Press release -
Films look to strike a chord with UK visitors
Argyll’s biggest open-air live music event has launched a brand new marketing campaign to raise the profile of itself and Oban with the support of VisitScotland.
OBANLIVE, taking place on 8th and 9th June this year, has launched two new films targeting people out with Argyll, as well as maritime visitors, following an award of £11,250 from EventScotland, part of the national tourism organisation’s Events Directorate.
The videos have been distributed via social media, targeting high populated Scottish cities and UK sailing and marine tourism markets respectively. It is hoped the campaign will see the event enjoy a record attendance this year, and promote Oban as an accessible, attractive and marine tourism destination for visitors across Britain.
The first film, entitled “The last train to Oban” is a beautiful short film about a grandfather who shares his affection for Oban and Oban Live with his granddaughter Emma. Images of the event and the town’s scenery and culture are shown whilst the grandfather recites his poem “Lovely Oban”. Viewers can also enjoy stunning shots of the train journey to Oban.
The second video, “Sail to Oban Live” follows three very different yachts making their way to the event – sailing in and around Oban Marina, the new North Pier Pontoons and Dunstaffnage Marina. The video is supported by a webpage on obanlive.com with information on local facilities for marine visitors.
OBANLIVE, now in its third year, features a mix of traditional Scottish artists and international superstars and entertains around 8,000 music lovers at the famous Mossfield Stadium. It was created following the success of Skerryvore’s tenth anniversary concert DECADE and is still run by two of the band members and brothers, Daniel and Martin Gillespie.
This year’s line-up includes Skipinnish, Irish rock band Hermitage Green and festival favourites Skerryvore. The event experience is also enhanced with Fringe events in the town, VIP packages, well-stocked bars, amazing food vendors and unique merchandise.
This is the concert’s third year of funding through EventScotland’s National Programme Fund and is one of 12 events from across ten local authorities in Scotland which have benefited from nearly £100,000 of funding in the programme’s 37th round. The National Programme Fund plays an integral role in developing domestic tourism across Scotland by helping grow the country’s diverse events portfolio.
Daniel Gillespie, Director of Oban Live, said: “When visitors come to Oban Live, not only do they get to experience an impressive, authentic Scottish music concert, but they also get to experience all that is on offer in the unique and cultural location of Oban. This funding from EventScotland has allowed us to create high quality, engaging content that combines and showcases both the event and the town as one package, which in turn will bring a significant boost to the local economy. A massive thank you to EventScotland for the support.”
David Adams McGilp, VisitScotland Regional Director, said: “I am delighted to see that OBANLIVE was one of the 12 events across the country to be supported by EventScotland. These two short films showcase Oban’s wonderful tourism offering and I hope the concert will enjoy a record year as a result.
“The visitors this event attracts represent a massive benefit for the local economy. Tourism is more than a holiday experience – it is integral to sustaining communities across Scotland by generating income, creating jobs and stimulating social change.”
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “EventScotland is delighted to be supporting OBANLIVE through our National Programme, for the third consecutive year. Over the last few years the popular festival has gone from strength-to-strength, demonstrating why Scotland is the perfect stage for music events.”
“Our funding support of the two digital films will enable OBANLIVE to further grow; attracting new audiences from outwith the area, and in turn delivering economic benefits for Oban and the region.”
Enabling existing events to expand what they offer visitors, extend their marketing reach and enhance the on-site experience of attendees are just some of the ways that National Funding Programme support is used to help regional events continue to flourish and grow further. This in turn strengthens Scotland’s overall events portfolio – a major contributor to our national economy.
To view “The last train to Oban” go to www.obanlive.com/film
To view “Sail to Oban” go to http://www.obanlive.com/sailing
For more information about OBANLIVE go to www.obanlive.com/
For more information about VisitScotland’s Event’s Directorate go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_structure/directorates/eventscotland.aspx
| Event | Date | Funding | Local Authority | Website |
| Bonfest | 4 – 6 May | £9,332 | Angus Council | www.bonfest.com/ |
| Highlands and Islands Music and Dance Festival | 4 – 6 May | £6,680 | Argyll and Bute Council | www.obanfestival.org/ |
| Etape Caledonia | 19- 20 May | £8,500 | Perth and Kinross Council | etapecaledonia.co.uk/ |
| Oban Live | 8 – 9 June | £11,250 | Argyll and Bute Council | obanlive.com/ |
| BEMBA British Enduro Mountain Bike Championships | 9 – 10 June | £10,000 | Scottish Borders | tweedlove.com/2018-event-info/british-enduro-champs |
| St Kilda Challenge & Festival | 14 – 16 June | £5,750 | Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | www.calmac.co.uk/stkilda/challenge |
| Cream O’ the Croft | 15 – 17 June | £5,000 | Perth and Kinross Council | www.creamothecroft.co.uk/ |
| North Atlantic Fiddle Convention | 11 – 15 July | £10,500 | Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council | www.abdn.ac.uk/nafco/ |
| Run the Blades | 20 – 21 July | £4,000 | East Renfrewshire Council | www.breakingstrain.co.uk/run-the-blades/ |
| Dundee Summer Streets Festival | 21 – 22 July | £7,400 | Dundee City Council | www.dundee.com/event/dundee-summer-streets-festival |
| Eliminator Mountain Bike Festival | 31 August – 2 September | £5,000 | Fife Council | www.muckmedden.co.uk/our-events/the-eliminator/ |
| Findhorn Bay Festival | 26 September – 1 October | £15,760 | Moray Council | findhornbayfestival.com/ |
| TOTAL FUNDING AWARDED | £99,172 |
ENDS
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- eventscotland
- corporate communications
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
- This will be supported by five overarching strategies: Marketing, Events, Quality and Sustainability, Inclusive Tourism, International Engagement.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
2018 Year of Young People
- The Year of Young People 2018 will be the next of the Scottish Government’s series of themed years, following the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017.
- The Year of Young People (YoYP 2018) will inspire Scotland through its young people aged 8 to 26, celebrating their achievements, valuing their contributions to communities and creating new opportunities for them to shine locally, nationally and globally
- Central to YoYP 2018 will be a celebratory events programme that puts young people at the heart of its development and delivery, creating new and valuable experiences for young Scots and the wider public, with links to the inaugural 2018 European Championships.
- Over 200 young people throughout Scotland are currently being recruited to become YoYP 2018 Ambassadors. Ambassadors will ensure that people and organisations in their communities know about what’s happening and will lead on projects and activities to create events and opportunities to celebrate young people.
- The Year of Young People will have six themes which were developed in co-production with young people themselves:
- oParticipation – looking at how young people can influence public services and decisions which affect their lives
- oEducation – creating a stronger role for young people in shaping their learning
- oHealth and Wellbeing – supporting young people to lead healthier, active lives and have opportunities to learn about and improve their mental health and resilience
- oEquality and Discrimination – broadcasting the value of young Scots, challenging negative perceptions of young people, and supporting young people to take leading roles in challenging discrimination in all its forms.
- oEnterprise and regeneration – celebrating young people’s role in innovation, entrepreneurship and the Scottish economy as well as making Scotland a greener and more pleasant place to live
- oCulture – celebrating young people’s talent and contribution to Scottish culture and arts.
- Further information on what’s happening and how people can get involved can be found on the new website www.yoyp2018.scot or @YOYP2018 on Twitter.
EventScotland
EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org. Follow EventScotland on Twitter @EventScotNews.
EventScotland is a team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland. For more information about VisitScotland see www.visitscotland.org or for consumer information on Scotland as a visitor destination see www.visitscotland.com.
