Dundee & Angus Tourism Conference & Opportunity Summit 2016

Caption from left: Pete Reid, Yvonne Corbett, Kerrie Sweeney,Jane Ferguson, Alison Henderson and Malcolm Roughead

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce, Dundee City Council, Angus Council, VisitScotland and Business Gateway partnered to bring you the Dundee & Angus Tourism Conference and Opportunity Summit yesterday, Tuesday 15th March 2016.

All photos from the event can be found on Dundee & Angus Chamber\'s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/DundeeandAngus/

In the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, the conference was held at the newly restored 1833 High Mill, part of the Verdant Works Museum which provides a fascinating insight into Dundee’s jute heritage.

The conference brought together a wide variety of businesses involved in the tourism sector, as well as some who perhaps don’t consider themselves to be ‘tourism’ businesses.

The programme focused on the benefits of a regional approach to tourism.

Speakers included:

• Andy Lothian, Chief Executive of Dundee company, Insights, and Chairman of Dundee Heritage Trust
• Fergus Ewing, Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism
• Stephen Leckie, Chief Executive of Crieff Hydro and Chairman of the Scottish Tourism Alliance
• Jane Ferguson, Director of Audiences and Media for the V&A Dundee
• Kerrie Sweeney, Chief Executive Officer of the Titanic Foundation
• Yvonne Corbett, Managing Director of the House of Turin
• Pete Reid, Falkirk Council
• Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland
• Alison Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of the Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce chaired a Q & A Panel.

A small exhibition run alongside the conference/opportunity summit and delegates also had the opportunity to enjoy a tour of the Verdant Works.

The conference was then followed by a unique ‘Opportunity Summit’ which aimed to encourage businesses to think about how they could develop new business ideas to maximise the opportunities the V&A will bring to the region when it opens in 2018.

Workshops included:

Transportation: visitors to the V&A will be keen to experience what Dundee and the surrounding area have to offer. This workshop aimed to investigate the opportunities available to develop new tours and experiences and how to transport visitors between attractions and events. Case Study: Localmotion Land Trains Ltd Facilitator: John Berry, Team Leader - Sustainable Transport, Dundee City Council

Creating Authentic Visitor Experiences: how can businesses work together to offer visitors a high quality experience which is unique to this part of Scotland. This workshop aimed to identify how businesses can collaborate to improve the visitor experience whilst boosting profits! Case Study: Foxlake Facilitator: Andrew Staines, Scottish Enterprise

Food & Drink: food and drink plays an important role in any holiday and this area is home to an array of excellent local produce. This workshop aimed to encourage businesses to make the most of the rich local larder and to ‘tell the story’ about local produce to visitors. Case Study: Fresh Food Express Facilitator: Sandra Reid, Scottish Enterprise

Digital Technology and Tourism: more and more visitors now access tourism information online, pre and post arrival. This workshop aimed to help businesses understand what digital tools they can use to help them meet the needs and expectations of today’s visitors. Case Study: The Hideaway Experience Facilitator: Gordon Black, Digital Tourism Scotland

All photos from the event can be found on Dundee & Angus Chamber\'s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/DundeeandAngus/

Business Gateway are holding a follow-up event to the workshops on Thursday 31st March \"Wanted: World Class Ideas for World Class Destination\"

\"Tuning In’ to new business opportunities is a skill possessed by many successful entrepreneurs.

Dundee is gearing itself up to be a World Class visitor destination and with it will come a wealth of new business opportunities for those people who can both identify the opportunities and convert these into business reality.

This workshop will introduce you to case studies, will look at international comparisons, will explain the ideas generation process and will challenge you to improve upon what’s gone before. And that’s just the easy part! Can you convert your idea into a genuine money making venture? The creative process starts here!\" BOOK HERE

Original article below from The Courier, Dundee Website

Dundee is at the centre of the Scottish tourism industry’s “transformative makeover,” a conference in the city heard.

Scottish Government Business and Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing said: “Decades ago tourism in Scotland was an industry where we weren’t really at the races.

“The industry has been transformed having had a makeover with more and more people coming to the country to enjoy what Scotland offers.

“Dundee is having the biggest makeover of all – it is at the centre of that transformative makeover.

“The city that was once known for its ‘jute, jam and journalism’ has been rebranded.

“It is now the city of life sciences, computer games and the V&A on the Tay.”

The Dundee and Angus tourism conference was organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dundee City Council, Angus Council, VisitScotland and Business Gateway.

Bringing together a variety of tourism business representatives, the programme focused on the benefits of a regional approach.

Alison Henderson, chamber chief executive, asked delegates to focus on the key challenge they faced to take advantage of the large visitor numbers expected to arrive with the opening of the V&A in 2018.

Jim Clarkson, regional partnerships director of VisitScotland, said tourism is at the heart of the economic success being enjoyed by Dundee and Angus.

It was not just about providing a holiday experience, but about creating jobs, sustaining communities and providing a shop window for business activity.

VisitScotland statistics for 2014 showed £105 million being generated through visitor spend for Dundee and Angus, with 7,100 jobs being supported.

Mr Ewing said the V&A had raised the city’s international profile and was proving a catalyst for inward investment – citing the Malmaison Hotel and other commercial developments as examples.

They would bring major benefits to Dundee’s economy in a way that the Government would like to see replicated throughout Scotland.

The conference was held in what is set to be the city’s newest major tourist attraction, the High Mill at Verdant Works.

The impressive surroundings were formally opened last week after a two-year, £2.9m restoration project.

Andy Lothian, chairman of owners the Dundee Heritage Trust, called on the gathering to “rise to the challenge of the V&A and all the wonderful things that it will bring to this area”.