As Edinburgh becomes more connected to North America, the
city’s conference centre is eyeing up cross-Atlantic business.
While exhibiting at IMEX America as part of the Visit
Scotland group, Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), which once
hosted President Barack Obama, has announced its plans to attract new markets.
The venue also reported it is set to return to pre-pandemic
levels of activity in 2023, following a strong rebound in association and corporate
business since reopening in September 2021.
EICC CEO Marshall Dallas said: “Edinburgh, like Scotland,
has so many close ties to North America. The city is experiencing record and
well-documented popularity as a place to live, and a place to visit. When it comes to conferences and business
events, in addition to our own venue, we have a multitude of historic sites in
and around the city. Edinburgh also has an array of highly-rated hotels and restaurants,
and incredible destinations within easy reach - the Highlands, Skye and the
Hebrides islands, world renowned golf courses, and whisky distilleries.”
Airline operators, such as Delta, have opened new routes into
Edinburgh, including Atlanta, the airline’s largest US hub. This will give access
to many other US destinations, while Delta has also extended the frequency of
existing routes including Boston and New York JFK.
In June, the EICC announced that it had taken on the
management and operations of Edinburgh’s Convention Bureau to help drive the
city’s business events sector. Dallas added: “Taking guardianship of the
Convention Bureau puts us in a positive position to help create a thriving
future for Edinburgh as a business events destination - which in turn brings
great benefit to the local economy and a multitude of city partners.”
EICC’s plans for growth will be bolstered by the new 349-bedroom
Hyatt Centric hotel set to open in 2025. This hotel will be Hyatt’s first hotel
in Scotland and will address the delegate demand issues the EICC has
historically faced.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
