The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) reported record revenue of £16 million for the year to December 31, 2024 (2023: £12.8m), with profit of £2.1 million, while recording economic impact of £78 million during the 12 months (2023: £58m).
The economic impact figure relates to the direct benefit of conferences and events taking place at the EICC to Edinburgh and the surrounding region and now totals approximately £930 million in total since the EICC opened its doors in 1995.
Over 79,000 delegates attended events at the EICC during the year, up by around 4% on the previous year. 164 events were held at the venue during 2024, with delegate days up at around 180,000 against 146,000 in 2023.
Stepping down after a decade, EICC CEO Marshall Dallas said: “Our focus has always been to position the EICC as one of the world’s leading and most sustainable conference centres, with a mission to inspire ideas that change the world.
“While the number of events we held last year was moderately down, delegate days were up due to multi-day conferences, with increased attendance at those events, and we see that as the key metric.”
Last year, major events at the EICC included the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association Investment Conference, the International Electrotechnical General Meeting, and the 36th International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS) Conference.
Dallas said: “UK and international association conference business continues to be core, while we have also continued to diversify the range of events held at the venue. Scotland’s leading conference venue also has a strong pipeline of events lined up this year and next.”
Lezley Marion Cameron, EICC Board Chair, said: “Marshall leaves EICC following one of the most successful years in our history – a year in which the EICC has also faced serious, significant challenges – testimony to the determination, resilience, and resolve of Marshall and the EICC team.
“We thank Marshall for transforming, through innovation and diversification, the financial stability and performance of EICC from what it was when he was appointed in 2014, to the success story it is today, and wish him well for the future.”
“Meantime, our search for a new EICC CEO is well underway and we shall be making further related announcements in due course. I look forward to working closely with EICC Board colleagues and our new CEO as EICC heads into our next exciting decade.”