Foreword

Dear colleagues Welcome to the August edition of Glasgow Life’s Tourism and Events Update, which provides a snapshot of recent and forthcoming activity undertaken by our Destination Marketing, Conventions and Major Events teams.

Over the last month great progress has been made in Glasgow’s collective response to the Covid-19 crisis including the reopening to the public of the city’s iconic and much loved Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on 17 August, to be followed by the reopening of the ever-popular Riverside Museum on 31 August.

It has been great to see the positive reaction from industry and consumers to the #GlasgowIsOpen campaign, which Glasgow Life’s Destination Marketing team launched in July with support from Glasgow City Council. With the aim of helping stimulate the city’s economy by encouraging locals and day visitors to be tourists in Glasgow, the campaign’s inspirational launch film has been viewed and shared more than 55,000 times and to date more than 110 businesses across the city have now completed the online Glasgow Business Reopening Register survey.

There is still time to complete your entry to the online survey and I would be grateful if you could take the time to do so and register whether your business is already open or when you plan to do so. This information will be crucial as we map out future consumer campaigns, travel trade activity and digital content.

Phase two of #GlasgowIsOpen got underway last week and you can read more in the Destination Marketing section about the activity planned for this next phase of the campaign.

Our Convention Bureau meanwhile has reported that despite all the challenges posed by Covid-19, Team Glasgow has continued to attract and win future conference business for the city worth £15 million to the local economy, which is a great vote of confidence from our clients in Glasgow’s meetings infrastructure.

The team is also demonstrating an innovative approach to conventions sales by sharing details of the new Hybrid Glasgow Conference Experience and how it can help support convention organisers to deliver the best possible meeting in the current climate.

Our Arts and Events team have shared details of the first ever virtual Glasgow Mela, which will bring all of the joy, excitement, music, colour and vibrancy to you, at home. 2020 is the 30th anniversary of Glasgow Mela, making it one of the longest running UK Melas, so we’ll be celebrating in style. As one of the highlights of the city’s annual event calendar it will continue to inspire and bring together musicians and performance in its virtual format.

Looking to the future, work is underway to deliver Glasgow and Scotland’s hosting of the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023, which will see a celebration of cycling competition and activity taking place across the city and the surrounding areas.

On behalf of Glasgow Life, I would like to thank you for your continued commitment to a Team Glasgow approach as we progress through the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 Route Map and all play our part in supporting the city’s economic recovery.

Susan Deighan

Director of City Marketing and External Relations

Glasgow Life