Business Comment 17

Routes to market - airlines open up opportunity for Edinburgh.

JUNE/JULY 2012

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Contents

june/july 2012

Ready for take off

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Where to now with Green Investment?

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The news that Global Infrastructure Partners have acquired Edinburgh Airport ends a four-year period of uncertainty over its future.

Our airport is our prime asset. It has helped to create and sustain our global reputation as a city of ideas, talent and ambition.

Alongside the growth in passenger numbers and routes, our tourism, conferencing and inward investment sectors have prospered. It is, therefore, an asset that is highly prized and requires careful nourishment.

BAA departs Edinburgh with its corporate head held high. It has steered the airport to ‘best in class’ status in Europe and has invested almost £100 million in its development over the past 10 years.

Credit, then, to past and current BAA management.

What BAA has been unable to do, however, is take on the other Scottish airports and aggressively target their customers. GIP is operating under no such constraints- and can promote services, develop new routes and invest further in the passenger experience, secure in the knowledge that we are Scotland’s gateway to the world.

Playing a key role in an evolving global success story

03 Introduction / contents

19 60 seconds

04 The road to investment starts here

24|25 The Interview

05 Case study - Valerie Thornber

26|29 Aviation feature

07 Capital view

37 In the spotlight

08 Where to now with the

41 Ask the expert / get with IT

Green Investment?

44 Getting started

The business customer can expect more innovation aimed at improving both the quality and the duration of their transit through the terminal. For its part, the Chamber of Commerce will engage, on your behalf, with the new owners in support of route development, capital investment and connectivity, all critical factors in generating further growth and prosperity in our city.

12|13 Chamber Awards

47 New members

49 Partners in enterprise

50 Movers & shakers

The team at the Chamber have also started our new financial year with ambitious growth plans to provide an even more valuable service to members. We celebrated the success of many businesses at our first Awards Dinner and look forward to working together with our strategic partners to focus on recovery, growth and employment.

There are numerous reasons why we should be proud of our City and hopefully even more occasions to celebrate going forward.

All editorial a n d g en eral en qu iries: Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Tel: 0131 221 2999 email mayan.grace@edinburghchamber.co.uk

15 Going international

16|17 Inspiring connections

Business Comment is an Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce publication.

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, Capital House, 2 Festival Square, Edinburgh EH3 9SU www.edinburghchamber.co.uk President: Robert Carr Chief Executive: Dave Birrell BUSINESS COM M ENT EDITOR Mayan Grace, Tel: 0131 221 2971 Email: mayan.grace@edinburghchamber.co.uk P RODUCTION & DESIGN Distinctive Publishing, 8th Floor, Aidan House, Sunderland Road, Gateshead NE8 3HU Tel: 0845 884 2385 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

David.birrell@edinburghchamber.co.uk

ADVERTISING Distinctive Publishing, 8th Floor, Aidan House, Sunderland Road, Gateshead NE8 3HU Tel: 0845 884 2345 john.neilson@distinctivepublishing.co.uk FEATURE EDITORS John Dean & Francis Griss deangriss@btinternet.com

David Birrell

DISCLAIM ER

Distinctive Publishing or Business Comment cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Business Comment.

chief executive

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Chambernews

Alison Grieve CEO, Safetray Products Limited

The road to investment starts here Over £1 million of support funding for new businesses has been unlocked by The Road to Investment, a new initiative conceived by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and its partners in Linc, the business angel network, and the City of Edinburgh Council.

After participating in the programme, Alison Grieve has seen her ‘Safetray’ product receive support of £200k from investor syndicate Equity Gap and some individuals to accelerate the company’s global commercialisation plan and to further expand and protect its IP.

Devised by John Hughes, one of the Chamber’s high growth advisors, and Howard Flint of Linc, the scheme aims to take some of the uncertainty out of funding a new idea for entrepreneurs and angels alike.

Alison devised a unique serving tray which prevents waiters and waitresses from spilling drinks. The company has achieved sales throughout the US, Canada, the UAE and is now manufacturing the product in Scotland.

John explains: “I take my hat off to the people out there who are prepared to back their ideas with their own time and money. But they usually need support to fund research or investment in a prototype. We though we could take some of the uncertainty out of the process by introducing The Road to Investment - and already we’ve brokered some significant funding for new businesses.”

Alison said: “The workshops were really useful. It can be a lonely business seeking funding support for a new initiative. The support and understanding of advisors like John Hughes has enabled me to attract the support and build the networks essential to bring Safetray to market.”

Over the course of a month, entrepreneurs engage in a series of seven workshops, where the disciplines of early-stage funding, business planning and the decision-making processes of business angels are all discussed and analysed.

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The programme provides its participants with the knowledge and confidence to negotiate with business angels.

Greg Ward, Head of Economic Development at the City of Edinburgh Council, added: “We were really impressed with the targeted

nature of this programme and were keen to support it. Understanding entrepreneurship is one of the most important elements of a developing economy and The Road to Investment achieves that here in Edinburgh.

We are delighted to partner with the Chamber of Commerce to deliver this as part of the wider Council-funded Inspiring Innovation programme alongside Business Gateway.”

