Shona Black joined the Edinburgh Convention Bureau in April 2006 after a career in events organisation and marketing. Her job title - Sales Event Executive - hides a multitude of tasks, designed either to promote Edinburgh to the corporate and association markets and/or to help the industry to network and learn from best practice.

Destination Edinburgh

This innovative new business event was introduced by the ECB in February 2006 and we aim to hold three a year. Essentially it is a packed two-day programme of familiarisation visits and workshop. Hillary Bett, our Corporate & Incentive Business Development Manager, researches and invites a select and very focused group of corporate agencies and buyers. We take them on a whirlwind tour of the city, then wine and dine them in some of our exciting venues. The following day, they then take part in an intensive 1:1 workshop with around 20 of our members, using a ‘speed-dating' style of event, with buyers moving on to a new member every 10 minutes!

The event in September, for instance, included a champagne reception on Britannia followed by a fabulous dinner at Lennoxlove House. The workshop the next day, hosted by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, was extremely successful. The events are sponsored by the members who participate, each contributing £450 & vat to cover the costs of the clients' travel and accommodation.

‘....an excellent visit. I had no idea Edinburgh had so much to offer in terms of real quality, unique venues. When I got back to Newcastle and asked about my two days, the only reply appropriate was "Wow!"
Paul Szomoru, Benchmark

Familiarisation visits

These events - where we invite clients and their partners to Edinburgh for three days of site visits and tours - are designed to showcase all that's wonderful about the city to help advance bid development with key clients and to generate new business and raise awareness of Scotland's capital among newly identified conference organisers.  

Generally, we have two or three a year, usually one will include Burns' night festivities and one will include the Festival fireworks or Edinburgh Military Tattoo. We take clients to as many members' venues as is possible and practicable to fit in. Feedback from both clients and members is always extremely positive.

Shona does everything to make these Destination Edinburgh events and familiarisation visits happen - the marketing to potential buyers, sending out invitations, booking flights, trains and accommodation, arranging the programme with our members and all the tours, meals and entertainment - right down to the coach transfers, flowers, music and name badges.

Members' breakfast events

Members will probably know Shona best from the Members' breakfast events, a very successful way of getting members together in a forum which enables them to hear from each other about the latest developments in the industry and the most topical issues. So far these meetings have been....

July 2006              Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
January 2007      Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
July 2007              Hilton Edinburgh Grosvenor

The event at the Hilton Grosvenor, for instance, was on the theme of sustainability - which, apart from being of ethical importance in terms of our impact on the planet, is also of increasing importance to our discerning customers. Fascinating presentations from agencies and from members themselves gave the audience an enormous wealth of information on what they can do to make their businesses more sustainable, and the help that is available to ensure it happens.

Shona arranges every aspect of these breakfast events - from working with the ECB team to decide on the theme, inviting the speakers, sorting out the running order, booking the venue, liaising on the catering and technical facilities, sending out the invitations, monitoring the bookings and analysing the evaluation sheets after the event. Feedback has been extremely positive - members seem to relish the opportunity to network, eat delicious breakfasts and learn something - all in one intensive but enjoyable morning!

We currently require a host for our next Members' event, which will take place on Thursday 17 January 2008.

So if you're interested in this or would like to participate in any of our events, through hosting or sponsoring, please do get in touch with Shona on shona.black@conventionedinburgh.com or tel: 0131 473 3870