Glasgow Convention Bureau Launches ‘In Glasgow, Meetings Mean More’ Initiative

Aileen Crawford launching the programme at the SCOTO Conference on 6 March with team members (left to right) Anna Young, Nicola Muir, Tracey Martin and Carron Tobin, Executive Director of SCOTO

Glasgow Convention Bureau has unveiled a major new initiative designed to help conference organisers and delegates create meaningful social and environmental impact when meeting in the city.

Revealed at the 2026 SCOTO Conference — the first time the Scottish Community Tourism Conference has been hosted in an urban setting — In Glasgow, Meetings Mean More brings together the city’s social and environmental impact services under one clear framework, making it easier for planners to embed responsible and regenerative principles into their events.

The programme consolidates Glasgow Convention Bureau’s existing support on sustainability, legacy, and community engagement into four connected pillars: Sustainable, Impactful, Equitable, and Socially Responsible. Through this initiative, organisers gain access to UN Sustainable Development Goal workshops, guidance on greener delegate choices, connections to local charities and social enterprises, and support from the Glasgow Conference Impact Network to develop positive legacy activities linked to their event.

A new Community and Social Enterprise Map has also been developed, helping delegates identify local organisations, tours, venues, and suppliers whose income directly supports community initiatives. By directing delegates toward purpose-led enterprises during their free time, the initiative encourages spending that benefits the community rather than purely economic outcomes.

Carron Tobin, Executive Director of the Scottish Community Tourism Network, said: “SCOTO’s ambition is to recalibrate tourism to deliver for Scotland’s communities and our environment first and foremost. This vision is as important to urban communities as it is to rural, so we were delighted when the team in Glasgow suggested they host our first urban SCOTO Conference in March 2026. SCOTO delegates benefitted from a day of Learning Exchanges, visiting inspirational Glasgow based charities and social enterprises that do good in their community by benefitting from the visitor or delegate, as well as local spend.
 

“The In Glasgow Meetings Mean More initiative is a great and practical example of where the Glasgow Convention Bureau is helping delegates find a local enterprise in their free time; for city tours, refreshments, or locally made gifts, knowing these purchases directly support the community that the local enterprises are helping.”

Aileen Crawford, Head of Tourism & Conventions at Glasgow Convention Bureau, added: “The Scottish Community Tourism Conference is the ideal place to launch the In Glasgow, Meetings Mean More initiative. As the first urban location to host a Community Tourism conference, the Glasgow Convention Bureau were keen to embrace the ethos of community tourism by guiding delegates to spend with local enterprises that have a mission to do good in their community.”

Among the featured organisations is the National Piping Centre, an internationally recognised charity and cultural venue in the heart of Glasgow.

Natalie Johnston, General Manager of The National Piping Centre (see above), said: “As a charity, The National Piping Centre exists to enrich lives through piping by preserving Scotland’s musical heritage while ensuring access to education and cultural expression for people of all backgrounds. Income generated through our venue, learning programmes and visitor experiences is reinvested into community outreach, youth education and widening participation, helping future generations engage with piping and Scotland’s cultural traditions.”

Glasgow has built a strong international reputation for delivering conference legacy and measurable impact through partnerships with academia, charities, venues, and government. By presenting its impact support under a single, client-facing framework, Glasgow Convention Bureau aims to make it easier for organisers to align their events with organisational values around sustainability, equity, and social responsibility, while delivering tangible benefits to the host destination.

Further information on embedding social and environmental impact into conferences hosted in Glasgow is available here
 

Powered by Meeting Media Company, publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.