SCOTLAND32 . www.conference-news.co.uk . May 2012May sales secured in 2010/11 were attributed to Glasgow Conference Ambassadors. The Glasgow Conference Ambassador Programme, which celebrated its 20th year in 2010, is a free support and advice service provided by GCMB's Convention Bureau for academics, scientists, medical professionals and business people who are considering hosting a conference. The Glasgow programme was the fi rst of its kind in the UK and has since been emulated by many other UK cities.Confi rmed major conferences being hosted in Glasgow in 2012 include the British Society of Rheumatology Annual Conference in May, the International Conference on Science, Education and Medicine in Sport in July and RenewableUK in October.The SECC is forging ahead with the construction of Scotland's new National Arena, to designs by Foster and Partners, which will be within the SECC campus. This 12,000-seat arena will be completed in 2013 and will be an integral part of Glasgow's provision when the city hosts the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Other key developments include: The £74m Riverside Museum designed by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid, which opened on June 21 2011, as well as the National Indoor Sports Arena and Velodrome, which will open later this year.These new developments will serve to increase the city's attractiveness to tourists, conference delegates and as a venue for major commercial, entertainment, sporting and cultural events, further reinforcing Glasgow's competitive edge.Scotland's modern infrastructure has helped it win some major events for the country"We have listened to the wants and needs of the industry and developed a fund that fi lls a gap and benefi ts Scotland by allowing us to continue to punch above our weight within the international conference market." Scotland's conference and meetings powerhouse destinations of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen have all benefi ted from over £2bn of capital investment in new tourism facilities. The Scottish Hydro Arena in Glasgow, opening in 2014, will be second in size in the UK only to the O2 in London. Other developments underway include a new extension to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, adding a further 2,000sqm of function space. Through the installation of an upscale version of stage lifting technology, it will be possible to create raised catwalks, raked seating platforms and arena confi gurations in a fraction of the build time required in more conventional halls. Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms will re-open this summer following an 18-month refurbishment to bring to life the splendour of the Grade A listed 18th century building. GlasgowAs part of Glasgow's on-going focus on major infrastructure developments in preparation for the city's hosting of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, almost 1,000 hotel rooms and luxury serviced apartments will be built between now and 2014, shared between eight new hotels. There are 10,762 hotel bedrooms within a 10-mile radius of Glasgow city centre, of which more than 6,250 rooms are within fi ve miles of the city's largest venue, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC). Glasgow secured £155.4m in conference sales in the fi nancial year ending March 2011, which equated to 509,240 delegate days. Around 25 per cent of all conference Aberdeen Aberdeen could be a lot nearer than you think thanks to an ambitious multi-million pound blueprint to develop Aberdeen Airport over the next 30 years has been unveiled for consultation. The airport's draft Master Plan, sets out how it will develop to meet future demand, and compete more effectively against UK and European rivals. Highlights include a £100m capital investment plan over the next two decades, major refurbishment of the terminal building, space for further runway expansion as demand requires it, and a 40 per cent rise in passenger numbers by 2040. Alesia du Plessis, Aberdeen Convention Bureau's Sales and Marketing Manager, said: "Aberdeen is already easily accessible from all parts of the UK and Europe through transport hubs in London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Paris and Frankfurt, with direct fl ights

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