Subsequent to the programme, Safetray became one of Scottish Enterprise’s 2,000odd “account managed” firms, which are an elite group of Scottish companies with high growth potential.

The third “Road to Investment” programme started on 17 May and culminates in its “day with the angels” on 13 June.

For further information on the programme contact John Hughes on 0131 221 3193 or e-mail: john.hughes@edinburghchamber.co.uk

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Grow Story Grow Val Thornber of GrowStoryGrow can’t recommend the Road to Investment Programme highly enough.

Presenting to Business Angels to find backers was a daunting prospect and whilst Val knew her product and business inside out, she was sure that it wouldn’t be enough and that there would be questions that she wouldn’t be able to answer.

Committing herself to The Road to Investment, an intensive programme was not something that she could take lightly with a young family to work around but Val was certain that it was exactly what was needed for the business at the time.

“The programme was exactly what I needed for where I was with the business. I came out of it with confidence and a more focused plan for future growth. I don’t think I would ever have presented to a panel of Angels without it.”

Val continued: “The programme was excellent!

The presenters had a wealth of knowledge to share with us. I learnt about the various funding opportunities and gained an insight into many areas of my business which I knew about but had not necessarily given my full attention. My financial forecasting and help in valuating my business were my main focus.”

Val is the managing director of GrowStoryGrow a small company based in Leith, whose product is a digital resource which teaches languages to children through the medium of stories. As part of the Scottish Enterprise High Growth Programme GrowStoryGrow, has access to a high growth advisor at Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce - John Hughes. When John suggested that Val should present her business to a panel of Angels, Val knew it was just what she needed.

“The thought had occurred to me but I did not feel confident in approaching such people due to a lack of knowledge in some areas of business.” she said.

Val attended all of the presentations before presenting to the panel of Angels and it paid off.

“I was quite nervous during the presentation but once I got into the swing of things, I began to relax and started to enjoy it. I have had positive feedback since the presentation and I am hoping to find someone fairly soon.”

ValThornber Managing Director, Grow Story Grow

“If you think that a business Angel is what you need then I fully recommend it.”

Val was introduced to Howard Flint of Linc who reassured her that Angels would be interested in her business and all that Val needed was some guidance which would prepare her.

“The programme was excellent! The presenters had a wealth of knowledge to share with us.”

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A Legitas Group Company

Working towards Easing the healthcare staffing shortage Workforce issues will be central to the healthcare sector over the coming years. The ageing population and the subsequent increase in demand for more intensive and diverse healthcare services, compounded with the growing shortage of permanent skilled healthcare workers, are posing serious challenges to healthcare providers.

The NHS is in danger of reaching its maximum capacity if it hasn’t already, and will start to struggle to cope with current ill-health demands. This in turn has led to a growing demand for temporary healthcare workers as well as care at home.

Currently one in five people in Scotland are aged 65 and over. According to the British Geriatric Society (BGS) this age group will increase by 21% by 2016. As a consequence, demand for health and social care services will increase by 25% by 2031. In order to cater for this, the number of carers is expected to grow to an estimated one million by 2037.

Just as the demand and need for services is increasing, many skilled healthcare workers and professionals are retiring, increasing current shortages in all practice areas.

According to the same survey, three out of five people in Scotland will become carers at some point in their lives.

The situation demands a solution that allows for a more flexible workforce. Temporary staff provides a large pool of personnel that makes it much easier for healthcare providers to meet the staffing challenges in a variety of healthcare settings. It also works well for a part of the permanent workforce, who is looking for more flexible working hours.

Health-E has been established with the aim of serving the healthcare sector, providing a tax efficient service to a vast range of temporary workers. By becoming the temporary workers’ employer they are free to claim legitimate expenses that are wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred in the performance of duties. Current tax legislation allows these types of expenses to be offset against the gross income, therefore delivering significant

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savings to temporary workers, agencies and care providers. This in turn encourages retention and growth within the workforce and improved margins allowing an increase in affordable services for the end user. This will subsequently allow elderly and disabled people, in need of care to be looked after in their own home rather than placing a burden on hospitals.

Health-E is led by an experienced management team of qualified health and social care professionals who fully understand the level of compliance required and the implications of working in a heavily regulated sector. CEO David Allen is one of the UK’s top legal, tax and employment advisors. The Quality and Operational Manager, Emma Allen and Care Manager, Lisa Wallace have extensive experience working in the healthcare sector; Emma is a qualified Social Worker, whilst Lisa is a qualified Occupational Therapist.

Health-E belongs to the Legitas group which provides professional services to over 20,000 temporary employees across the UK within a number of sectors.

Email: enquiries@health-e.uk.com www.health-e.uk.com

G e o r g e

S t r e e t , E d i n b u r g h

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Capitalview The prodigal daughter returns home Two years ago, I was on a flight from London back to Edinburgh, which marked the start of a new chapter and a return to a familiar place – home. I had left in 1999 and moved south, attracted by the bright lights of London.

Initially I thought I would pop down for a couple of years and get it out of my system, but before I knew it eleven years had passed.

