Conference Venues Glasgow

Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city, yet, despite not being the country’s capital, it offers a stark contrast for a city less than 50 miles west of Edinburgh.

Boasting an impressive array of historical and cultural amenities, Glasgow offers stunning architecture, a number of internationally renowned museums and galleries, an energetic nightlife and a fine selection of restaurants and bars.

The origins of Glasgow are unclear. The Celtic Druids inhabited the area as early as the 2nd century, where it is thought they traded with the Romans. Little else is known until the 6th century, when St Mungo settled and established a Christian church, where Glasgow Cathedral now stands. Recordings are limited until the 12th century, when Glasgow became a place for traders. Work began on Glasgow Cathedral in 1238, by which time the city had developed into a known ecclesiastical area. Trade in the 16th and 17th century began with tobacco, fish and coal being exported. By the 19th century, Glasgow’s population had vastly increased with immigrants arriving from Ireland, Eastern Europe and Italy with the shipping, cotton and engineering industries providing employment. The effects of both wars took their toll in the 20th century, with a decline in demand affecting most industries. However, one high point was the creation of the iconic Finnieston Crane, which was used to load heavy exports onto ships. By the 1980s, the ‘Glasgow’s miles better’ campaign and the opening of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre helped Glasgow become a finance and business centre, which also provided an increase in tourism and investment. This was recognised on an international scale when Glasgow was awarded the status of European City of Culture in 1990.  

Nowadays, the Glasgow area has a population of over 2.3 million people and a large tourism industry that keeps the city busy throughout the year.

If you happen to have any leisure time away from working whilst in Glasgow, then looking out for the work of Charles Mackintosh is strongly recommended. Mackintosh was an iconic figure in architecture around the world and many of his finest projects and buildings are on display throughout the city. For a modern twist then try and see the Clyde Auditorium, commonly known as the armadillo due to a similarity in appearance, or the Clyde Arc nearby.

If you’re into art as a pastime then it is likely that Glasgow could be the ideal location away if you put time aside from business or conferences. Kelvingrove Gallery offers over 8,000 objects to be viewed which are categorised into one of the 22 themes the gallery has. The Burrell Collection, which auctioneer Peter Wilson described as ‘one of the most remarkable assemblages of works of art ever brought together by one man’, is available to the public at Pollok Park. It features works from Rembrandt, Degas and Rodin amongst many others.

There is a great selection of entertainment venues that cater for all types of personalities. The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow Royal Conference Hall and King’s Theatre are just a couple of venues that show talented musicians and performances at various points in the year. If you want something to provide a more pulsating thrill, then try and catch SPL champions Rangers at Ibrox or Celtic at Celtic Park for an experience of the exhilarating atmospheres that are often to be had.  

Glasgow and its facilities have won numerous prizes in the last 10 years. It has won ‘Best UK Convention Bureau’ three years in a row until 2009. In the same year, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre was named ‘Best UK Convention Bureau’. In 2004, Glasgow was named as ‘Intelligent Community of the year’ at an awards ceremony in New York. Of a different nature, Glasgow has won ‘Curry Capital of Britain’ on three occasions in the past eight years. The city has also been awarded the prestigious honour of hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

A conference in Glasgow is easily accessible from all over the UK. Glasgow International is the closer of the two airports, with Glasgow Prestwick being thirty miles south of the city centre. By rail, Glasgow Central Station and Glasgow Queen Street Station are the main stations that have trains arriving from all around the UK.

Having an event here allows for so much more than a mundane day of conferences and meetings before retreating to a hotel room. Glasgow offers endless opportunities to explore and integrate like you wouldn’t believe.

View all conference venues in Glasgow