Over 30 years, the EICC has welcomed people whose ideas, performances and work have travelled around the world. Barack and Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai and events such as TEDGlobal and TEDSummit have all brought international attention to Edinburgh.
FOR THE CITY, hosting names and events of that scale is a chance to show what Edinburgh can offer. Visitors come for a conference or a performance, but they also spend time in our hotels, restaurants and communities. They meet people here. Some return with a new connection, a collaboration or a different understanding of the city.
There is another side to having a stage like this, though. If the EICC can bring the world to Edinburgh, how can more people in Edinburgh be part of what happens here?
Opening the doors
EICC Live is one answer. Our series of free public talks invites people into the venue for conversations that might otherwise happen only within a specialist conference. Topics have ranged from health and science to climate action and how we design the places where we live. The speakers bring their expertise; the audience brings its own questions and experiences.
We have also supported and hosted the Social Enterprise Schools Awards. The event celebrates young people who have created enterprises in response to problems they care about in their communities. Seeing those ideas shared on a major stage is a reminder that world-changing thinking does not only arrive from elsewhere. It is growing in schools across Scotland, too.
These events have a different purpose from an international conference, but they belong in the same building. Each gives people a chance to hear something new, meet someone they might not otherwise meet and see their ideas taken seriously.
“We have welcomed visitors from across the globe … ensuring that the knowledge, opportunities and inspiration that come through our doors are shared with the communities around us.”
– Amanda Wrathall, EICC
That is what being part of Edinburgh has come to mean for us. The EICC can help the city welcome world leaders and major international events. It can also make room for a local audience at a free talk, or for a young person taking the stage to explain an idea of their own.
For Amanda Wrathall, Chief Executive, that means “The EICC’s story is inseparable from Edinburgh’s story. Over the past 30 years, we have welcomed visitors from across the globe, generating economic, cultural and social benefits for the city while showcasing everything Edinburgh has to offer. What matters just as much is ensuring that the knowledge, opportunities and inspiration that come through our doors are shared with the communities around us. That balance between international reach and local impact will continue to define our role in Edinburgh for years to come”.
After 30 years, we are proud of the people and events who have put Edinburgh in the international spotlight. We are just as proud when that spotlight turns towards the people and ideas already here.
This is part three in a series. Read part one: A city of connections and part two: Inclusion is key.