Host Destination: Edinburgh

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Edinburgh to Leave BestCities After Cuts

Edinburgh will leave Iceberg partner BestCities Global Alliance at the end of the year after major public sector funding cuts that have devastated Marketing Edinburgh. The body is the destination’s convention and visitors bureau, and is responsible for promoting the city to the world. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Edinburgh: Capital of Scotland, Capital of Data

Edinburgh has just shored up its ambition to become the “data capital” of Europe by hosting ESOMAR Congress 2019. The global data and insights summit at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre attracted more than 1,200 international delegates, and over 3,600 online viewers. The Scottish capital is considered the UK’s fastest growing tech hub. From AMI Intellectual Capitals…

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Edinburgh’s EICC Posts Record Results

The Edinburgh International Conference Centre has posted record financial results for 2018 as managers wary of a Brexit downturn target growth opportunities outside Europe. EICC is owned by Edinburgh City Council, which last month cut £300,000 from the annual budget of Marketing Edinburgh, the body that runs CVB Convention Edinburgh. From Association Meetings International…

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Using the Destination, Adding Value for the Community

During a busy European Cities Marketing Spring Meeting 2019 in Edinburgh, meetings professionals debated the successes and failures of city event organisations from all over the continent. Contributors included Iceberg partner ECM’s President, Dieter Hardt-Stremayr. From Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Edinburgh Marketing Wins Stay of Execution

Edinburgh Marketing, the body behind the city’s convention bureau, has been dealt an eleventh hour reprieve after city councillors accepted a counter offer to proposed cuts. The council had sought to slash the organisation’s funding by £567,000 next year and by 89 percent over two years. Now it has reinstated £267,000. From Association Meetings International…

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DMO MD Condemns Edinburgh Cuts

Leaders from one of Europe’s most prestigious gatherings of destination marketing organisations have voiced disbelief at proposed budget cuts which could see the end of both Marketing Edinburgh and the city’s convention bureau. Partner of the Iceberg European Cities Marketing’s Spring Meeting 2019 has just been held in the Scottish capital. From Association Meetings International…

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Knowledge Hub: What Future for Edinburgh’s Ambassadors?

Ambassadors help destinations secure international association meetings. So Edinburgh’s meetings industry has an anxious wait ahead of a council vote on budget cuts that could virtually wipe out the city’s marketing and lead to the closure of Convention Edinburgh and its ambassador scheme. From editor’s blog at Association Meetings International…

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Edinburgh’s Room Tax: Breach in the Dyke or Bad Idea?

While the Edinburgh Convention Bureau’s future funding lies under threat, so the city has also voiced the idea of a £2 per person nightly “room tax”. Some see this as a welcome source of new revenue, but will any get back to marketing, and what about competitiveness? From editor’s blog at Meetings & Incentive Travel…

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Lesley Williams

Consultant, GainingEdge

Website: View website

Lesley joined BestCities in 2017 as Market Development Director, and was Managing Director from January 2020 to July 2023, following the decision of BestCities to award extending the management contract to GainingEdge. Lesley is a strong supporter and advocate of the beyond tourism impacts of meetings.  In 2017 BestCities formed a collaboration with ICCA to…

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Edinburgh Ambassadors Slam Proposed Cuts

Academics across Edinburgh have slammed proposed budget cuts that would see an 89 percent drop in the capital’s marketing over the next two years as well as the closure of its ambassador programme. Over 75 Edinburgh ambassadors contacted the City Council objecting to the proposal to slash Marketing Edinburgh’s budget by £790,000. From Association Meetings International…

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13 February 2019

ECM Spring Meeting 2019, Edinburgh, UK

A fully loaded two-day conference with leading international experts, event owners and select international showcases that will provide you with all the insights and inspiration you need to cultivate the event scene in your city. We proudly present event leaders and creatives from some of the world’s leading happenings and dissect the strategies that made…

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Edinburgh: Winning the World One Health Congress 2020

Edinburgh’s position as a leading hub for medical and healthcare expertise has been reinforced by the city winning hosting rights for the 6th World One Health Congress in 2020. More than 2,000 global medical or veterinary professionals, opinion leaders and policy makers will attend the four-day event at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. From Intellectual Capitals…

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Global TEDSummit Picks Edinburgh for 2019

Scotland has fought off stiff competition to play host to the 2019 TEDSummit and up to 1,300 members of TED’s global community. This high profile event will take place in July at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, and EICC’s winning bid was supported by many of the city and wider country’s stakeholder institutions. From Meetpie.com…

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IMEX 2018: Three GainingEdge Legacy Case Studies

The Rehabilitation International World Congress (pictured), held in Edinburgh in 2016, fundamentally advanced approaches to accessibility and inclusion. The event’s legacy – and indeed the distinction between legacy and impact – was one of three case studies discussed at an IMEX 2018 session hosted by Iceberg partner GainingEdge. From Boardroom…

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International Research Conferences: The Academic Impact

The study explores the benefits and barriers for individual researchers and universities when hosting research conferences. The study has been commissioned by the Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy – an advisory body to the Danish Minister of Higher Education and Science. Thereby the study situates the hosting of research conferences as a potential…

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EICC Reports Record 2017

The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) has reported a record year in 2017 with delegate numbers up 3,000 year-on-year to 94,000, attending around 200 events at the venue. Operating profits almost doubled year-on-year, while economic impact for the city was up to £55 million in 2017 from £51.6 million the previous year. From Association Meetings International…

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Scottish Government Salutes Edinburgh’s Ambassadors

The debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament building is one of the most extraordinary meeting spaces ever constructed. And now the Scottish Government has further recognised the importance of meetings to the country’s economic development by saluting the academic and business ambassadors helping the capital Edinburgh to attract business and professional events. Photo: Colin. From Meetpie.com…

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