Moving Perthshire up Scotland's Business Agenda

by Vicki Miller Area Director, Perthshire VisitScotland

Scotland has a first-class product for conferences, meetings and business events - we can cater for everything and we combine it with a warm welcome. Not only that, but we also have a world-class reputation in innovation, research, design and development, giving us the business acumen credentials to really understand what conference organisers are looking for. However, the jewel in the crown for Perthshire's business tourism was the G8 summit in 2005 when leaders chose Gleneagles as the central venue and our excellent facilities were showcased to the world.

Business tourism is a vital industry for Scotland and is the fastest growing tourism sector, generating around £1 billion for the Scottish economy and bringing in over 3 million visitors a year. Perthshire has proved itself as a leading conference destination with events such as the Global Changes in Mountain Regions conference in October with 300 international delegates at the Perth Concert Hall. Research and experience demonstrates that business tourists spend over twice as much per night as their leisure counterparts.

VisitScotland's Business Tourism Unit (BTU) ensures that Scotland is first choice for any type of business event, for companies from the UK or further afield. Through demonstrating that Scotland can provide what businesses need, the BTU puts Scotland top of the list for many conference and event organisers. The factors that make Perthshire first choice include our top of the range conference centres and hotels, our unique venues surrounded by dramatic scenery and the warmth of our hospitality. In addition, for many businesses and associations, the speed and ease by which their delegates can reach their location is a must. In this sense, Scotland - with its easy access and very comprehensive transport system - is ideal as it offers exactly what they are looking for. The increase in direct flights from as far afield as New York, Atlanta, Toronto, Dubai and Stockholm enables Scotland to deliver more delegates faster to our conference venues. Many parts of Perthshire are only an hour's drive from Edinburgh airport and we have mainline train services linking the area to London and the rest of the UK making Perthshire a superb choice for a wide range of businesses.

VisitScotland in Perthshire is working with its partners to develop an understanding of the region's offering and to increase business tourism income. In March the team hosted an event, Central Comes to Town, a showcase in Edinburgh of the best our region has to offer along with the chance to meet over 20 inspiring venues and learn more about their facilities. Catriona Anderson, VisitScotland's Central Business Tourism Manager said This workshop give us the opportunity to showcase Perthshire, its venues and facilities to key conference buyers in Edinburgh and we were delighted with the high number and level of attendees."

In addition to an increase in marketing events, Perthshire's state of the art conference centres and venues are gearing themselves up to cope with the increase in business and to ensure they can compete on the world stage. The combination of purpose built venues and revamped historic buildings in our area means that we can play our part in the business tourism boom, providing something for everyone with a choice of venues which suit most needs. Scotland's cutting edge conference centres are based in the major cities, and Perth is no exception with the redevelopment of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall to create Horsecross Conferences - an ultra-modern multi-use venue that is attracting larger conferences and events. With up-to-the-minute technology, lighting and facilities, up to 1,200 delegates can be catered for in an environment that is designed to allow organisations to connect, create and innovate.

Scotland is famous for its castles and historic buildings set in dramatic landscapes. This unique offering has been given a modern twist by developing many of our most historic and beautiful buildings into the ideal venue for a business meeting or event. Examples include Blair Castle, which has launched its own function division that allows businesses to book the castle for corporate events. Similarly, the refurbished Hilton Dunkeld, which was originally built by the 7th Duke of Atholl as a summer home for his wife, also offers an elegant and comfortable retreat for businesses looking for a conference or incentive stay. In addition, delegates can enjoy Highland Adventure Safaris near Aberfeldy who offer award winning Land Rover Safaris and are a unique and exciting way to experience the freedom challenge and exhilaration of this scenic and fascinating environment.

The popular Crieff Hydro offers conferencing, self catering lodges and a range of incentivising activities. No wonder then that the VisitScotland buyers' event, Scotland Means Business, is using Crieff Hydro as an example of excellence for the workshop. The event brings key buyers and conference organisers to Scotland, showcases our best venues and results in a wide range of bookings for those participating. Crieff Hydro is also leading the way in creating a one-stop shop business package that is flexible and stimulating. A collaboration between event organisers BlueSky Experience, Crieff Hydro and the Famous Grouse Experience, has generated a new marketing brand - Experience Perthshire - offering a one-stop shop for businesses keen to use the area.

If golf is on the agenda, there can be no better known venue in Scotland than Perthshire's own five red star luxury hotel with exceptional conference facilities, Gleneagles. Synonymous with golf, Gleneagles offers three championship golf courses - the King's, Queen's and the exceptional PGA Centenary Course created by Jack Nicklaus and the venue for the 40th Ryder Cup in 2014, as well as the nine hole 'Wee Course'. Add to that a range of luxury leisure pursuits including falconry, shooting and a top of the range spa, and Gleneagles is a dream destination, even for world leaders. Another top of the range golf destination in Perthshire is Murrayshall Hotel, set within 350 acres of undulating parkland. The courses on offer include the renowned Murrayshall championship course and the par 69 Lynedoch Course. The hotel also has two large conference rooms with up-to-the minute technology for corporate events.

The eyes of the world were focused on Perthshire in July 2005 when the county hosted the G8 summit and welcomed leaders from across the world to attend this all important conference and sample our renowned hospitality. With venues throughout the area hosting events and the main activities centred on Gleneagles, there were plenty of opportunities to position Perthshire well and truly on the world map as a place to do business. George Bush, after his infamous accident whilst mountain biking said, "For those of you who like to mountain bike, I would strongly suggest getting out in this beautiful countryside. It's a spectacular part of the world... just be careful on the finish line."

In addition to our luxury country house hotels, many event bookers are looking for exclusive use destinations and an invaluable tool has been developed for them. The Exclusive Use Designator is a new grading system which was set up by VisitScotland and is one of the world's first independent grading schemes for Exclusive Use Venues. This new scheme aims to develop a national standard of quality with criteria that must be met by participating establishments in order to be considered an Exclusive Use Venue. Participants include historic properties throughout Scotland and boasts a list of breathtaking castles such as Pitcastle in Pitlochry, with others hoping to be added in the near future. This facility is invaluable for incentive planners helping them to pinpoint venues most suited to their needs and preferences and is a true demonstration of what Scotland does best.

Scotland also has an abundance of unique conference destinations for planners to choose from and many of these more unusual venues have capitalised on the market by offering a different and dramatic experience. One of these is Perth Racecourse which has been voted the best small racecourse in Scotland in the North East by the Racegoers Club. Following the 2005 launch of its latest conference suite, the course now boasts a total of 12 suites accommodating parties from 14 to 80. These are not just used for watching the races, but are also perfect for hosting a corporate party, and are complemented by marquee facilities for larger parties up to 400. Another unusual venue, the Famous Grouse Experience, gives businesses the opportunity to escape the stresses of corporate life in the surroundings of Glenturret Distillery where they can learn more about the 'water of life', join in the interactive tour experience and enjoy the best of Scottish hospitality. On a smaller scale, the refurbished Birnam Institute Arts and Conference Centre has flexible meeting space that combines modern facilities in an ancient setting.