Edinburgh Convention Bureau

New developments, new contracts, gold leaf and luxurious long lie-in packages.....  so much news to enjoy!

1.    Royal Museum Project
2.    Roxburghe re-vamp
3.    A day at the races - Heritage Portfolio at Musselburgh Racecourse
4.    Jurys Inn adds new meeting rooms
5.    ECC hosts SNP conference
6.    New Town, Old Crimes new walking tour
7.    Britannia's glittering gold leaf
8.    STGA offers Russian + Mandarin
9.    Long Lie In at Orocco Pier
10.  Timberbush Tales
11.  Trains, planes and automobiles
12.  New eco-lighting at Edinburgh Corn Exchange
13.  Edinburgh Shuttle is ‘GO'

1          The Royal Museum Project
The Royal Museum of Scotland has just closed for a major refurbishment programme which will take three years and cost £46 million. On re-opening its current 750 capacity for a stunning gala dinner will increase to 900. A spokesperson for the National Museums Scotland said:"For almost 150 years, the Royal Museum building has inspired millions of visitors from Scotland and around the world. Now it is time to create a truly world-class national museum that is fit for the 21st century."

The Royal Museum Project will deliver:
* 100% more objects on display
* 7000m2 of new displays across 16 new galleries
* street level access to the Museum - a new arrivals hall, with a new shop, café and information resources
* 25% more space for special exhibitions
* 20% more public spaces
* a three-fold increase in facilities for learning
* new glass lifts and escalators to help visitors move between floors      

National Museums Scotland, which runs the Royal Museum, has received £18m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £16m from the Scottish Government, the rest being raised by a fundraising campaign.

The rest of the National Museum of Scotland, including the entire modern Museum of Scotland building and the West Wing of the Royal Museum building with the Connect and Communicate galleries, will remain open throughout. The Hawthornden Court can host receptions for 750 and gala dinners for 120, and the Bute and Board Rooms remain open for meetings of up to 24 people. For more information on the project see http://www.nms.ac.uk/royal_museum_project.aspx  

Rachel Hill, Hospitality & Events Manager
0131 247 4113
hospitality@nms.ac.uk
http://www.nms.ac.uk/

2          The Roxburghe re-vamp
The Roxburghe Hotel is to undergo an extensive £7.5m over the next 18 months, creating enhanced conference facilities, luxurious bedrooms and suites plus a £1.7m redevelopment of the public areas to offer a new contemporary restaurant and bar areas to enhance the appeal to the conference and incentives markets. A new conference and banqueting reception area is being created, complete with a hospitality area and three meeting rooms, capable of holding more than 200 people.   

Amanda Brown, Director of Sales
07795 067330
conference.roxburghe@macdonald-hotels.co.uk
http://www.macdonald-hotels.co.uk/

3          A day at the races
Heritage Portfolio is celebrating a ‘win at the races - being appointed to provide corporate hospitality at Musselburgh Racecourse, one of the ECB's most unusual venues. Bill Farnsworth, General Manager, said "At Musselburgh Racecourse we are committed to excellence. We want our visitors to have the best possible experience and, after the racing itself of course, the catering is one of the most important elements in our offering." And explaining why they had selected Heritage Portfolio, he commented: "...their commitment to quality and their passion for what they do shone through their presentation... and they presented some innovative ideas for moving ahead together."

Mark Miller, Marketing Manager
enquiries@heritageportfolio.co.uk
http://www.heritageportfolio.co.uk/

4          Jurys Inn
Jurys Inn Edinburgh has five newly refurbished conference rooms, all with natural daylight and air conditioning. They are suitable for events from 2 to 75 delegates.

Jill Hampton, Sales Manager
0131 200 3342
jill_hampton@jurysinns.com
http://www.jurysinns.com/

5          ECC hosts SNP spring conference
The Scottish National Party held its annual spring conference at the Edinburgh Conference Centre at Heriot-Watt University on 18-20 April, the first time it has held its annual event in Edinburgh for 30 years. The centre is the largest not-for-profit conference venue in the capital with all its facilities located under one roof. It also recently held the UK National Stem Cell Network conference, welcoming 1,200 delegates and visitors for the two-day event.

Susan Ruddick, Corporate Development Manager for the SNP said: "The SNP last held a conference in Scotland's capital in 1978. We are returning thirty years later with the Party transformed and just one year on from our historic election win. Heriot-Watt is a vibrant, forward looking university and we are delighted to be using the state-of-the-art conference facilities on the campus. This is a large and important conference for us, and the facilities on offer are second to none."

Lynne Geary
0131 451 3666
l.geary@hw.ac.uk
http://www.edinburgh-conference.com/

6          New Town, Old Crimes tour
Rebustours has recently added a new tour to its itinerary: the ‘New Town, Old Crimes' tour, which starts and finishes in the renowned Oxford Bar, is led by actor and local historian Colin Brown. It explores the duality of the New Town and the Old Town, featuring readings from the works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Muriel Spark and Ian Rankin to explain the secretive world of Edinburgh's novel tales.

