.

“This move provides real confidence as we look to deliver our ambitious event hosting strategy and I would like to thank National Lottery players for their support because it is their backing that will allow us to bring more of the world’s top sporting competition to the UK.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted that Scotland has been chosen to host the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023. I’d like to thank President Lappartient and the UCI for awarding the event to Glasgow and Scotland and for trusting us to bring the vision of this exciting and historical new event to fruition. Securing a competition of this global magnitude reinforces Scotland’s position as the perfect stage for events and one of the world’s leading sporting destinations.

“The competition will once again provide another significant opportunity for both visitors and locals to celebrate some of the world’s elite cycling talent across a range of events. We look forward to working closely with UCI and wider partners to deliver this landmark event for Scotland.”

It will also provide opportunities including volunteering and workforce development, as well as supporting British athletes in their preparation and qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Frank Slevin, Chair of British Cycling, said: “At British Cycling, we do not judge the success of major events only by the medals won, but by the numbers of people inspired to get active by getting on their bikes. Hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships reflects the pioneering success of Scotland’s national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, and also represents an amazing opportunity to transform a whole nation’s relationship with the bicycle. We look forward to working with our colleagues at Scottish Cycling to ensure the benefits of this event will be felt in Scotland long after the final race has been won.”

Today’s announcement highlights the continued success of Scotland’s national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, in ensuring a solid pipeline of events which deliver sustainable impact and international profile for the country. The 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will join a portfolio of major events in the coming years, including The 2019 Solheim Cup and UEFA EURO 2020 and will continue Scotland’s journey to being the perfect stage for events.

The UCI currently stages annual World Championships in each of its disciplines across the year in different host cities around the world. The newly proposed UCI Cycling World Championships will, in a single region, bring 13 disciplines together every four years starting from 2023. These are:

• UCI Road World Championships
• UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships
• UCI Track Cycling World Championships presented by Tissot
• UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships
• UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz
• UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz
• UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships
• UCI Mountain Bike Cross Country Eliminator World Championships
• UCI Trials World Championships
• UCI BMX Freestyle Park World Championships
• UCI BMX World Championships
• UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships
• UCI Gran Fondo World Championships

The organisers of Host City are delighted to announce that the Host City 2019 Expo & Conference will take place in Glasgow across two floors of the Technology & Innovation Centre for two full days on 26th and 27th November, with a welcome reception on 25th.

Now with full run of the entire venue, Host City Expo & Conference has greatly expanded the marketplace of stands and number of attendees.

Extending the programme to two full days gives delegates even more business and networking opportunities around the world class international conference for which the event is famed.

Rights holders and destinations now have even more opportunities to meet, display and present to one another.

Suppliers have greatly increased opportunities to meet, display and present to event organisers, including organising committees and other future event hosts.

- Cities & Destinations: Why should cities host? How do cities attract and bid for events? How do they best engage with their citizens?
- Rights Holders: Discover new hosting opportunities and learn best practice from other event owners.
- Opportunities for suppliers to engage with events organisers, project managers, decision makers, and each other.
- Event Organisers: Learn about successful event hosting from a range of different events of many sizes and profiles

We look forward to welcoming you to Glasgow on 25th November at the largest international meeting of sports, business and cultural events.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Host City organisers if you have any questions.

SPONSORSHIP & DELEGATE ENQUIRIES:
Adam Soroka
Group Managing Director
+44 (0)203 675 9531
adam.soroka@cavendishgroup.co.uk

SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES:
Ben Avison
Editorial and Conference Director
+44 (0)203 675 9530
ben.avison@hostcity.com

[Source: EventScotland] Edinburgh is set to host the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s (IFSC) European Championships 2019 for Lead and Speed after being awarded the Championships by the international governing body.

The Scottish capital was successful in securing the event, which is held biennially, following a joint bid by EventScotland, City of Edinburgh Council, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), Mountaineering Scotland and in conjunction Edinburgh International Climbing Arena (EICA):Ratho, Europe’s largest indoor climbing arena.

