Glasgow – the Venue and City
People make Glasgow
Our host city, Glasgow, is undoubtedly one of Europe’s most dynamic cultural capitals; steeped in culture, rich in history, but, above all, alive with an excitement you can sense as you walk through its elegant Victorian streets, squares, parks, and gardens. The city continues to evolve as one of the leading cities in Europe for international conferences. From being named the UK’s top creative and cultural city (European Commission on Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor, 2019), to multiple awards for its sustainability measures, to new hotels and social venues – there is so much for IGC delegates to enjoy. The city takes pride in its city brand – People Make Glasgow – and city partners and citizens alike love to ensure that all visitors to the city experience the warmth and welcome of the ‘World’s Friendliest City’ (Rough Guide, 2021; Time Out, 2022).
Glasgow has an enviable record of delivering world-class events – from the 2014 Commonwealth Games to the 2023 UCI’s Cycling World Championships. Each year it hosts the major transatlantic music festival, Celtic Connections. In 2021 it hosted COP26 and in 2022 the World Congress of Soil Science (like IGC, this is the flagship event of a global science union).
Glasgow Convention Bureau has been named the UK’s Best Convention Bureau for the past 16 consecutive years (M&IT Awards, 2022). This is down to the support that they offer association conferences, and the partnership approach they take. 2022’s World Congress of Soil Science in Glasgow won several industry awards for excellence in event management and for delegate experience – our bid and vision follows its roadmap.
Green credentials
Our plan to bring the 38th International Geological Congress to Glasgow in 2028 has sustainability and environmental awareness at its heart.
The city itself:
- Global Destination Sustainability Index – ranked 8th in the World, 1st in the UK
- Glasgow declared a Global Green City (2020)
- ‘Food for Thought’ initiative that promotes restaurants offering sustainable options
- Glasgow named one of the top 5 best vegetarian-friendly cities in the world (The Vegetarian Cities Index, 2021)
- Glasgow named Scotland’s first UCI Bike City (2019)
- Sustainable Food Places Bronze Award (2021)
- Glasgow first UK signatory of the Circular Cities Declaration (2021)
- EarthCheck Benchmarked Community status – the first in the UK
Additionally, for Glasgow Convention Bureau:
- First Convention Bureau to achieve a Green Tourism Award (2016)
- First Convention Bureau to join Tourism Declares (2021)
About the venue – the Scottish Event Campus
Creating a geological village
The Scottish Event Campus is regularly recognised as the top conference venue in the UK. It hosted COP26 in 2021 and places sustainability within a net zero framework that underpins all its events.
The SEC Centre has an array of five interconnected exhibition halls and thirty meeting rooms, the iconic 3,000 seat SEC Armadillo (designed by Foster and partners) and its most recent addition, the OVO Hydro – a 14,300 capacity concert, sporting, and special events arena. Additional conference accommodation is available as required in adjacent hotels.
There’s a Media Hub on site, with BBC Scotland HQ a couple of minutes away.
The campus even hosts the Clydeside distillery, which welcomes tours.
The SEC is located within one of ‘Europe’s hippest neighbourhoods’. Finnieston boasts some of Glasgow’s coolest pubs, restaurants, and green spaces providing an excellent places for delegates to explore and network. So, although based in a major city, the 38th IGC can be an intimate experience – a true geological village! There are over 1500 hotel rooms immediately adjacent to the SEC, and 8,500 within 10-15 minutes. The SEC rail station provides direct access into the city centre – although it’s just a twenty minute stroll along the riverside promenade. It’s a short walk to Kelvingrove Park, Art Gallery and Museum, and Glasgow’s West End.