The Ocean Sciences Meeting is the sector’s
flagship conference. This year it will leave the United States for the first
time and take place in Glasgow. From maximising global outreach, partnerships with government to leveraging
local expertise, we look at the benefits of the move for
this important event as it heads to Europe
The Ocean Sciences
Meeting (OSM) is widely regarded as the premier international conference for
the marine science community, providing a vital forum for researchers,
policymakers and practitioners to share findings, forge collaborative
partnerships and explore ways to enhance the impact of collective initiatives. Three partner associations have worked together for decades on this
major event: the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography
(ASLO), American Geophysical Union (AGU) and The Oceanography Society
(TOS).
“We’re all familiar
with the ‘message in a bottle’,” says Janice Lachance, Executive Director and
CEO of AGU. “Sent bobbing from one shore to be picked up and read many
thousands of miles away. We think about ‘our’ oceans. They tie us together.”
Passionate about
the importance of OSM to AGU and the scientific community, Lachance explains
how critical oceans are to the public and the very direct impact they have on
society and populations. “It’s the planet’s largest ecosystem,” she says. “Tied
to the economy and wellbeing. If we think about the goods that journey across
them, the cables and communication networks laid beneath them and of course the
nutrition they provide. We depend upon them and everyone enjoys their bounty.
“And it’s very
important to scientists. It’s the largest regulator of our climate and key to
dealing with the future. If we think about stability in the world, they show
how we need to work together as a global community."
With an increasing
recognition by governments worldwide of the ocean’s central role in sustaining
life, the discussions taking place in February at the Scottish Event Campus in
Glasgow are as important as ever. More than 6,000 attendees are expected from around the world including leading experts and organisations
committed to ocean stability.
“The study of oceans is vital to
addressing global challenges and forging a sustainable future for earth and all
its inhabitants,” says Teresa L Curto, ASLO Executive Director. “Every other
year, the Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) brings together the world’s leading
researchers, students, journalists, policymakers, educators and organisations
to showcase new research findings and developments in the search for solutions
and sustainability.”
Oceans cover more than 70 per cent of
the earth’s surface, providing over 50 per cent of the planet’s oxygen and
storing 50 times more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere. According to a UN
Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report, the fast-growing global ocean economy
hit a record $2.2 trillion in exports in 2023, powering industries from tourism
and pharmaceuticals to biotechnology and clean energy, supporting more than
600m jobs worldwide.
“The role of the ocean in the global
ecosystem is vast,” says Curto. “And the field of ocean science provides
foundational research into climate regulation, ecosystem health, resource
management, environmental protection and cross-field technology development.”
Collective effort expands access
The first Ocean Sciences Meeting was
held in February 1982 in San Antonio, Texas, with 700 attendees. It has been
held biennially for 44 years and although OSM has always attracted significant
participation from scientists outside the US - OSM 2024 in New Orleans saw 33
per cent of all attendees from outside the US - OSM Glasgow 2026 is the first
OSM meeting to be held outside the US.
“As the global leader in ocean sciences
conferences, OSM and its leadership from the three partner societies (AGU,
ASLO, TOS), wanted to expand access to a new region of scientists who can share
their findings, build relationships and advance the impact of science,”
explains Curto. “Glasgow was unanimously selected by the three societies for
many factors, including that the city is leading the development of a green
economy and has already hosted significant sustainability events, like COP26.
Scotland has a long tradition in ocean science, including its Blue Economy
Vision for 2045. The Scottish proposal
to OSM leadership was extremely strong, representing the collective efforts of
the Scottish government, VisitScotland, Glasgow Convention Bureau, the SEC and
Maritz Global Events.
“More than half our members are from
outside the US, and we have held many of our own Aquatic Sciences Meetings
(ASMs) around the globe, including the highest attended ASM on record in
Granada, Spain (2015) as well as Nice, France (2009). In addition, more than 65
per cent of corresponding authors of papers published in ASLO’s four journals
are from outside the US. ASLO leadership enthusiastically supported the
selection of Glasgow and we expect a significantly higher percentage of our
European membership will come to OSM 2026.
“We also anticipate that the meeting
will further expand the growing number of international research
collaborations, which ASLO actively fosters through its participation and
sponsorship of programmes.”
Lachance agrees, citing Glasgow’s
impressive handling of COP 26 under difficult covid restrictions as proof of
the city’s professionalism and experience, its strong maritime influence and serious
commitment to sustainability. “It’s front of mind,” she says, “Particularly at
the event campus. And that’s very important to us.”
Scotland’s Blue
Economy Vision
In March 2022, the
Scottish Government published its Blue Economy Vision, which sets out an
ambitious pathway: ‘By 2045, Scotland’s shared stewardship of our marine
environment supports ecosystem health, improved livelihoods, economic
prosperity, social inclusion and wellbeing.’
“The marine science
community meeting in Glasgow is well placed to support us in achieving the
vision and outcomes set out in our Blue Economy Vision,” says the Scottish
Government, Marine Directorate. “And to contribute meaningfully to the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 14: Life Below Water. Hosting
the OSM in Glasgow presents a significant opportunity for Scotland’s marine
science and policy communities to showcase their work on a global stage,
strengthen international networks and engage with leading experts from around
the world.”
Scotland is working
towards achieving net zero emissions by 2045, and the marine science community
will play a critical role in driving the societal and environmental
transformations that will be required.