Wolfgang Wabel, IFSC European Council President, said: “Edinburgh put on a fantastic show of climbing and paraclimbing in 2017, and we are confident the organising team will continue the proud legacy at the IFSC European Championships for Lead and Speed in 2019.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “This is a great result following all the work that has gone into securing a second successive climbing event for Edinburgh after the success of the World Cup at EICA:Ratho in September 2017. Scotland is the perfect stage and EventScotland is delighted to be supporting the return of international climbing to the Scottish capital.

“This is an exciting time for the sport and Ratho is the ideal platform for people to see climbing first-hand ahead of its debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.”

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “As Europe’s largest indoor climbing arena, Edinburgh’s EICA is the perfect venue for the European Championships! We’re looking forward to welcoming this high-profile event to the city – it will provide local people with the opportunity to see some of the continent’s best mountaineers in action, while also broadcasting Scotland’s Capital to sports channels and climbing fans all over the world.”

Zoe Spriggins, BMC Competitions Programme Manager, said: “The British Mountaineering Council is proud to be able to assist Edinburgh in hosting this event. It will not only be a highly exciting competition in its own right, but is also the last chance to see our GB athletes competing on home soil ahead of Tokyo 2020.”

Jamie Smith, ClimbScotland Team Leader, said: “Mountaineering Scotland are excited to welcome the IFSC European Championships to Scotland this year. It is great to see our National Centre being host to the competition which will see some of Europe’s top climbers battle it out over the two days of competition. This event is a great opportunity to inspire our next generation of young climbers as well as helping raise the profile of the sport nationally. This is an exciting time for climbing now being an Olympic sport and Tokyo 2020 just around the corner.”

Lindsay Renwick, Head of Customer Operations (West) at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We’re delighted that Europe’s largest climbing arena is once again able to show off our world class climbing facilities at EICA:Ratho, following the success of the IFSC World Cup and Paraclimbing World Cup in September 2017.”

The European Championships will take place from 5 – 6^th October 2019 and will be a chance to see some of the best climbers in Europe compete ahead of the sport’s debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. It also follows the successful delivery of the IFSC World Cup when EICA:Ratho took centre stage for the fifth World cup in Lead and Speed of 2017. The sold-out event attracted more than 1,200 spectators, athletes and coaches.

Twenty-five million people climb regularly worldwide and there has been a rapid rise in popularity of climbing worldwide, a sport that draws diverse climbers from rural and mountain as well as urban areas.

Host City: The theme of Host City 2018 is “The Future of Major Events”. What do you think will be the single most important concern for event hosts and organisers in the next five to ten years?

Paul Bush: I believe the single most important concern for event hosts and organisers in the next five to ten years will be how major events contribute to government policy and help bring about long-term transformational change within society beyond just having an economic impact.

No longer can we hold events for events’ sake. They need to reflect the priorities of the wider community and ensure the benefit is felt across the board, not just amongst those immediately connected with the event.

It is about ensuring a 360-degree approach to the planning and delivery of events to ensure policy drivers such as health, education, transport and sustainability are reflected in the event’s overall aims and objectives.  

By taking this approach, it will in turn filter down into other key areas that will impact events going forward, including the integrity of the event, security and the role of technology in the viewing and delivery of events.

Host City: How are geopolitical trends and concerns over event governance impacting the distribution of future major events? Where in the world will future investment be strongest? What impact might Brexit have?

Paul Bush: As major events are often bid for and awarded years in advance, considerations of the ever-evolving geopolitical trends and event governance are part of the event planning and delivery process. It’s too early to say what the full impact of Brexit will be but as a global industry, events are well placed to respond to the changes that are likely to come given we are used to operating across national and international borders to deliver events, particularly around major sporting events.

Like everything, the funding landscape is also changing, with sponsorship and grants no longer simply about name rights and brand awareness. Therefore in the future, investment will be strongest where bids can successfully articulate the benefit of events that reflect the values and ambitions of rights holders and sponsors while aligning with government policies to deliver long-term transformational change.

Host City: What can event owners, organisers and hosts do to ensure major events become more financially and environmentally sustainable? How can hosting events create happier, healthier citizens?

Paul Bush: Again I think this comes back to taking a 360 degree approach to the planning and delivery of events. Aligning with government policy, particularly around, health, transport and infrastructure, will ensure major events are more financially and environmentally sustainable as well as helping create happier, healthier citizens.

