HAT TRICK FOR GLASGOW AT CONFERENCE AWARDS

 

 

Glasgow scooped three major prizes last night (23 Feb 09) at the UK conference industry’s leading awards ceremony.

 

Readers of the industry magazine Meetings + Incentive Travel (M+IT) gave the Convention Bureau at Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB) the accolade of ‘Best UK Convention Bureau’ for the third year in a row at a ceremony in London.

 

And the Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre (SECC) was named ‘Best UK Convention Centre’ for the second year running, beating ACC Liverpool, One Great George Street, and the RBS Williams F1 Conference Centre.

 

Leith’s, the SECC’s in-house caterers, also picked up ‘Best Food and Beverage Supplier’ for the third year in a row.

 

Glasgow Convention Bureau beat the Jersey Conference Bureau, Conference Yorkshire South, and the Birmingham Convention Bureau to win the award – becoming the first Scottish city to take the top prize three years in a row.

 

Scott Taylor, CEO – Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “This award, which is recognised as the industry’s ‘gold standard’, demonstrates a resounding vote of confidence in Glasgow by conference organisers and buyers.

 

“Winning Best UK Convention Bureau for the third consecutive year undoubtedly helps put Glasgow in a very strong market position when the city is bidding for national and international conventions business.”

 

Molly Doheny, head of the Convention Bureau at GCMB, added: “This is another fantastic performance from Glasgow’s conference industry.

 

“Conferences are extremely important to the city, which is why we take a Team Glasgow approach of working in close partnership with the private sector to win these meetings and give them such good service that they want to return.

 

“This award is not just for the Convention Bureau, it is for everyone in the city who works so hard year after year to make Glasgow such a fantastic conference destination.”

 

Ben Goedegebuure, Director of Sales at the Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre (SECC), said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating alongside Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.  These awards are well-deserved recognition for the city of Glasgow and underline the progress we are making together. GCMB has been at the forefront of bringing together venues, hotels, support services and creative industries in the city to present a united meeting and incentive product to organisers across the world.

 

“The wide range of services that they offer clients and potential clients is well recognised and appreciated. GCMB’s hard work and industry has placed Glasgow as one of the most fashionable business destinations in the UK and Europe.”

 

Meetings and Incentive Travel is circulated to a carefully targeted audience of corporate, association and intermediary event organisers throughout the UK. For more than a decade, it has been voted the number one meetings magazine in the UK.

 

7,500 votes for the 2009 M&IT Awards were cast by conference organisers and the votes were audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

 

 

 

Nancy McLardie, Head of Public Relations

Glasgow City Marketing Bureau

Tel: 0141 566 0830

Email: nancy.mclardie@seeglasgow.com

(or)

Alistair Turner of Davies Tanner on behalf of the SECC

Tel: 01892 617904

Email: alistair.turner@daviestanner.co.uk

 

Notes to editors:

Glasgow City Marketing Bureau is the official place marketing agency for Glasgow, engaged in national and international activity comprising:

 

In the operational year to March 2008, the Convention Bureau at GCMB secured sales of £151 million – a 3 per cent increase over the previous year. This equated to 543,000 delegate days – 11 per cent up on 2006/07.