Keynote speakers:

Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer, EventScotland

Jim Mather MSP, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism

Chris Hoy MBE, World, Olympic and Commonwealth Champion

Bruce Dewar, Chief Executive, 2010 Legacies Now

Claire McColgan, Executive Producer of Liverpool 08

John Scott, Chief Executive, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

Louise Martin CBE, Vice Chair, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

Since our first conference in March 2007 Scotland has won the bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games and successfully staged five world championship events: the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships; the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships; the FISA World Rowing u23 Championships; The Sudirman Cup - World Team Badminton Championships; and the Adventure Racing World Championships. Scotland has also continued to develop its world leading portfolio of cultural events and festivals, to ensure that it is truly recognised as a key player in the global events industry.

Scotland’s reputation is not in doubt, but now is the time to consider how best to build and sustain our country’s position. With so many successes behind us and with many more on the horizon as we build to 2014 with the Commonwealth Games and The Ryder Cup, it is essential that the events industry in Scotland capitalises on its success and seizes and creates future opportunities.

Sustainability, whether economic, social or environmental, is a concept that has come of age. As world-wide competition in the events arena continues to grow, it is vital that Scotland is able to extract every ounce of benefit from events.