DENTAL CONFERENCE BRINGS A SMILE TO GLASGOW BUSINESSES

More than 3,000 delegates are set to descend on Glasgow next week as the British Dental Conference and Exhibition returns to the city between 4-6 June at the Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre.

 

The annual British Dental Association (BDA) event, which was last staged in Glasgow in 2005, is expected to generate more than £4 million for the local economy and is a welcome boost for Glasgow businesses at a time when the effects of the global recession are still being felt.   

 

The conference and exhibition is one of the major events in the BDA calendar and will include a keynote speech by local entrepreneur Charan Gill MBE, founder of Harlequin Leisure group, which owns the famous Indian restaurant chain, Ashoka.

 

Other speakers at the event will include former Scotland rugby star Gavin Hastings and Margie Taylor, Chief Dental Officer for Scotland.  Meanwhile, the exhibition is set to be their biggest to date and will contain a variety of catering points, feature areas, seminars and an internet café.

 

Before 2005, Glasgow had last hosted the British Dental Conference and Exhibition in 1987.

 

The conference and exhibition has been brought to the city with assistance from Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB). 

 

Scott Taylor, Chief Exectutive of GCMB said:  “We are delighted to welcome back the British Dental Conference and Exhibition to Glasgow in 2009.  Glasgow has a proven track record in hosting major conferences and events and the return of the BDA is further evidence of this.

 

“Glasgow continues to be an attractive option for conferences due to its excellent conference facilities, ample high-quality hotel accommodation and vibrant city life.  Indeed, in 2008, the city moved up six places in the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) rankings – which rate the most popular conference destinations worldwide – to 42^nd place.

 

“Glasgow City Marketing Bureau is working hard to ensure the city continues to welcome new and repeat business to Glasgow and, in the year ending  March 09,  secured £131 million in conference sales.”

 

A number of major conferences and events have already taken place in Glasgow this year, including the British Society of Gastroenterology and the Scottish Energy and Environment Conference, with many more still to come throughout 2009.

 

Ben Goedegebuure, Director of Sales at the SECC said:  “We’re delighted to welcome back the British Dental Associations to Glasgow and the SECC. We have a long standing relationship with the association and are pleased they have the confidence in the city to deliver a memorable event to their 3,000 delegates. Its especially rewarding to welcome such major events to Glasgow during a tough economic climate and serves to underline the value of conferences and exhibitions to associations like this, and our own role as one of the UK and Europe’s leading venues.”

 

The Convention Bureau at GCMB was voted ‘Best UK Convention Bureau’ for the third consecutive year at the industry magazine Meetings + Incentive Travel (M+IT) in February, becoming the first Scottish city to win the top prize three years in a row.  The SECC won ‘Best UK Convention Centre’ for the second consecutive year at the same awards ceremony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 2009