As a society I think we are more aware of the impact of our carbon footprint so we’re looking for events to reflect value for money by minimise their environmental impact. Take for example the recent European Championships. There was limited capital infrastructure costs because we used existing venues from the Commonwealth Games in 2014. The only new venue built for the Championships was the BMX track, which is the first and only world championships and Olympic standard BMX track in Scotland and only the second in the UK, ensuring a legacy for the sport of BMX in Scotland.

We also want events to leave a lasting personal legacy on our citizens, whether that’s through signposting to activities that can improve both mental and physical health or providing opportunities to gain new skills and experiences through volunteering. So major events now have an important role to play within society beyond just providing an amazing spectacle for people to enjoy.

Host City: What are current trends telling us about the kind of content and formats that will be in demand in the future?

Paul Bush: Current trends are telling us we need to think about content and formats in quite a different way than we previously have. The old broadcast model is increasing becoming outdated and needs to evolve to ensure we continue to engage with fans. Fans want content that is personalised and accessible to them through a range of devices and mediums.

From an event delivery perspective, part of this trend means embracing and experimenting with new platforms – whether that be streaming live events, augmented reality or widening the fan engagement, on the platforms they are already using.

At the root, it is about moving away from thinking about digital as a channel and more as something that is core to the way we manage and run events.

Host City: What are your expectations of Host City 2018 and why should people attend?

Paul Bush: It is great to have Host City 2018 back in Glasgow and Scotland for the fourth consecutive year. I’m once again looking forward to the high calibre of speakers and delegates Host City attracts. This year’s agenda continues to push the industry to delve into the issues we’re facing and having meaningful debate round them.

It is also a great opportunity to network with colleagues from across the sporting, cultural and business events sector in a relaxed and friendly setting. So if you haven’t registered already, I highly recommend you do so now.

As Chairman of Host City 2018, Paul Bush OBE will be delivering the opening keynote address and speaking on the panel “Populations, politics and popularity stakes”. Register your attendance here

[Source: EventScotland] The Sprint World Orienteering Championships 2022 are coming to Scotland after Edinburgh was awarded the event by the International Orienteering Federation (IOF), beating Paris for the honour.

The Scottish capital was successful after an innovative joint bid was submitted by The Scottish Orienteering 6-Day Event Company, Scottish Orienteering Association, EventScotland, the City of Edinburgh Council, British Orienteering and the University of Edinburgh to host the event in the middle of July 2022.

The IOF Sprint World Orienteering Championships brings together the best teams from around the world to compete across three main disciplines – individual sprint, sprint relay and knock-out sprint.  An anticipated 250 athletes from 50 countries are expected to attend the Championships, bringing with them additional coaching staff and supporters. In addition to the main Championship races, there will also be a full programme of spectator races suitable for all levels of orienteering ability and competitive classes for all ages.

Scotland has a strong history of hosting the World Orienteering Championships having previously hosted the event three times over the last 40 years. However, unlike the previous occasions when the event took place in countryside of the Scottish Highlands, the 2022 event will use the fabric of Edinburgh’s city centre to create an exciting and unique sports arena.

Taking advantage of the medieval tenements, the narrow and intricate alleys and the sweeping landscapes surrounding the city, innovation will be at the core of the Championships to challenge the athletes as well as bring the best possible experience of this thrilling and fast-paced sport to spectators by creating an amazing spectacle for them in the heart of the city. Use of innovative broadcasting techniques, including drone footage, will also allow organisers to showcase Edinburgh to an international TV audience alongside the exciting sporting action.

Tom Hollowell, International Orienteering Federation CEO, said: “The IOF vision for the Sprint World Orienteering Championships, of bringing it to exciting international venues, is coming true.

“Scotland has extensive experience in organising high-level events. The World Orienteering Championships in Inverness in 2015 was the latest major IOF event held in the country. The bid was partly initiated by EventScotland, which is involved in delivering major sporting and cultural events in Scotland. 

“The support being provided by the City of Edinburgh Council and EventScotland was a key factor in awarding Sprint WOC 2022. We look forward to showing orienteering and Edinburgh to the world.”

