Convention Edinburgh’s multi-year funding, new team and 2027 event line-up underpin a push to strengthen its international offer.
Convention Edinburgh is recruiting a remunerated chair to lead its new Operational Group.
Applications close at midnight on Sunday 8 November. The chair will work alongside the senior team and the wider industry.
The organisation is also looking for up to 16 industry members across two groups, with four to six places on the Operational Group and eight to ten on a new Strategy Group. It wants people with experience across venues, accommodation, suppliers, academic institutions and the wider visitor economy.
Multi-year investment for the convention service was secured through the Edinburgh Visitor Levy under a funding model agreed in November 2025, and a new team was appointed earlier this year. The two groups give the industry a formal role in setting direction.
A partnership and commercial programme will launch in the new year, bringing together venues, accommodation providers, suppliers, universities, research institutions and industry partners. It is designed to widen the organisation’s network and create new opportunities for investment and joint activity across the city.
Councillor Tim Pogson, convener of the City of Edinburgh Council’s housing, homelessness and fair work committee, said: “Edinburgh is entering a new era for business events. The city already offers organisers a rare combination of global accessibility, cultural reputation, innovation and delegate experience, and the ambition now is to build on that. The new team means more support for planners and partners at every stage, and more news will be announced later in the year as that work develops.”
The groups will focus on maximising the sector’s contribution to inclusive growth, fair work, climate action, social impact and economic prosperity. The organisation is participating in the Global Destination Sustainability Index.
The city hosts the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2027, and its summer festival programme returns the same year. Major events include the Scotland 2050 Conference in June 2027 at the Assembly Rooms and the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in July 2027 at the EICC.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