Partnership in
action
Scotland has long
had an enviable reputation for its professional business events services and
they all played their part in supporting the OSM. Aileen Crawford, Head of
Glasgow Convention Bureau, says: “We recognise that hosting the Ocean Sciences
Meeting in Glasgow marks an exciting new chapter for the partner societies
meeting outside of the USA for the first time, and we are honoured hosts.
“For any US-based
association looking to take their first step into Europe, Glasgow Convention
Bureau stands ready to offer free advice to guide and support the delivery of a
successful and memorable meeting in Scotland. Going global is a great way to
showcase how international meetings expand reach, grow membership and create
new research collaboration. The OSM meeting is a fine example of partnership in
action; venue, city, Scottish and UK Governments, all working together with the
US-based host associations in support of this important sector.”
Lachance recommends
that other associations looking to work with a new destination or country
harness the resources available such as the local convention bureaus. “They’ve
been a great partner,” she says. “They understand the culture, logistics,
media, providing access to government officials, academia – the universities have
been a terrific help - safety and security. We really benefited from the
support of the Scottish government, Visit Scotland and Glasgow Convention
Bureau.”
Strategic policy
platforms for business events
“A positive
relationship between the national destination, the city and convention centre
is not a given by any means, as many people doing my job around the world can
testify,” says Neil Brownlee, Head of VisitScotland Business Events. “But in
Scotland, it works.
“At VisitScotland
Business Events, we pride ourselves on being one of the first national
destinations to produce a workable Policy-Driven Model for Business Events (PDM),
which brings access to Scottish Government Directorates to support conference
bids. The PDM sees business events as strategic ‘Policy Platforms’ for priority
policy areas aligned with government programmes and ambitions. The OSM coming
to Glasgow is a great example of the PDM in action. The experience of dealing
with the OSM bid was made especially smooth by an almost immediate and profound
understanding by Scottish Government colleagues of the opportunity being
presented by bringing the OSM meeting to our shores.”
VisitBritain was also
delighted to have supported the successful bid through its Business Events
Growth Programme, which provides grant funding for initial bid development with
the local organising committee and for the subsequent International Delegate
Growth Strategy. Says Paul Black, Head
of Business Events, VisitBritain: “Life sciences is one of Britain’s most
important growth sectors and this congress will provide a highly valuable
opportunity to convene leading researchers, innovators and scientists from
across the world. Glasgow’s successful bid demonstrated Scotland and the nation’s
intellectual capital through a wide ranging and professional bidding committee.
Hosting Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026 in Britain for the first time is a
prestigious milestone that highlights our role at the forefront of scientific
discovery and sustainable marine stewardship.
“North America
remains one of Britain’s leading markets for inbound business events, and we
are proud that Ocean Sciences 2026 will further deepen transatlantic
collaboration.”
The host venue,
Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus, also played a significant role. Kathleen
Warden, Director of Conference Sales, SEC, says: “Working with the AGU has been
a great journey, as they make their first foray outside of North America.
Like many before them, Scotland, Glasgow and the SEC have become
reliable landing points for North American organisations, organising their
event in Europe for the first time.
“Why? We
recognise that service is number one in the US. Being available and ready
to respond is essential to great service, particularly when dealing with
clients in different time zones. When we were approached about the
possibility of OSM coming to Europe, we had responded within 20 minutes, and
within a short space of time, had a fully costed and service-focused venue
solution on the table. Secondly, we’ve invested in the market. We are
entering our 40th year of working with US based clients delivering
events to a global audience. We have always been deeply invested in
understanding our US clients, and combine their unique needs with our
experience to give a highly personalised journey for the organiser and a local
and authentic experience for the delegates. We have dedicated specialists
within our sales and operational teams who understand the nuances of how our US
clients like to work.
“Thirdly, we
understand the value that strong local partnerships bring. For AGU, being
able to match the purpose and intent of bringing the ocean sciences community
together in Europe with a destination that has a clear vision for the science
and sector was key. Understanding this, we immediately engaged Glasgow
Convention Bureau, and the VisitScotland Business Events team who then linked
into the Scottish Government Marine Directorate. We take a national
approach to the business and the science, and a full Team Scotland approach to
delivering a meaningful event. We collaborated at national level to
enhance AGU’s reach in the marine and ocean sciences community, both academic
and business.
“Equally, we learn
a huge amount from our clients, and this is no different with AGU and Ocean
Sciences. They are innovative and dynamic people and working with them has been
a boost to our own experience as a team. It's a positive legacy and means we
can pass on even more experience to new conferences coming to our venue.”
Top 5 things to consider when
choosing a new host destination
Allow more lead time: recognise the complexity, acknowledge the differences in culture,
understand visa and travel issues
Access local resources early: working with local partners will be invaluable for identifying important
contacts in government, universities and business plus assistance with
inspection trips, bid support and grants. Assistance from the local convention
bureau, convention centre and other industry bodies will be key; they know what
works and will have an interest in making your event a success
Synergy of ideas and policy – choosing a destination that supports strategic business events in
your sector will open many doors
A good fit – ensure the destination matches the service levels, logistics and
infrastructure requirements of your event; walk through the venue, talk to the
hotels
Shared values – if sustainability is important to your organisation and event,
work with a destination and venue that has robust systems already in place
For more information on bringing your
international association event to Glasgow, click here