I came back as a mum with a cheeky toddler to keep me in check, so getting re-acquainted with Edinburgh took on a totally different perspective, but in a really good way. Thanks to Charlie, I have played the tourist and taken him round lots of my favourite places in town including the Botanics, Arthur’s Seat, the beach at Portobello and not forgetting our recent trip to the zoo to see the delightful pandas. Together we have researched a lot of cafes in search of the perfect scone and Heller’s Kitchen is still our favourite.

When I came back, I was lucky to secure a position with The BIG Partnership to run the

Edinburgh office of Scotland’s largest public relations consultancy.

Joining the Edinburgh team and getting out and about to meetings helped brush up my knowledge of town and the rat runs I had perfected many moons ago, as well as the good coffee stops. I was amazed by the choice and quality of the facilities and the quirkiness of some of the places, which reinforced Edinburgh’s ‘X’ factor appeal.

Despite the current economic backdrop, there is a lot of energy and enthusiasm throughout the city and a hard-working ethos that highlights a determination to succeed.

Creativity is seen as one of the primary ways to stand out in our business and differentiate.

However, to achieve this you need to ensure your ideas remain fresh and can adapt to the changing environment.

What better inspiration than Edinburgh itself, with its rich heritage of history and culture

Nicki Sturzaker

Head of the Edinburgh office at the Big Partnership combined with its innovative style? It has the ability to adapt and reinvent itself, winning the hearts and minds of locals and visitors from around the globe. Why did it take me eleven years to figure this out?

Wind of change brings Gamesa to Leith Gamesa, a global technology leader in the wind energy industry, has announced that it will pursue plans for a major offshore manufacturing base at the Port of Leith.

The company is advancing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Port of Leith and says that, depending on market developments, the new manufacturing base would eventually create about 800 new jobs.

Over time and subject to commercial opportunities, this would represent an initial investment of about £150million.

Gamesa Chairman and CEO Jorge Calvet said: “I am delighted that Gamesa will pursue

MOU discussions with the Port of Leith aimed at manufacturing its technologically advanced wind turbines for the offshore sector there. If market conditions are favourable this would mean many high quality jobs for the area.”

ensure that the UK’s future energy supply is secure and sustainable.”

Bruce Farquhar, Partner-Head of Renewables, Anderson Strathern LLP, said: “Gamesa’s tie-up with the Port of Leith bodes well for investment in offshore wind development around Scotland.

“To achieve our 2020 renewable energy targets and maximise the contribution of offshore wind, it is vital that major players in the supply chain are encouraged to locate in areas close to the resource that have the infrastructure, skills base and know-how to ensure a return on investment.

“The Green Investment Bank and Gamesa news goes to show that Edinburgh is well placed to be a strategic hub in the quest to

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Businessnews

Where to now with Green Investment?

Edinburgh’s successful bid to be the home of the new UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) represents a massive opportunity for Scotland’s capital city.

Winning the GIB would not have been possible without the enthusiastic support for the bid from a range of partner organisations and the active role of the Chamber as a champion of Edinburgh’s bid and I am optimistic that the strong partnership that has been developed can be brought to bear on future opportunities.

Our immediate focus will be to support the GIB as it transitions to a stand-alone institution and we are currently helping it find a home in the city. The Council will work with the Scottish and UK Governments, Scottish Development International and Scottish Financial Enterprise to support the GIB as it focuses initially on opportunities in offshore wind, waste and non-domestic energy efficiency.

Edinburgh is in an excellent position to support the development of offshore wind farms in the North Sea, with Leith Docks already identified as the optimal location

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in Scotland for offshore wind turbine manufacturing. Priorities for Edinburgh include putting in place the necessary infrastructure to support investments.

Driven by the Scottish Government’s ambitious target of sending no more than 5% of waste to landfills by 2025, Edinburgh is also investing in reclaiming energy from waste. Planning permission in principle has been granted for new waste treatment facilities to the south of Edinburgh that would convert hundreds of tonnes of non-recyclable waste to biofuel, fertiliser, compost, electricity and hot water each year.

Edinburgh is also working to improve energy efficiency, setting a target in 2011 of cutting the city’s energy consumption by 12% by 2020. The Council is improving the efficiency of its own estate, with Currie High School reducing its CO2 emissions by around 70 tonnes annually through initiatives such as

upgrading doors and windows to reduce heat loss and switching to low energy lighting.

By supporting the objectives of the GIB, we can reap the benefits of the continued emergence of our city as a European hub of renewable energy.

Dave Anderson

Director of City Development The City of Edinburgh Council

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AdVertoriAl

A new era for Are: Assembly Rooms Edinburgh

This summer will see the return of a cultural icon, as Assembly Rooms Edinburgh re-opens its doors following a £9.3m restoration project by the City of Edinburgh Council.

This much-loved building has played a major part in Edinburgh’s social, cultural and business life for centuries and, thanks to a sensitive refurbishment, is set to continue to do so for generations to come.

As the 18-month refurbishment project draws to a close, new life has been breathed into the Assembly Rooms; the spaces have been modernised while the building’s character and beauty have been preserved. The main spaces have been restored with the striking Georgian features, such as the intricate plasterwork and ornate cornicing, retained Funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, with contributions from Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland, the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland, the work is in keeping with the history of the building as captured in the Assembly Rooms’ Conservation Plan. The historically sensitive renovation design work was led by LDN Architects, and the construction was led by Balfour Beatty.

