Technology will be the first area of focus for an ambitious new VisitScotland campaign which aims to grow Scotland’s multi-million pound business events sector by positioning the country as a place of ideas and innovation. 

The national tourism organisation has brought together the country’s big four convention bureaux in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee for the launch of the global campaign – the first of its kind – which aims to grow Scotland’s multi-million pound Business Events sector.

#IdeasBecomeLegend

The campaign, using the hashtag #ideasbecomelegend, will play on Scotland’s reputation as a nation of innovators and a land where ideas have become legendary, referencing some of the country’s greatest discoveries from Penicillin to Dolly the Sheep; television to Grand Theft Auto.

The campaign, launched today (Monday, 6 November) will, for the first time, create a unified voice for the Business Events industry across Scotland to build on the work of the country’s convention bureaux which secured more than £295m worth of events in 2016.

First up: technology

The two-year campaign will target the associations and wider Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) market by focusing on a specific theme every two months, sharing original content, including blogs and video podcasts from leaders in their field.

The first theme, Technology, will be launched today (Monday, 6 November) with blogs and video podcasts by tech leaders ScotlandIS, the Scottish Association for Marine Science and pureLiFi to be released throughout the week.

The remaining themes are: Education; Creative, Energy; Life Science; Engineering; Marine; Surgery and Medicine; Digital; Space; Health; Food and Drink.

Life Sciences, Energy, Creative Industries and Food & Drink have all been identified by the Scottish Government as ‘growth sectors’. According to the latest national figures, Life Sciences currently turns over £4.3 billion a year, with Energy £45.7 billion, Creative Industries £7.1 billion and Food & Drink £13.5 billion.

Stephen Taylor, CEO of Technology Scotland, the representative body for Emerging & Enabling Technology organisations in Scotland, said: “Scotland has always been one of the most innovative countries in the world and we are still world-leaders in many areas of technology including renewable energy, life sciences, photonics and the digital economy.

“It’s important that Scotland retains its international profile and by being able to attract large international conventions to Scotland, we encourage inward investment; creating jobs, prosperity and economic growth for Scotland. It’s critical for Scotland’s future that it continues to be an inventor and producer of innovations that shape the world.”