He added: “Through their bid, we expect that Edinburgh will first and foremost provide exciting competitions where the world’s best sprint orienteers will be awarded their medals. But we also expect to increase the visibility of orienteering both locally and globally against the palette of the iconic landmarks of Edinburgh.”

Peter Hart, British Orienteering Chief Executive, said: “Being awarded the Sprint World Orienteering Championships 2022 is incredibly important to us. We have been working alongside our partners preparing our bid for a long time and I’d like to thank them all for their dedication to it, in particular, the Scottish Orienteering Association, for driving this exciting project forward.

“This win gives us the opportunity to further develop the sport throughout the United Kingdom by building on the success of 2015 when we last hosted a World Championships.

“We look forward to welcoming the world’s best orienteers with a warm Scottish welcome to Edinburgh in 2022 where they will battle it out in what is guaranteed to be a thrilling competition in a spectacular city.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted Scotland has been awarded the right to host the Sprint World Orienteering Championships 2022. This is an excellent result following the hard work by the bid partners to secure this important international event for the Scottish capital.

“Over the years, Scotland has developed the capacity and capability to deliver a wide range of sporting and cultural events, and it is our globally recognised reputation along with our experience in event delivery that makes Scotland the perfect stage for events.”

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener for City of Edinburgh Council, said: “With its narrow closes, steep stairways and winding streets, Edinburgh’s city centre will provide the ideal challenging location for the world’s top orienteers.

“Images of the competitors making their way down the Royal Mile will present an excellent opportunity for us to showcase Edinburgh’s beautiful and historic cityscape to a global audience.

“We’re looking forward to hosting this Sprint World Championship sporting event, and I’m sure the people of Edinburgh will warmly welcome the many competitors and supporters from all over the world.”

Anne Hickling, Chair of Scottish Orienteering Association, said: “The Scottish Orienteering Association is delighted by this exciting news. Hosting a World Championship event in the heart of Edinburgh will give us the opportunity to present orienteering to a wide audience and allow people to see at close quarters what an exciting sport it is.

“Building on the experience of our successful hosting of the 2015 World Championships, we are confident that this event will promote growth in our sport locally and across the country.

“We look forward to working with our partners in the event and to welcoming the world's best orienteers to Scotland again.”

The decision to award Edinburgh the Sprint World Orienteering Championships 2022 follows the city being shortlisted by the IOF earlier this year and a visit by officials in May to see the city’s world-class venues and facilities that will make it the perfect host.

The IOF will now appoint a Senior Event Advisor to work closely with the Steering Group and Organisation Committee to oversee the delivery of the event including reviewing and agreeing race venues, TV rights and appointment of officials.

• Twelve events from across 10 local authorities are to benefit from nearly £100,000 of funding from EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate
• Among them are five events receiving funding for the first time, including Cream o’ the Croft in Comrie Croft, Perthshire, and The Eliminator Mountain Bike Festival in Newburgh, Fife
• The National Programme Fund plays an integral role in developing domestic tourism across Scotland by help grow the country’s diverse events portfolio

Nearly £100,000 of funding has been awarded to 12 events and festivals across Scotland from the latest round of EventScotland’s National Programme Fund.

Among them are Cream o’ the Croft and The Eliminator Mountain Bike Festival, two of five events and festivals receiving funding for the first time from EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.

Taking place in June and August respectively, and organised by Muckmedden Ltd, the two family-friendly mountain bike events offer more than just your average mountain bike festival. With something for everyone, including mountain bike racing, live music, gourmet food and drink, and wild camping, the two events are the perfect book ends to the summer.

Both events have been awarded £5,000 each to enhance the PR and marketing support and activity around the event, including video production and online advertising.

Aaron Gray, Events Director at Muckmedden Ltd, said: “We would like to sincerely thank EventScotland for their invaluable support with Cream o’ the Croft and The Eliminator. The generous funding we have been awarded will allow us to promote both of our family-friendly festivals to all of the UK. The investment also gives us the freedom to significantly improve the quality of infrastructure and entertainment at both venues as we seek to attract not only mountain bikers, but young families and music festival-goers to Highland Perthshire and Fife.”