Colin Brown, Director
http://www.rebustours.com/

7          Gold leaf makes a glittering return
The Royal Yacht Britannia is looking truly spectacular as 24 carat gold leaf is being re-applied to the previously painted gold band around the top of her hull. It is thought this is the first time the gold leaf has been applied since the 1980s, and this intricate and highly skilled work is done by hand. The line now has a striking glint to it and looks stunning against the distinctive dark blue of Britannia's hull which is currently being re-painted as well.

Bridgeen Mullen, Assistant Head of Events
0131 555 8800
events@tryb.co.uk
http://www.tryb.co.uk/

8          Scottish Tourist Guides
In conjunction with VisitScotland and the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Tourist Guides have been running courses specifically for Russian and Mandarin speakers to meet the growing demands for these markets. The guides are now qualified for Edinburgh and you are able to book them through the STGA booking service. Please note their new address: Norrie's House, 18B Broad Street, Stirling FK8 1EF

Elaine Magee, General Manager
bookings@stga.co.uk
http://www.stga.co.uk/

9          The Long Lie In at Orocco Pier
Early and mid-week overnight stays - from only £80.00 p/p based on two sharing

Everyone loves a lie in! So stay at Orocco Pier Sunday, Monday or Tuesday night and we ‘will not disturb' you until lunchtime. Lie back, relax and recharge watching the Forth Estuary traffic drift by. Your ‘Long Lie In' package includes:
- 3 course table d'hôte menu with coffee
- complimentary night cap of your choice in your room
- an ipod filled with classical and easy listening music
- a selection of DVDs in your room on arrival
- overnight stay in one of our boutique bedrooms
- the morning papers delivered to your room along with continental or full Scottish breakfast and champagne  - all delivered at a time to suit you 
- a relaxed lunchtime check out

Claire Palmer
0870 118 1664
info@oroccopier.co.uk
http://www.oroccopier.co.uk/

10        Timberbush Tales
Timberbush Corporate has launched a new Famous Grouse tour to the Glenturret Distillery, new Highland Games tours from Edinburgh and an exciting new online Pocket Pass offering customers discounts on visitor attractions, retail and restaurants.

Lesley Judge, Marketing Manager
lesley@timberbushtours.com
http://www.timberbushtours.com/

11        Trains, planes and automobiles
A recent corporate client of K&N Travel Associates, hosting 70 guests, asked that for every group movement on their four day visit to Edinburgh, they had different forms of transportation. Happy to creatively rise to any destination challenge, K&N delighted the group by transferring them with a fleet of Landrovers, a convoy of taxis (with a treasure hunt en route), a cavalcade of classic cars, a vintage bus, helicopter rides, quad bikes and a train transfer along some of Scotland's superb coastal scenery in Fife!

Kate Galloway, Managing Director
Kate@knscot.com
www.knassoc.com

12        New eco-lighting at Edinburgh Corn Exchange
Edinburgh's landmark event space, The Edinburgh Corn Exchange, has recently completed the installation of a bespoke, state of the art LED lighting and surround-sound PA system, designed with environmental consideration at its core. 

Over a quarter mile of high-tech LED lighting systems have been installed in the venue's 1400sqm ‘Exchange' space and adjacent ‘Concourse' area. These spaces can now be transformed by creating different atmospheres and almost any shade of colour at the touch of a button.

The new lighting and sound installations are more efficient, using less power and are quicker to set up, consequently making them more cost effective and environmentally friendly. Paul DeMarco, Director of Edinburgh Corn Exchange commented: "We wanted to address the environmental issues surrounding power consumption from temporary lighting and at the same time improve the facility we provide to our clients. The new installations are adaptable to use in a wide variety of situations and makes holding events at the Corn Exchange both better, easier and more cost effective."

Sales Team
0131 477 3500
info@ece.uk.com
http://www.ece.uk.com/

13        Edinburgh Shuttle "are GO"
Edinburgh Shuttle has become a member of GO Airport Shuttle, the largest group of airport ground transportation worldwide. The GO Group consists of 39 members, 102 airports, 1846 cities, 29 million passengers per year and 3269 vehicles (mini-coaches, vans, buses, limos and sedans).

The majority of members are located in the USA and membership is increasing in Europe. The purpose is to provide travellers the highest level of airport transfers, while maintaining consistently friendly customer service, enhanced through state-of-the-art marketing and a reservation network.

The members of GO sell each others' services, share information and technology, maintain standards, protect brand integrity, provide international ground links, share marketing expertise and expense, and create industry partnerships. Travellers can make reservations at http://www.goairportshuttle.com/ for their airport transfers at each end of their journey.

Edinburgh Shuttle continues to market and sell services independently and retains their distinctive branding of caramel and cream. Bookings can be made direct at http://www.edinburghshuttle.com/ or by phone on 0845 500 5000.

Lesley Parsons, Head of Sales & Marketing
0131 475 0153
lesley@edinburghshuttle.com
http://www.edinburghshuttle.com/