THE Scottish economy is in line for a £70 million boost between now and 2019 thanks to conference bookings that have been secured with financial backing from VisitScotland.
The tourism agency said its Conference Bid Fund has helped not-for-profit groups land 29 conferences for destinations around Scotland since its launch in March last year.
So far the fund has provided £722,000 to help not-for-profit organisations attract conferences in sectors prioritised by the Scottish Government, including life sciences, education, food and drink and renewable energy.
The events, which take place between now and 2019, are expected to attract a combined 44,000 delegates. Based on attendance figures from past events, and the typical spend per delegate, which varies according to customer type, they are expected to boost the Scottish economy by £70m over the next six years.
Some conferences can bring up to £3m to the economy when spending on hotels, restaurants, shops taxis and leisure pursuits is taken into account, alongside the benefits to companies involved in staging events.
Conferences secured with backing from the fund include the Adventure Conference on Skye, which brought 70 adventure experts to the Hebridean island, and the Society of Biblical Literature, an event that attracted 850 delegates and injected around £1.7m into the local economy.
Neil Brownlee, head of VisitScotland's Business Tourism Unit, said the financial support is offered on a match funding basis, and is conditional on contracts being won. Assistance can be worth up to £30 per delegate.
While Scotland's biggest towns and cities often attract events because their universities are centres of excellence, he insisted the fund is open to organisations in "every corner of Scotland".
Mr Brownlee added: "This is to help us secure conferences for Scotland which otherwise might go elsewhere, and the key thing is they are tied into the target industries of the Scottish Government: life sciences, the creative industries, electronic technology, education, chemical sciences, all these things.
"It is very much the bridge between tourism and inward investment, which is why we want these delegates here.
"The secret is to make the most of these people and get them to extend their stay. It is spreading the benefit around Scotland, even if the cities are sometimes best placed size-wise [to attract conferences]."
Highlighting Scotland's quality venues, tourism attractions, hotels and tradition of innovation, he said Scots should feel more confident about the country's attractions on the world stage.
He added: "We punch above our weight. In the SECC in Glasgow and the EICC in Edinburgh, we have two of the best conference centres in the world of their type. We have to be a little bit more confident about ourselves in Scotland.
"Our conference offering is world class, truly."
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