Also receiving funding is Bonfest, the three-day rock music festival that celebrates the life and music of the AC/DC legend Bon Scott. Held in his home town of Kirriemuir, and organised by Scottish charity DD8 Music, this is the third year the festival has received funding from EventScotland. Over that time the funding has helped the festival expand its offer and increase its attendance, with a record attendance of 6,000 from 27 countries turning out across the three days for last year’s festival. This year the festival has been awarded £9,332 towards increasing the capacity and quality of the campsite as well as for staging in Bellies Brae car park, next to the Bon Scott Statue, that will showcase young bands as part of Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018. 

Graham Galloway, DD8 Music Chairperson, said: "DD8 Music are delighted that Bonfest is being supported for the third year by the National Programme Fund. The fund has enabled the festival to grow significantly over the past few years, and we would have found this very difficult to achieve without the help and support of EventScotland. As a youth music charity, we are very excited to be one of the many amazing Year of Young People events happening all over Scotland, which are celebrating the talent and ambition of our upcoming generation."

The National Programme Fund supports the strategic development of events which occur outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow, with the aim of driving tourism, delivering economic impact for local communities and generating media profile for Scotland. Since 2008, EventScotland has invested more than £3.9m into 363 events across the country. Building on existing event activities, extending marketing reach and enhancing the on-site food and drink offer are just some of the ways funding is put to use by events and festivals.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted to be funding these 12 amazing events and festivals from the latest round of EventScotland’s National Programme Fund. Taking place across 10 local authorities between May and October, these events and festivals will bring real impact by attracting visitors and driving economic impact in their local area.

“The National Programme Fund plays a vital role in maintaining Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for events and it is through events like these that we can ensure we continue to have a dynamic events portfolio that benefits everyone.”

The full list of events receiving support from Round 37 of EventScotland’s National Programme Fund are:

Hosted by sports broadcaster, Eilidh Barbour, and held at Glasgow’s Technology & Innovation Centre, 42 expert speakers and a capacity audience gathered for the flagship industry conference to share best practice and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Scotland’s events industry.

David Coletto from Abacus Data delivered a timely and thought provoking keynote speech, providing invaluable insight on understanding the future of events through the eyes of a millennial during his presentation ‘Disruption and Generational Change’; part of the opening plenary session, ‘The Changing Audience for Events’.

He gave the 300 strong audience three things to take away from his talk when thinking about millennials around events. Firstly they are a ‘do’ generation not a ‘have’ generation. They prefer experiences over owning goods. Secondly, it’s all about the experience. Millennials want a quality experience that is authentic, natural and value for money. And lastly, they want to be told a story but they want it to be authentic.

He said: “This generation is a product of their environment and they have been shaped with entirely new skill sets, opinions and values. The more you learn about millennials the more you can comprehend and appreciate the significance of the economic, political and social change happening around us.

“The needs of the millennial generation compared to those of previous generations are so different. We are often described as the experiential obsessed generation and it is this generational change that is disrupting so many markets, including the events and festivals sector. With millennials currently representing a quarter of the population in countries across the world, whether it be Scotland, the UK, American or Canada, it is a key market that represents great opportunity for the industry, so understanding the change and harnessing it to your advantage is vital if you want to succeed in attracting and retaining a millennial audience for your event.

“From my perspective, there’s never been a better time to be in the events and festivals business.”

The day’s 11 break-out sessions also provided further opportunities for the industry to delve into the latest trends and issues facing the sector, with EventImpacts, the National Culture Strategy Consultation, Event Tech, Social Media as well as Security, Stewarding and Policing among the popular topics delegates engaged in.

Following the break-out sessions, the delegates came together for the closing plenary session ‘‘Scotland’s Assets & The Perfect Stage’, with five of the industry’s leading professionals discussing the assets that are the cornerstone of the country’s event strategy - our people, our cultural identify and heritage, our natural environment, our built facilities, and our signature events - and providing their perspective on the opportunities and challenges of continuing to deliver a strong portfolio of events that maximise these key assets to ensure sustainable impact and international profile for Scotland.

