Hosted by Edinburgh Napier's Tourism Research Centre, this one-day symposium will bring together researchers and tutors of all career stages, industry practitioners, and other individuals with an interest in business events and business tourism.

Guest Speakers

• Visiting Professor Dr Judith Mair, University of Queensland, Australia
• Professor Leo Jago, University of Surrey
• Rob Davidson, Director, MICE Education, Research & Consultancy

Invited Panellists 

• James Latham, Founder, The Iceberg
• Elaine Miller, Associations Business Development Manager, Edinburgh International Conference Centre
• Lesley Williams, Consultant, Gaining Edge
• Laura Wilson, Head of Aberdeen Convention Bureau

Further speakers will be announced soon.

Programme

08:45-9:00 Registration
09:00-9:15 Welcome & Introduction
09:15-10:00 Guest speaker – Judith Mair
10:00-10:30 Coffee break
10:30-11:00 Guest speaker – Leo Jago
11:00-12:00 Industry panel
12:00-12:45 Lunch
12:45-13:30 Guest speaker – Rob Davidson
13:30-14:30 Papers 
14:30-15:30 Industry Panel
15:30 Coffee and Fireside chat
16:00 Finish

Submissions and Contributors

At this Symposium, we are welcoming contributions from attendees at the parallel sessions - this will be in the form of presenting a paper, hosting a panel discussion, pitching a research idea or project for feedback, or seeking collaborators for new work.

There will be parallel sessions in the afternoon, that will focus on three sub-themes:

• A. Knowledge Economy: e.g. education; event legacies; research & innovation (not limited to these topics)
• B. Sustainability initiatives: e.g. circular economy; community engagement; sustainable development goals (not limited to these topics)
• C. Technology: e.g. hybrid events; applied technologies; impact of AI (not limited to these topics)

Deadline for submitting abstracts / proposals: 31 March 2025

Further guidance on the submission of abstracts / proposals is available here > 

Engagement and Networking Opportunities

This symposium is hybrid in format, and you are welcome to join us online if you are unable to attend in-person. Details will be circulated nearer to the time. There is no cost or fee to attend. It will be held at our Craiglockhart Campus in Edinburgh. Lunch and light refreshments will be provided.

Advanced registration at this symposium is essential.

Register here >

For further queries about this Symposium, email tourismresearch@napier.ac.uk