With thanks to Eoin Smith, Senior Account Executive, Tricker PR.
Representatives from local tourism body VisitAberdeenshire are heading south of the border to promote the north east of Scotland to international MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) buyers later this month. Business development director Peter Medley and Jenni Fraser (pictured), business development manager, will attend The Meetings Show in London from 14-16 June, to promote the region to the lucrative meetings, events and conferencing market.
Over 5,000 meetings industry professionals from across the globe will attend the exhibition, where they will have the chance to learn about the new developments in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire’s venue and incentive offering.
As well as exhibiting to the masses, Peter and Jenni will meet with key business MICE buyers in order to discuss the finer details of what the region has to offer business travellers.
Peter Medley says,
“Attending events like The Meetings Show is an incredibly important step in marketing Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire as a business travel destination to the wider world.
“Although business tourism has dipped in the north east of Scotland over the past year, there are a number of new developments which will make the region an incredibly attractive prospect for those organising world-class conferences and events.
“Hotel room rates, which were once at an all-time high thanks to the high level of energy industry professionals visiting the city, are now at a much more affordable level, making the region much more enticing to those looking for an affordable – and well-equipped – destination to hold a conference or event.”
Improvements to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire’s infrastructure are making it easier than ever before for overseas travellers to arrive in the north east. Aberdeen International Airport is currently undergoing a £20 million expansion programme, which will see its landside, airside and security facilities improved and updated.
Coupled with new flight routes from Icelandair, which open up faster routes to many US cities and other global destinations, it has never been simpler to travel to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
But it is not just the region’s travel facilities which are being overhauled. The Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) is about to undergo a massive £333 million redevelopment and relocation, which will see it moved closer to the airport and the Western Peripheral Route.
Due to open in 2019, the new AECC will provide greater connectivity and convenience for those travelling to exhibitions and conferences in the area. New flexible space – including a subterranean area for holding large exhibitions – will provide greatly improved facilities for those organising events.
Similarly, Aberdeen Art Gallery and the Music Hall – both situated in Aberdeen city centre – are experiencing major renovations worth £30 million and £7 million respectively. Providing the perfect venues for gala dinners, drinks receptions and conferences, these new and improved venues will be major assets to the region’s business tourism offering.
Peter concludes,
“When many think of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, their mind springs immediately to oil and gas, however the region has much more to offer meetings and conferences in all sectors – as evidenced by the wide variety of events celebrated by the Team Aberdeen Ambassador Awards earlier this year.
“The north east is also well equipped to cater for the incentive travel market. We are incredibly lucky to have a number of world-class golf courses in the region, including Royal Aberdeen and the Trump International Golf Links. Add to this a number of spectacular whisky distilleries which offer tours and tastings throughout the year, and it becomes quickly apparent just how much the region has to offer.
“We look forward to meeting event organisers from a wide variety of industries at The Meetings Show in London, and revealing to them exactly what Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire can provide.”
For more information about VisitAberdeenshire, visit www.visitabdn.com
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We have some World class developments that massively overshadow our heritage. We have some World class leaders and business personalities who like to leave stamp their mark all over our valued natural heritage with “class” buildings. We also, apparently have the largest (greatest) dunes in the World , a very well kept secret and not even mentioned in any of the blurbs on 10 greatest, largest, highest dunes on google… The greatest ever US presidential candidate is known to visit the area, sometimes even staying more that 30 minutes.
When Joanna Blythman said “The Granite City is in thrall to the Philistines” and went on to say “The oil years have changed the ethos of this fine town……Today the city is all about materialism, bling cars, big steaks and bugger the past. Even within Scotland, Aberdeen and its surrounding area now looks like territory all but ceded, by fawning politicians and planners……..seems semi-detached from civilised European culture ……” I could go on, but I think you probably get the picture. Perhaps VisitAberdeenshire should have looked at what visitors – even corporate ones – like to do when they come to Scotland, and playing golf is way down the list. While I have no objection to you promoting golf, I do object to the promotion of TIGLS. Trump is no longer a Global Scot, and his degree from RGU has been rescinded. There was a petition,that collected way more than half a million signatures, requesting that he be banned from entering the UK, yet you are promoting a business that is owned by a bullying, racist, misogynist where his neighbours on the Menie are treated despicably. This smacks of sycophancy of the worst order, and you should be ashamed that you are promoting Scotland in this dreadful way.