Press release -

Now's the day and now's the #ScotlandHour

The founders of a Scottish Twitter phenomenon are to inspire hundreds of members of Scotland’s business community at a major conference in Glasgow next month.

Mark Calpin from the #Scotlandhour team will speak to the audience at the Business Tourism Scotland Conference, as a ‘local hero’ who has turned a social media idea into a resounding nationwide success.

#Scotlandhour was launched in August 2011 with the sole focus on Scotland as a destination, with tweets and tips about what to see and do, where to stay and insider knowledge at a regular time each month (typically the last Wednesday of each month between 9-10pm). Visitors can access tips from the chats and info at http://www.scotlandhour.com/

#Scotlandhour chats regularly trend in Scotland and in Canada and typically, each monthly one-hour Twitter chat includes 600-750 tweeters, and around 3000 tweets. These are reaching an audience of 600k-700k twitter users.

The #Scotlandhour team is made up of a group of volunteers who are experts in the tourism industry including Douglas Baird (founder of #Scotlandhour), Susan McNaughton, Lesley Judge, Aileen Lamb, Fiona Drane, Sam Weston and Mark Calpin.

The initiative has engaged and inspired Scottish MSPs, culminating in an invite to the Scottish Parliament for the team by MSP Christina McKelvie to a debate on the success of #Scotlandhour in March 2013, which received positive comments from many including the Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing.

Mark Calpin from the #Scotlandhour Team said

“We spied a gap in the market and we have been astounded and delighted by the success of #Scotlandhour. It is a simple, free and engaging opportunity for Scottish tourism businesses to interact directly with visitors and give them some real insider knowledge on where to go and what to see, while businesses also use it to connect and share information with each other.

“We are listening to customer feedback and developing the initiative as we progress and we are looking forward to 2014 which will give us the opportunity to spread the word about Homecoming, the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup.”

The Business Tourism Scotland Conference, which is set to attract more than 300 members of the country’s thriving business tourism industry, will be held at the SECC in Glasgow on Monday 11 November.

An industry steering group has worked closely with VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, Marketing Edinburgh, Dundee and Angus Convention Bureau, and VisitAberdeen to organise the event

Top speakers at the Business Tourism Scotland Conference will include Dr Paul Redmond, made famous for his studies into generational theory and how businesses can engage effectively with Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y and the Millennials. 

Renowned Producer, Public Events & Global Ceremonies/Director of Cultural & Public Institutions Clare Amsel will join Million Dollar Round Table Director Ray Kopcinski to look at the new technology which is taking over the world and the importance of businesses realising that ‘the future is now’.

Personality profiling expert Chris Elmitt will show delegates how to get inside the mind of their clients with an interactive session looking into the human psyche, and global technology and trends experts, Cisco Live! will reveal how practical improvements can be made to futurise business methods to drive value, growth and productivity in organisations.

Mark Calpin’s presentation is part of a new ‘Local Heroes’ session, with organisations such as Apex Hotels Ltd, Skene House and Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club and others showing examples of best practice through customer service, people development and sustainability. 

Neil Brownlee, Head of VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit said:

“Business tourism is worth £1.9bn to the Scottish economy, but we must evolve to ensure we stay ahead of our global competitors. The world is changing and businesses must innovate and reinvent themselves consistently to maximise growth. We are delighted that Rosalind will be sharing her expertise with delegates and show them exactly how a strong digital marketing strategy can make a huge difference to their business.” 

“The line-up at the Business Tourism Conference is simply outstanding.  Everyone attending will find out something they didn’t know before and at exactly the most opportune time – just before Scotland welcomes the world in 2014.”

ENDS

For further information please contact:

James Fox
Corporate Press Officer
Corporate Communications
VisitScotland
Tel: 0131 472 2052
Email: james.fox@visitscotland.com


Topics

  • Tourism

Categories

  • corporate communications
  • business tourism

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 has three key roles:
  1. To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
  2. To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
  3. To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
  • VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
  • The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
  • 2014 is the year Scotland welcomes the world, when it hosts the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and more than 800 Homecoming events throughout the country.For more information on Homecoming Scotland 2014, go to www.visitscotland.com 
  • The VisitScotland Information Centre network is a unique face-to-face channel engaging with around five million visitors and locals each year. Everyone who uses a VisitScotland Information Centre goes on to spend an additional £5.35, generating over £24 million for Scotland’s economy. 
  • According to a recent Deloitte study, tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the industry contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
  • 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
  • For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx

Contacts

Chelsea Charles

Press contact Scotland’s Themed Years Communications & Engagement Manager Contact for media enquiries on: Scotland’s Themed Years (i.e. 2018 Year of Young People; 2020 Year of Scotland's Coast and Waters; 2022 Year of Scotland's Stories) 0131 472 2067

Carrie MacWilliam

Press contact Senior Corporate Press Officer - National Contact for media enquiries on: Travel media (Scotland); Year of Young People; UK Marketing; Dundee; Fife; Angus; Perthshire 0131 472 2052

Amelia Whittaker

Press contact Senior Corporate Press Officer - Regional Contact for media enquiries on: South Region; Edinburgh and Lothians; Food and Drink; Scottish Thistle Awards 01750 723806