Rory Archibald sits down with representatives from Glasgow Convention Bureau, Dundee & Angus Convention Bureau and Aberdeen Convention & Events Bureau to reflect on the past 18 months and the plans they devised to rebuild confidence with event organisers.

Meetings and events are back! Gillian Docherty MBE, CEO of the DataLab Scotland and Patrick Lamont from VisitScotland Business Events discuss the importance of events and the increased demand for face-to-face meetings after a year of trying to do it digitally.

Amanda Ferguson of Edinburgh First at the University of Edinburgh, and Gordon Hodge from the University of Strathclyde discuss how the universities engage with business events ambassadors, the role of educational institutes in a post-pandemic world and the renewed appreciation of knowledge sharing and upskilling.

Neil Brownlee meets with Ben Goedegebuure from Maritz Global Events to discuss the values of the organisation and explore how the corporate and incentive sector can become more sustainable and what the market can do to change policies.

Our international association partners sit down with Rory Archibald to discuss how associations can pave the way for change. We explore their organisation’s core values, how associations organise events to ensure they are ‘sustainable’ and what the global industry can do to support further change.

Welcome to our podcast, COP26 and the Journey to Change, a podcast brought to you by VisitScotland’s Business Events team.

In the first episode of our new podcast series, Neil and Rory from the VisitScotland Business Events team discuss the Journey to Change campaign, its alignment to COP26’s presidency schedule and how business events can be a driver for change.

In Doric: Far div ye bide?

In English: Where do you live?

Looking to answer this in Doric? You’re either a ‘toonser’ (live in a city) or a ‘teuchter’ (live in a rural area)!

In Doric: Like snaa aff a dyke.

In English: Like snow off a wall.

In the northeast, things like good butteries (a tasty, flaky, savoury bread roll) don’t ‘sell out quickly’; they go ‘like snaa aff a dyke!’

In Doric: Ye’re a sicht fer sair een.

In English: You’re a sight for sore eyes.

Freshly caught fish, a cold pint of craft beer, a world-famous Aberdeen Angus steak and delicious Cullen Skink are just some of the delights you’ll find in the northeast larder that will make you utter this phrase!