Edinburgh’s ICC lines up global energy conferences for 2023

Global energy conferences InterPore2023 and HYDRO 2023, plus medical conference the International Spinal Cord Society Annual Scientific Meeting (October 2023), have been secured by Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre (EICC) and are forecast to bring over two thousand delegates to Edinburgh, equating to around £6m (US$7.2m) of economic impact to the city and region. Taking place 22–25 May next year, InterPore2023 will bring together around 800 scientists and engineers from around the world and the 2023 conference will have a special focus on energy transition, to facilitate the progression of moving away from fossil-based energy sources to low-carbon energy solutions. Dr Karolin C. Weber, InterPore executive officer, said: “Transitioning to zero-carbon energy sources is the biggest and most difficult global challenge to mankind, and efforts in this area must intensify in order to have the desired effect on lowering carbon dioxide emissions. With a focus on Energy Transition, InterPore2023 in Edinburgh will feature a plenary lecture with a leading expert in Energy Transition, and forums which will facilitate discussion and action amongst delegates regarding the latest urgent research needs in this area.” HYDRO 2023, 16-18 October, hosted by Aqua-Media International, will focus on all technical, environmental and financial/economic aspects of hydropower development worldwide and an accompanying exhibition will showcase innovative companies in the global hydropower and dams industry at the EICC. Post-conference study tours will offer delegates the opportunity to visit local hydropower developments, and the approximately1,200 attending delegates will help to produce economic impact of around £1.m. Alison Bartle, director of Aqua-Media, said: “We are delighted to bring the next in this well established series of events to Edinburgh, and we can already sense that it will be a popular venue for our international delegates – especially as Scotland has a long heritage of hydro development, and number of new schemes planned. Delegations from about 70 nations are expected to join us.” Also taking place in October next year, the International Spinal Cord Society Annual Scientific Meeting (ISCoS 2023), which took place in Vancouver, Canada last year, will take place at the EICC, 8-11 October. There will be approximately 600 delegates in attendance, including up to 50 wheelchair users, and the annual conference is forecast to deliver £1.5m of local economic benefit. Marshall Dallas, the EICC’s CEO, said: “We’re proud to be chosen as the venue which will host these significant global discussions – and together with some of the UK and international conference wins which we announced earlier in the year, we are now looking at a return to pre-pandemic activity at the venue next year, which is encouraging for our team and our city partners.” Last month, the EICC hired Royal Albert Hall executive Ollie Jeffery as director of event operations and technology. And in June, the conference and events venue announced that it had taken on the management and operations of Edinburgh’s Convention Bureau to help drive the city’s business events sector. Also in June, Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced that it has entered a franchise agreement with the EICC for a 349-bedroom Hyatt Centric hotel in the Haymarket area of the city.