Having previously awarded the event to Russia, in 2022, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) re-opened the selection process for the 38th International Geological Congress. In response, the Scottish Geology Trust (SGT) was approached by the Glasgow Convention Bureau to explore bringing the IGC to that city. Glasgow has a great track record for hosting international events. The call for proposals came just a year after the city hosted COP26. Equally important for the IGC bid, Glasgow had, in 2022, just hosted the World Congress of Soil Science (WCSS), in many ways a sister congress to IGC.
Clearly the opportunity was there – so the SGT brought together a core partnership with the British Geological Survey and the Geological Society of London to scope, not just a bid, but also the combined opportunity, commitment, and responsibility inherent in delivering a major international event. We submitted our Expression of Interest to the IUGS in March 2023 and were given the go-ahead to prepare a full bid. Our bid, to bring the 38th IGC to Glasgow, builds directly on the success of the 2022 WCSS conference, a congress that has since won awards for sustainability.
As many have found in the past, Glasgow is an ideal host city for major international events. Critical for our vision on the 38th IGC, Glasgow has a strong commitment to sustainability. It has an excellent public transport system, yet is also a very walkable city, enhanced by the OVO bike-share scheme. The Scottish Event Campus – our venue – is regularly recognised as the UK’s prime exhibition and conference facility. With its array of adjacent hotels, bars, and restaurants, the SEC is ideal for creating a “geological village” – a place to network, chat, catch up with old friends and colleagues and to develop new partnerships. Glasgow itself offers great value to visitors – making an IGC hosted in the city attractive to a greater diversity of participants. So, we can all share our geological stories together.
Our journey now can show you the heritage of Glasgow and science through our bid. But this is just the start. We hope to share these with you whether in person at the 38th IGC in 2028 or through our planned array of virtual and legacy projects.