VisitScotland’s New Meetings Campaign Promotes Silicon Over Salmon


Skift Take

Scotland's government and convention bureau want meeting planners, especially those in the U.S., to grasp that there's cutting-edge innovation in advanced industries taking place in the UK outside London.

Scotland tends to conjure images of beautiful old cities, bubbling creeks, and grassy plains. But as technological and creative innovation has evolved at a rapid pace in recent years, the country is looking to rebrand as a forward-looking destination for the world's top conferences. The UK Tech Innovation Index measures the strength of the creative and advanced industry sectors, ranging from digital media to life sciences, in cities across Britain and Northern Ireland. Produced by the UK government, the Open Data Institute, and various private industry partners, the Index ranks Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen in Scotland among the top UK cities in sectors like artificial intelligence, health, digital media, and manufacturing. Eager to leverage the rankings, VisitScotland Business Events launched a new two-year initiative to attract conference planners active in those industries. Under the banner of Scotlan