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restoring an icon The refit has seen the A-listed building return to its 18th century splendour, but with the inclusion of modern technical infrastructure to improve its capabilities as a premier venue for contemporary events. Architectural details have been repaired and enhanced, with 22 carat gold leaf and a fresh neutral theme throughout providing a stunning backdrop for any event, from performances to conferences and weddings.

Aside from the aesthetics of the building, considerable investment in technology has introduced substantial acoustic and lighting improvements, with state-of-the-art sound systems and flexible seating to transform the venue to host a range of events. WiFi is now installed throughout the venue, and opportunities to incorporate digital images and information are in place thanks to six plasma screens in the foyer and two digital projectors in the under-gallery bar.

Well-loved features of the venue have regained their former glory including the spectacular crystal chandeliers in the Ballroom and Music Hall, the fireplaces and the statues.

Four 18th century coade statues were rediscovered during the process and have been restored by the Museums Conservation team from the City of Edinburgh Council’s Culture and Sport department, ready to resume pride of place in the Crush Hall.

Clelland adds: “Undoubtedly, visitors are going to notice the decorative improvements that give the building its ‘wow-factor’, but the infrastructure and behind the scenes changes will make being in the Assembly Rooms much more comfortable. People will find that the venue is lighter, airier and more contemporary, with a new heating and ventilation system, brand new seating, soundproofing and better circulation space. ”

General Manager Shona Clelland can’t wait for the public to see the transformation. She explains: “People are going to be thrilled by the grandeur and elegance of the first-floor rooms. With the glowing gold leaf all done and the decorative rosettes restored, it’s looking absolutely stunning.”

Access for venue users has also been improved, with a new entrance on Rose Street via the restaurant, and the West Lane opened up to create a thoroughfare connecting Rose Street with George Street. Additionally, two lifts have been installed for the first time, making the venue much more accessible publicly and from a service point of view.

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Excitement Builds As it heads towards reopening, Assembly Rooms Edinburgh is beginning a new, exciting chapter in its fascinating history.

From July, the Assembly Rooms will be somewhere people will come for a meal or to shop, as well as for events.

On either side of the main entrance, two new high-end shops will complement and enhance the shopping opportunities on George Street.

Negotiations with two luxury brands are well advanced, with the retailers getting ready to add a stylish new dimension to the building while reinstating the spaces to their former use – historically, these units were used for retail purposes up until the 1950s.

Also opening in the summer is the latest Jamie’s Italian, located in the former Supper Room and Edinburgh Suite, with a new second entrance on Rose Street. In keeping with the rest of the building, and being careful to remain faithful to the Assembly Rooms’ 18th century architecture, the restaurant’s designers have retained original features, but are also adding some culinary magic, with an “antipasti island” and open kitchen.

Speaking of the new residents, Clelland says “We’re very excited to have such high profile partners moving into the building. The combination of top quality retail and dining spaces as well as first class event, performance and conference spaces will attract visitors to the Assembly Rooms day and night, throughout the year. Assembly Rooms Edinburgh has been reborn, and it’s coming back in style!”

Following a series of public and private launch events in July, Assembly Rooms will make a welcome return to the world famous Edinburgh Festival with ‘Assembly Rooms Fringe’, run by director of the Stand Comedy Club, Tommy Sheppard. Assembly Rooms Fringe has a dazzling line-up of theatre, comedy and live music planned

throughout August, with the full programme and booking information at www.ARFringe.com With an array of high profile events packing out the venue for four weeks, Assembly Rooms Edinburgh will be back at the heart of it all, contributing to the electric Festival atmosphere which takes over the city.

From September, business gets serious, with a series of events already contracted, including book readings, dances, conferences, gala dinners and awards ceremonies, and craft fairs.

Big events already lined up for the autumn include ‘An Evening with Grant Stott’ and the much-anticipated ‘Strictly Come Prancing’.

Venue Capacity • Music Hall: 500 for banquets, 300 cabaretstyle, 600 for receptions and 750 theatrestyle (with an additional 200 spaces on the Balcony for performances).

• Ballroom: 300 for banquets, 180 cabaretstyle, 500 for receptions and 400 theatrestyle.

• There are a further ten rooms offering spaces from 10 to 120 for receptions in the Upper Balcony Bar. For further information on booking Assembly Rooms Edinburgh: 0131 220 4348 enquiries@assemblyroomsedinburgh.co.uk www.assemblyroomsedinburgh.co.uk

History On 14 May 1783, the foundation stone for the Assembly Rooms was laid in George Street. Designed and built by architects John and David Henderson at a cost of £6,300, the building took four years to complete.

The construction of the Assembly Rooms marked the beginning of an exciting project that was to provide the people of Edinburgh with a new establishment in the New Town for ‘assemblies’ or dances. Altered and adapted several times over the intervening decades, by 1843 the Assembly Rooms had become a principal performing arts venue, vital to social and artistic life in Scotland’s Capital city.

