Glasgow Convention Bureau champions conferences with a purpose

Recognising that 2019 was an important year for medical associations meeting in the city, each with a serious public health message at their heart, Glasgow Convention Bureau launched the People Make Glasgow Healthier campaign.

The initiative championed the beyond tourism benefits that conferences bring to their host destination, by taking the theme of the conference outside the walls of the convention centre to the public, to leave a lasting legacy in the city.

Glasgow Convention Bureau partnered with 5 conferences throughout the campaign including the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, the European Congress on Obesity, the 8^th Congress of European Microbiologists, the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the British Association for the Study of the Liver.  

A total of 7 public engagement events took place across the city, each bringing an important health message to over 1500 citizens of Glasgow.

The events which took place within the city were examples of conference legacy in action. Results included;

• 50 members of the public signed up to become Organ Donors
• 180 students and members of the public received lifesaving CPR training
• 60 adults and children taking part in a pedometer challenge
• 160 members of the public taking a Liver Screener test with 17% of those tested being recommended a visit to their GP

Euan Woodward, Executive Director, European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) said; “Our European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow, brought together colleagues from every area of obesity research, prevention and management. A key mission for EASO is to advocate obesity as an urgent and relevant health priority to policymakers, research funders, health professionals, the media and the public.

We were delighted when Glasgow Convention Bureau approached us with the idea of activating our public health message to the people of Glasgow, while the congress was taking place. The resulting family activity day, delivered by the University of Glasgow at the Glasgow Science Centre was an excellent example of the positive health impact a conference can bring to a destination.”

Glasgow Convention Bureau understand the importance of legacy events to both the conference and the local community. The People Make Glasgow Healthier campaign is an example of the impact such events can have on the destination. The total cost incurred by Glasgow Convention Bureau to deliver the campaign was £420.

Following the success of the initiative, a ‘How To’ guide has been created, with the aim of supporting and inspiring future conference organisers who wish to leave a lasting legacy in the city.

Available to download from the Glasgow Convention Bureau website, the guide features steps that organisers can follow to help plan a legacy event in the city.

Aileen Crawford, Head of Conventions at Glasgow Convention Bureau said, “The medical conferences we worked with extended their reach to deliver important public health messages into the community. Glasgow Convention Bureau are delighted to support the conference legacy movement, by delivering tangible and measurable results from the People Make Glasgow Healthier campaign.”