Glasgow reports record breaking year for conferencing

Glasgow, Scotland, is reporting a notable increase in conferences held in the city and record-breaking attendance figures for 2023. In calendar year January to December 2023, Glasgow hosted 350 conferences, welcoming over 115,000 delegates who brought over £140m (US$178.2m) in economic benefit to the city from delegate spend. The European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), which took place at the University of Glasgow in August 2023, attracted 4,000 delegates, almost 60% more than expected, resulting in the largest gathering of educational researchers in Europe. In addition to ECER 2023, the British International Studies Association (BISA) also drew record breaking delegate numbers for its annual conference at the Hilton Glasgow. The Scottish Event Campus, the SEC Glasgow, also reports several of its conferences attracting its highest ever delegate numbers. The European Society for Human Genetics (ESHG) returned to Glasgow for the second time in eight years in 2023, and it proved to be more popular than any other host destination in the previous 55 years. ESHG attracted almost 4,800 in-person registrations, drawn from 90 different countries, delivering a 20% increase on expected attendance. Aileen Crawford, head of tourism and conventions, Glasgow Convention Bureau, said: “As we start 2024, looking ahead to a positive year for business events in our city, we are delighted to reflect back on 2023 and report that Glasgow has achieved unprecedented success in hosting a diverse array of conferences celebrating record-breaking delegate numbers. “This accomplishment reflects the city’s commitment to supporting the meetings industry, reinforcing Glasgow’s position as a popular destination for association conferences.”