Scotland meeting industry leaders are hoping to make business
events a central plank in the country’s vision to create a marine environment that,
‘supports ecosystems and livelihoods’.
Following Glasgow’s hosting of COP26 in 2021, Visit Scotland said business events would
play a ‘vital’ role in bringing the Scottish government’s sustainability goals
to fruition.
It highlighted The International Water Association’s World
Water Congress & Exhibition, which is due to take place at Scottish Event
Campus in Glasgow, in 2026, as an example.
The event will emphasise the role water plays in combatting
climate change and represents an important focus for IWA’s work to secure
progress on water issues globally.
Scotland has 6,160 miles of coastline and 900 islands. Activities
from offshore wind to fisheries and marine tourism, contribute £4bn to the
Scottish economy and employ around 68,000 people.
The marine sector is so crucial to Scotland that the
government has laid out a plan to protect the country’s rivers, waterways, and
oceans for generations to come. Scotland’s Blue
Economy Vision states that by 2045, Scotland’s shared stewardship of the
marine environment should support ecosystem health, improve livelihoods and
economic prosperity, social inclusion and wellbeing.
Dr Reanne Miller, a research
fellow at the Bryden Centre, and
one of Visit Scotland’s Sector Experts said: "As an island nation,
Scotland is a great destination for marine science business events. With 6,160
miles of coastline and over 900 islands, you are never far from the sea.
“In the morning you could be
discussing shellfish aquaculture or tidal energy, and in the afternoon you
could be visiting a shellfish hatchery or tidal energy development site. The
closeness we have to the marine environment in terms of physical geography,
culture, and history means that marine science business events here are set
precisely where visitors can see for themselves the impact that their work can
have – and to me that’s an incredibly powerful thing.”
She added: "This feeling of
connection between personal experience and work activity (whether science or
business) is something that draws people from all over the world to Scotland.
It gives us a voice on the global stage and provides a real platform that
enables us to have a substantially greater international impact than a small
nation would otherwise have.”
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