Building on the success of the previous conference in 2015, the 2017 event provided the industry with a forum to learn, share knowledge and network, allowing event practitioners to remain up-to-date and ensuring Scotland maintains its reputation as a world-leader in event development and delivery.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “The National Events Conference has been a great opportunity for our industry to come together and review the progress we’ve made so far with our national events strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage, as well as discuss the challenges and opportunities we’re currently facing. The level of debate and discussion that has taken place throughout the day has been truly outstanding.

“As an industry we are doing some amazing work, with a great portfolio of annual events as well as continually attracting some of the biggest events in the world from the Commonwealth Games, The Ryder Cup to the MTV Music Awards. Our work is the envy of many, however, as an industry we need to be better at articulating more clearly the wider benefits of events, especially as we face the challenges ahead.”

Immediately following the National Events Conference has been another leading events conference, Host City 2017, the world’s largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events. Also taking place at Glasgow’s Technology & Innovation Centre from 28 to 29 November, attendees included 30 event owners and 20 organising committees as well as 200 delegates.

Using his opening remarks as co-chair of the conference, Paul, further addressed the challenges facing the events and festivals industry but this time on a global scale.

He said: “While it is an exciting time for the industry with all the technological advancements and the rise in social media allowing events and audiences to be more engaged, it is also a very challenging time. The current security climate, the transparency and governance around the bid process, as well doping and corruption in sport, are adversely affecting the confidence the public has in bidding for and delivering of major events. As a global industry we must be willing to tackle it head on if we are to maintain public support for major events around the world.

“This was an area of great debate by the Scottish events industry at the National Events Conference and one I’m sure will be continued by delegates over the two days at Host City 2017.”

Scotland is celebrating becoming the next host nation of The Solheim Cup following the official handover to Gleneagles at the culmination of the 2017 event at Des Moines Golf & Country Club in Iowa.
The American team triumphed over Europe in a thrilling contest which showcased the very best of women’s golf and now the responsibility for staging the biggest event in the women’s game rests with Scotland when Team USA will look to defend the title at Gleneagles in 2019.
The official handover was recognised at the closing ceremony of The 2017 Solheim Cup during which junior golfers Anna Mackay and Eilidh Henderson accepted the honour of hosting the 2019 event on behalf of Scotland.
Anna and Eilidh were chosen to represent Scotland as part of the #Project19 initiative which saw six junior girls attend The 2017 Solheim Cup as part of Scotland’s delegation to experience a major event and inspire them looking ahead to 2019.
The closing ceremony, which was broadcast worldwide, also featured a performance from up-and-coming Dundee band BeCharlotte to showcase the very best of young Scottish talent in both sport and music.
The 2019 Solheim Cup will take place at Gleneagles from 13-15 September 2019 with the PING Junior Solheim Cup played at the same venue earlier in the week. The event underlines Scotland’s commitment to supporting women’s golf and growing junior and female participation as well as showcasing Scotland as a world-class golf tourism and events destination.
Scotland’s staging of The 2019 Solheim Cup is being led by the EventScotland team within VisitScotland’s events directorate. Paul Bush, Director of Events with VisitScotland, said: “We have witnessed a truly world-class exhibition of golf in Des Moines for The 2017 Solheim Cup with huge crowds supporting both teams and a massive worldwide TV audience.  I hope this success has whetted the appetite of spectators for Gleneagles and demonstrated the sheer scale of the event coming to Scotland in 2019.
“It was a great experience for our junior golfers Anna and Eilidh, and an up-and-coming band in BeCharlotte, to represent Scotland in the handover and demonstrates our commitment to using The Solheim Cup as a vehicle to supporting young Scottish talent.”
Tickets for The 2019 Solheim Cup will be going on sale from Thursday 24th August on www.solheimcup2019.com with daily, weekly and family packages available. As well as attracting a strong golfing audience in Scotland, the event will also be aimed at families with a host of family-orientated activities available on site.
It is also a key event in Scotland’s goal of growing golf tourism with a number of Authorised Tour Operators already promoting travel packages to The 2019 Solheim Cup. Currently 12 per cent of golf visitors to Scotland are women but The Solheim Cup offers the opportunity to promote Scotland, the Home of Golf, to many more female golfers.
Golf tourism is currently worth £286 million annually to Scotland with a target to grow that to £300 million by 2020.