from 11.1 million last year to 13.1 million in 2020 . The airport has also unveiled expansion plans over the next quarter of a century and launched a public consultation on its “ masterplan ” for development from now until 2040 .
Scotland is known for its beautiful landscapes , castles , history and unique traditions . But Scotland also attracts MICE events thanks to its growing global reputation as a contemporary business destination . We are home to academic excellence throughout the country and can boast a proud tradition of innovation , invention and pioneering spirit . This means that associations , academic institutions and companies with cutting edge technology will all feel at home staging events in Scotland . Our principal cities are home to world-class live event venues such as Glasgow ’ s 12,000 seat Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre ( SECC ), which is one of the world ’ s five busiest conference centres and also features the SSE Hydro , a state-ofthe-art versatile event space that has been voted number two in the world by Pollstar . The Edinburgh International Conference Centre ( EICC ) recently underwent an impressive £ 30m expansion – bolstering its excellent existing facilities including an innovative moving floor system , and in 2019 Aberdeen will be home to the new £ 333m Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre ( AECC ), featuring a cuttingedge 12,500 person capacity event arena .
2017 also brings Scotland ’ s Year of History , Heritage and Archaeology . Scotland ’ s history and heritage is what defines the country for many visitors . From World Heritage Sites to ancient monuments , cultural traditions to Scotland ’ s myths , stories and legends , the year will shine a spotlight on some of the country ’ s greatest assets . Business Events visitors are encouraged to delve in to Scotland ’ s past and host their next live event in one of Scotland ’ s unique venues . Recent million pound developments to some of Scotland ’ s most historic properties include 15th century Borthwick Castle just outside of Edinburgh , Crossbasket Castle , a luxury hotel , restaurant and event venue in South Lanarkshire , and Meldrum House in Aberdeenshire – dating back 800 years and offering every modern comfort .
All-in-all , Scotland continues to go from strength-to-strength as a business events destination , combining the spirit of Scotland with hard and fast reasons to be here . We look forward to welcoming even more business events over the next year .
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