For almost 230 years, the Assembly Rooms has been entertaining Edinburgh, with the venue playing host to thousands of events, from royal banquets, sell-out Fringe shows and talent contests to concerts, conferences, ceilidhs and public readings by authors such as Dickens, Scott and Thackeray.

The building opened with a ball on 11 January 1787 and was described by the then Edinburgh Evening Courant as “exceeding the Great Room in Bath in elegance and just proportion”. Staying with tradition, the 2012 re-launch will see the building officially re-open to the public on 21 July in true Scottish style, with a ceilidh.

For more information on the launch event and to buy tickets, go to www.pdfproductions.co.uk or call 0845 099 0959.

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Chamberawards

All the winners of the inaugural Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce business awards

Inspiring businesses honoured at inaugural awards Some of Edinburgh’s brightest and best companies were recognised at the inaugural Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

The awards - supported by the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Napier University and Skanska - were organised by the Chamber to recognise private sector innovation and flair.

Presenting the awards at the Prestonfield House Hotel, Chamber President Robert Carr said that in an environment of public sector austerity, recovery from recession depended upon the capacity of the private sector to develop and support employment.

He said: “Recognising successful companies is a worthwhile objective in itself, the more so today as we seek to nurture a fragile recovery.

It is through businesses who are innovating, growing, ambitious, that our future prosperity will be based.”

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Five awards were presented, one of which went to Edinburgh Castle as Member Business of the Year where judges were looking for all-round business excellence, leadership and a strong commitment to the city and the Chamber of Commerce.

income from its retail operations by 15%, opening up its Esplanade and facilities to new events and festivals, reducing queuing and generating an 11% rise in turnover. For all these reasons, and more, Edinburgh Castle is the winner of the Member of the Year Award. “

The citation said: “Our winner is a business that we all look at each day but probably know very little about. Edinburgh Castle is an icon and landmark of our city, a powerful reminder of the significance of our heritage and the importance of tourism to our economy.

For Nick Finnigan, part of the challenge is

“Edinburgh Castle is one of the UK’s top visitor attractions but like all tourism business has had to deal with the seasonal nature of its business and the demands and expectations of visitors from every continent.

“Under the leadership of its new Director, Nick Finnigan, a successful attraction has become even more successful, generating a 7.65% increase in visitors to 1.3m, increasing

Alex Mcleod Macleod, with Nick Finnigan, winner of Member of the Year award.

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promoting the Castle within the city itself. He said: “I would be a very rich man if I had a pound for every local person who says the last time they visited the Castle was on a school trip. I think they somehow think that, although they are proud of it and it stands on their main street, it is not for them, that it is about attracting tourists.

- its annually-renewable materials have a carbon footprint 77% lower than oil-based plastics.The company was founded with the core aim of reducing the environmental impact of catering, saving 260 tonnes of carbon in 2011. Along the way, it has become a global player and success story, with turnover trebling from £1.2m to £3.8m from 2010-13.

“A lot of people do not realise, for instance, that there is so much to do at the Castle. I think they believe that they will only spend an hour or so but there is so much they can do.

They can be here for a day.

HIGH GROWTH COMPANY OF THE YEAR This award is aimed at businesses with an ambition to grow, not just in turnover but in ways consistent with a clear strategy, market positioning, profitability and sound financial management. High growth companies, many of them recent start ups, are major employers of the future.

“I am also trying to dispel this myth that it is expensive. In these difficult economic times, people are looking for value for money and we run a membership scheme which means they can visit us 364 days a year, Stirling Castle and an additional 70 visitor attractions throughout Scotland, all for less than £7 a month.

“We also do all sorts of other things; people can get married here and they can propose to their loved ones on Valentine’s Day, we do a package for that complete with red rose and glass of champagne that’s available all year.

“In addition, we support the local economy. I am delighted that this award is a business award because it recognises our role as a hub for so many high quality businesses that are making Castle Hill somewhere attractive to visit.”

The other awards went to: GREEN COMPANY OF THE YEAR Judges were looking for the business or enterprise demonstrating a commitment to sustainability, carbon reduction, recycling or renewable energy, with tangible benefits to the organisation and the wider community.

John Currie, presenting the Green Company of the Year award to Joe Frankel

Vegware is an Edinburgh success story encompassing environmental best practice with scientific development and commercial success. It is the UK ‘s first and only completely compostable packaging firm - their entire range of low-carbon catering disposables can be organically recycled together with food waste, helping Scottish businesses comply with new zero waste legislation.Vegware has made a significant contribution to global sustainability

technology. As Edinburgh has won the bid to become the UK Headquarters of the Green Investment Bank and recently secured investment from wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa, Xi Engineering looks set to play a leading role in the renewable energy revolution in Edinburgh and around the world. Xi is focused on innovation, while recognising the commercial requirements of its clients.

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR The Employer of the Year demonstrates best practice, not just in supporting people development, but in the management, development, culture and values of the organisation.

Edinburgh Airport, which employs 485 people, donates more than £83,000 to local charities and organisations and had a turnover of £110m in 2010/11. If Edinburgh Airport is successful, then the city is successful.

Greg Ward with Jan Mutch, winner of the High Growth Company of the Year award

Bright Purple Resourcing was founded in Edinburgh in 1995 and has become a global provider of specialist recruitment services.

It has doubled its turnover and trebled its profitability in the past three years, winning awards for entrepreneurship, customer services and developing its own people.The judges felt Bright Purple was a company with a bright future.

MOST PROMISING NEW BUSINESS Judges were looking for innovation, a company which has transformed the market in which it is operating by developing a unique opportunity or service.

Xi Engineering Consultants, a company established in May 2011 has established a global reputation for expertise in the diagnostics and removal of existing and potential vibration issues in wind turbines through its HavMeter

Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance MSP with Jim O’Sullivan, winner of Employer of the Year award.

With a multi-faceted business like this, developing a culture and HR strategy consistent with a high quality of service to passengers, suppliers, clients, partners and airlines is a major task, but one that the airport places at the heart of its strategic objectives.The judges were impressed with the one-team, one aim approach, the commitment to community investment, with up to six days leave provided each year to staff who volunteer, and its commitment to people and team development, reflected in staff surveys indicating that 94% of employees were proud to work for the airport and 80% would recommend it to a friend or relative as a place to work.

The 2nd Annual Business Awards will be on Thursday March 28, 2013. Nominations will open on October 1.

Robert Carr, presenting the Most Promising New Business award to Mark-Paul Buckingham

For further information contact Jill Davidson e-mail: jill.davidson@edinburghchamber.co.uk or Tel 0131 221 3194

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Council publishes new statistics in Edinburgh by Numbers For the first time the top Edinburgh-based companies by pre tax profits have been published in the latest edition of Edinburgh

by Numbers, published by the City of Edinburgh Council.

Scottish Widows Group Limited owned by Lloyds Banking Group PLC in the insurance and pensions sector is at number one with Standard Life PLC in the same sector at number two. Heineken UK Limited owned

by Heineken NV in the brewing sector is the third most profitable firm in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh by Numbers 2012/13 contains key facts for investors, entrepreneurs and anyone else with an interest in the city including sections on access to markets, workforce and education, transport and telecommunications, property, economic structure and quality of life.

Original research from Edinburgh by Numbers 2012/13 includes: n The number of attendees at major festivals in Edinburgh for 2011 n The largest employers in Edinburgh as of 2011/12

Cllr Tom Buchanan, Convener of the Economic Development Committee, said: “The document highlights Edinburgh’s diversity and ability to attract a wide a range of companies including those in the brewing, renewables and financial sectors. Although the list focuses on pre-tax profits, we recognise there are many companies important to the city for other reasons such as turnover or

size of workforce. Edinburgh by Numbers is an excellent resource for those interested in investing in the city or simply looking for key facts and figures about the capital. We are constantly trying to improve the look and content of Edinburgh by Numbers, which is why we have included some new information this year.”

Tram Test for Chamber Transport Group Edinburgh Chamber’s Transport Policy Group took to the rails during a factfinding visit to the Edinburgh Tram Depot at Gogar recently.

The state-of-the-art maintenance and control facility is currently test running the tram fleet in anticipation of the line from the Airport to City Centre opening in 2014.

Transport Group Vice Chairman Ewan Thomson, of First Scottish Group, said: “We have to admit it was a unique experience, after so how the vehicles will move and operate. The Transport Group was much controversy- to be sitting in a moving Edinburgh tram and seeing impressed; we think Edinburgh will be too - in time.” www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk/lhohs

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Goinginternational

Unique Northern European network launches online platform to support regional economies www.eubizz.net was launched in March to support businesses working in Northern Europe.

The Network is a result of the cooperation between two European Interreg projects, North Sea Supply Connect and Baltic Supply.

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce is one of the twenty eight European Business Support Network partners collaborating on the new service platform www.eubizz.net.

Councillor Tom Buchanan of City of Edinburgh Council has been acting as an advocate on behalf of the North Sea Supply Connect project from the very beginning in 2010 as an active political advisory board member.

European Business Support Network wants to confront some of the challenges faced by SMEs and help them to improve their market position and visibility to larger companies. The network helps businesses to develop the skills and competencies they need to engage in tendering procedures that will open up the European supply market for them through: n B2B matchmaking n tender support n brokerage events n Self assessment tools n Tailored training and coaching advice Many of the services are offered offline as well as online.

To register visit www.eubizz.net and upload your details and find the support and help you are looking for.

Award for Mercat Mercat Tours, which provides various walking events in Edinburgh, have been awarded the GOLD Green Tourism Business Scheme award from VisitScotland, which described them as pioneers.

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Inspiringconnections

02 04 01 03

01 02

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David Collier, Tax Partner at Chiene + Tait with Chief Executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce David Birrell Ian Scott from the Onyx Group with Heather Thompson from Thomson Cooper Accountants, Susan Gee from Bond Chartered Accountants and Wayne Russell from City Cabs

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David Birrell from the Edinburgh Chamber Commerce with Jeremy Peat from The David Hume Institute and Graham Birse from the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce

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Tom Flockhart from Capital Solutions with Mark Dobson from CTFS and Gordon Affleck from Capital Solutions

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Our Inaugural Chamber Business Awards 05

The winners celebrating on the night

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Ian Carter and Sabine Klaus from Creation Editor Ltd

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Robert Carr, President at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and Grant Stott

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Ian Baillie, Chris Murphy, Seth Kirk, Eilidh Brunton, Carol Espie and Rosanna Fairholm from Vegware

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Paul McGhee and Christine McFadzen from the City of Edinburgh Council relaxing over a glass of fizz Janice MacNeil from Donaldson’s with Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance MSP

Photos by Graham Carnie, Tuskite Photography

The Budget Breakfast

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Photos by Graham Carnie, Tuskite Photography

Photos by Graham Carnie, Tuskite Photography

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Inspiringconnections Upcoming Events Rising Stars with Morton Fraser

Lite Night - Summer Party BBQ

Wednesday 6 June 2012 | 5.30pm - 7.30pm

Thursday 14 June 2012 | 5.30pm - 8.00pm

Speakers Austin Flynn, Partner, Morton Fraser

Description Join us for drinks and a BBQ at the 5* Glasshouse Hotel on their lavender-scented roof garden, acres of sun-splashed patios and cool, shady verandas to celebrate at our summer party. If you have never been to the roof garden, which is not open to the public, this is definitely one not to be missed!

Description Join us for our new Rising Stars event in partnership with Morton Fraser. This event is aimed at up and coming managers and executives who would like to expand their network base.You will have the opportunity to hear from Austin Flynn, Partner at Morton Fraser, about his climb up the corporate ladder and consider where your career should be headed...

Location Morton Fraser, Lister Square, Edinburgh

Location Glasshouse, 2 Greenside Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3AA Fee £25.00 (Chamber members and member guests) £50.00 (non-members)

Fee £10.00 (Chamber members and member guests) £20.00 (non-members)

Selling to the MOD Breakfast Thursday 7 June 2012 | 8.00am - 10.00am Speakers Philip Margerison, Defence Supplier’s Service Description The UK is the second largest defence exporter in the world with SMEs currently awarded 42 per cent of equipment contracts & many others contributing to Defence & Security programmes as sub-contractors. New measures arising from the military equipment strategy will make it easier for smaller Defence contractors to compete for Government tenders, help them develop new products and provide expert advice to help them export. The Defence Suppliers’ Service is the MOD focal point for the provision of advice & guidance to companies wishing to sell their products & services to the Ministry of Defence. Philip Margerison from the Defence Suppliers’ Service will give a presentation on ‘Selling to the MOD’ to members at this event. This event is run in partnership with the Fife Chamber of Commerce.

For further information or to book onto an event call the events team on 0131 221 2999 or e-mail events@edinburghchamber.co.uk

The Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference The Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference is on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th of October. For further information and to book please visit www.slciconference.com

Location Queensferry Hotel, North Queensferry Fee £18.00 (Chamber members and member guests) £36.00 (non-members)

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60seconds Name: Tony McGinley Company Name: BMG Office Equipment Website: www.bmgoffice.co.uk Q In five words or less, what do you do?

A Office Supplies plain and simple

A Various networking events, training

Q How long have you been a Chamber

Q What’s the best business/benefit you have

member?

A 4 years

Q Why did you join?

A To meet and network with other businesses and to take advantage of the events and services provided by the Chamber to its members.

Q What services do you use?

events and the legal service. won through the Chamber?

A I have built many beneficial relationships (including new clients) through the Chamber

Q Are there any additional services or information you’d be particularly interested in?

A I have enquired about the mentoring service, and will hopefully be taking

advantage of that this year....

Q If you were telling another business person about the Chamber, what’s the first thing you would say?

A They want to know about your business and they want to help you get the most out of your membership.

Q Where do you read your copy of Business Comment?

A In the Office, as soon as it arrives.

BetheBest

A new take on business mentoring The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Mentoring Scotland programme has always provided a choice of 1:1 or group mentoring. This year, a new mentoring option is available: Take Three Mentoring (TTM).

TTM is a partnership between a mentor and three business owners, where all four people meet monthly to discuss business growth plans, share their experiences and agree actions they will take. It provides the year-long support that is provided by 1:1 mentoring, supplemented by the opportunity to get help from a team of people travelling on a similar journey.

Bryan Leslie, owner of Abacus Coaching Ltd, is mentoring a TTM group that is focusing on the challenges of leadership in growing businesses. He says “Take Three Mentoring has helped me to develop and grow my own business, as well as helping the other business owners to grow their businesses. It’s

a fantastic new option for businesses that want structured support to help them grow. Our group has common aims of: n growing our businesses, n making them profitable, and n ensuring the growth is managed and sustainable.

“We hold monthly ‘round-table’ discussions on specific topics, clarifying the results we are looking for, reviewing our current situations, and committing to actions to get the desired results. We also have regular contact via email, Skype and a LinkedIn group, in between our meetings.

“I would encourage anyone that is considering business mentoring, and would benefit from working with other businesses, to consider Take Three Mentoring.”

Genna Nelson

To learn more about the programme, and to explore Take Three Mentoring in more detail please call Genna on 0131 221 2982, visit the website www.businessmentoringscotland. co.uk or e-mail: genna.nelson@edinburghchamber.co.uk

The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Mentoring Scotland programme is managed by Genna Nelson.

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BC AdVertoriAl

Do you tick this (Patent) Box? All companies that receive income from patented products or Intellectual Property should consider whether it can pay corporation tax at a reduced rate of 10% thanks to a new tax initiative, Patent Box. Why is Patent Box being introduced?

The government wants to “encourage companies to locate the high-value jobs and activity associated with the development, manufacture and exploitation of patents in the UK.” In essence, the government wants to stimulate entrepreneurialism and small business enterprise, making the UK a centre of excellence and increase research and development expenditure.

Patent Box is not industry specific, whatever field your business is in, you should consider this tax relief now. From April 2013, Patent Box will tax qualifying profits at a rate of 10%, rather than 23% corporation tax rate (for large companies). is my company eligible?

Whilst the Patent Box concept is simple, eligibility is not. There are a number of conditions which must be met:

When is it being introduced?

HM Treasury ran a consultation period in 2011, which was well received. Draft legislation published in December is expected to pass into law in the Finance Act 2012 (this summer). Profits earned after 1 April 2013 will be subject to these new rules. Therefore, annual accounting periods commencing after 1 April 2012 are potentially subject to this tax rate. The benefits will be phased in over five years.

What type of company can benefi t and how much can i save?

All companies with UK or European patented products could be eligible.

1. The company must have rights (held or exclusively assigned) to the income from the patented product. Therefore, consider now whether your company should be applying for a patent.

2. The company or a group company must have significantly developed the patented product.

3. The company must “actively” own the patented product; management time must be spent formulating plans and making decisions in relation to the development or exploitation of the product.

We have patents, does my company automatically qualify?

No. Provided that your company is eligible, the company must elect into the Patent Box regime. Thereafter, there are seven tests to be undertaken annually to determine how much of the company’s income qualifies for a 10% effective tax rate. Broadly, these can be summarised as extracting the company’s nonIntellectual Property income, routine return and brand value. A patented product that falls within the scheme could be: n Sales income from selling the patented item. n Royalties income received from licensing

the patented item, n Sales income from selling a parent item

which includes the patented item as a component.

Overall, from 1 April 2013, any product that is patented or contains a patented component product could be affected by this new tax relief.

Who should i speak with to fi nd out more?

Chiene + Tait can assist you through the process of qualifying for this generous tax relief and will ensure that your company receives the full benefit available to it. If you have a query about Patent Box, please contact Neil Norman, Corporate Tax Manager on 0131 558 5800 or email neil.norman@chiene.co.uk

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AdVertoriAl

The gateway to your future success…

Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) wants to help your company grow by encouraging you to pool their resources and form consortia. CDS will be running a series of workshops across Scotland designed to explain and explore the benefits of the consortium model.

Collaboration Prize and Workshops CDS wants more businesses to collaborate with each other. So, in conjunction with Business Gateway, we have set up an exciting new Collaboration Prize. This aims to encourage businesses to consider collaboration and pitch an idea for a new consortium co-operative. The prize fund will be worth £30,000 and runs throughout 2012.

The prize was launched by First Minister Alex Salmond at a special ceremony at Edinburgh Castle on 29 March and entries must be in by 31 July. Business Gateway is running workshops across the country over the coming months where people can find out more.

… your diary Dates for tirling Gateway S 2012, Business ne y 12th Ju - Tuesda . rt ta s 1000 0930 for

aisley Gateway P 2012, Business ne u J th 6 y 2 - Tuesda .

1000 start 0930 for

erness ateway Inv G s es in s Bu . time TBC Date and

These workshops will help clients who want to learn more about the benefits of establishing a consortium. They also help clients consider how best to respond to all aspects of the application form.

entries are assessed on fi ve criteria:

Winners of the Collaboration Prize will be announced in August 2012. Up to three winning concept ideas will be selected by a judging panel to each receive a cash prize of £5,000 and up to 10 days of consultancy support (valued at £5,000) to scope out the initial concept idea.

n Commitment of members to work collaboratively

n Economic impact n Importance to key sectors of the Scottish economy

n Level of innovation and creativity n Sustainability of the business model

To enter just find the online application form on the CDS website at www.cdscotland.co.uk

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is Scotland’s leading environmentally friendly Executive Travel Company.

We specifically operate to allow environmentally aware companies and individuals the opportunity to make necessary journeys without causing unnecessary harm to our environment.

Our services

How we help protect the environment

Helping our clients help the environment

We provide professional chauffeur services throughout Scotland. Whether you are travelling between or around cities, to or from an airport or even touring Scotland, our uniformed, polite and friendly chauffeurs will ensure that your journey is enjoyable and trouble free. We take great pride in ensuring that our vehicles are always spotlessly clean inside and out.

Protecting the environment is very important to us.

We procure all of our services from environmentally friendly sources, however without taking the necessary actions, our business would still have a negative impact on our planet.

We love working with organisations that are as keen on protecting the environment as we are. We firmly believe that the more often and louder you shout about protecting the environment, the more people will sit up and listen. We regularly invite our clients to our ