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By STAFF REPORTERCONVENTION EDINBURGH, Edinburgh’s
convention bureau relaunched last June
under the management of the Edinburgh
International Conference Centre (EICC).
The bureau has appointed an Advisory
Group, made up of representatives
working in Edinburgh’s events and
hospitality industry, to attract more
business events to the city.
The Advisory Group appointments are
Sue Stuart (Surgeons Quarter), Amanda
Ferguson (University of Edinburgh
Hospitality & Events Collection ), Shona
Clelland (Cultural Venues, City of
Edinburgh Council), Elaine Elder (National
Museums of Scotland Enterprises), Neil
Ellis (Edinburgh Hotels Association), Gillian
Richardson (Scottish Enterprise), Rob Lang
(Edinburgh Airport), Colin Horsburgh
(En Pointe Solutions), and Stuart Evans
(Fusion Meetings and Events).
EICC CEO Marshall Dallas said: “The
enactment of the advisory group is all
about collaboration, pulling together
resources, skills, and experience from
multiple city and national partners with
the overall aim of attracting more events
to Edinburgh. We want to grow the city’s
profile as a world-class destination for
business events, and we’ve now got an
incredible collective of advisors to help
make this happen.”
Elaine Elder, Director of Sales &
Marketing at National Museums of
Scotland Enterprises and Advisory Group
member at Convention Edinburgh, said:
“Convention Edinburgh has made fantastic
progress since relaunching last summer, it
has an inherently collaborative way of
working, and the collective hope is that
we can really move the dial and bring even
more business into the city. The advisory
group brings a wealth of experience
together to support the Convention
Edinburgh team over the months and
years ahead.”Conference
body looking
for business
Finding a future for the much-loved farm
By STAFF REPORTERIT WAS A lovely day for the grand opening of
Granton Station Square, the first major
milestone of the Granton Waterfront
regeneration project.
Locals, including S3 pupils from Craigroyston
Community High School were invited to see the
refurbished Edwardian Granton Station
building. The pupils have been busy creating
artwork symbolising the area along with local
artist, Shona Hardie. The art was displayed on
Waterfront Broadway for everyone to see as they
arrived and departed from the event.There was also a history exhibition displayed
on the square’s two new art benches. This will be
a year-round exhibition space with a changing
display provided by partner organisations
working with Granton Waterfront.
Council Leader, Cammy Day said: “Seeing the
refurbished Granton Station and iconic clock as
well as the new square in all its glory feels very
significant for the project and is another reason
to come along and help us celebrate at this
fantastic event.
“They sit at the heart of our £1.3 billion
regeneration of the wider area and will be
a focal point for the community and visitorsto enjoy for generations to come.
“We’re creating homes, jobs and new
communities at Granton Waterfront and you
can already see construction well underway for
the first of the 3,500 net zero carbon homes.”
The station building has been recognised as
an important part of transport history with a red
Transport Wheel. The plaque reads: “Built on a
private branch line by the Edinburgh & Leith
Gas Commissioners to serve their workers in an
area of limited public transport.”
The station was built to service the Edinburgh
and the Leith Gas Works, as large quantities of
coal were required for gas production.By PHYLLIS STEPHENEDINBURGH VOLUNTARY
Organisations Council (EVOC) are to
take the lead in developing a
community-led plan to revive
Gorgie City Farm.
The organisation has outlined
what this will mean in practice, by
listing a number of FAQs about the
twelve month long community
partnership project.
The project to find a sustainable
future for the farm will be run by the
Gorgie Farm Steering Group and aProject Manager. The Steering
Group is made up of representatives
from the council, Edinburgh Social
Enterprise, Edinburgh Zoo, EVOC,
Gorgie Forum and Volunteer
Edinburgh.
The charity has now signed a
month to month lease for the farm
site, and will help to keep it in
working order until a decision about
its future is made.
Bridie Ashrowan CEO of EVOC
said: “The offers of support and
levels of interest in being part of a
community-led solution for theGorgie City Farm site have been
fantastic – thanks to every single
person who has stepped forward to
share their time, knowledge and
experience. There are so many offers
of help on the basis that EVOC have
proposed doing it, it is so moving.
“We’re delighted that
representatives from Gorgie and
Dalry Forum, and Edinburgh Zoo
have now joined the Project
Steering Group, alongside the
Council, Volunteer Edinburgh, and
Edinburgh Social Enterprise, and
the first site meeting has been held.“I met with the local Gorgie &
Dalry Forum. I have always found
is a good place to meet local
community organisations and
set up the grounds for
collaboration. Their reaction
was also very positive, but equally
had good advice for me, for
example, keep up the good
communications to the
community and all stakeholders.
“On a practical note, we’ve put
up signs too, in the street, so those
without access to digital channels,
can read about the plans.”John Cameron, CBE, former
ScotRail chair with Cllr
Cammy Day Council leaderIt was the ideal day to show
off the new civic squareSummer Urquhart S3 pupil
at Craigroyston Community
High School cut the ribbon
to declare the new square openA major milestone
New square opens - big plans for the future with a nod to the past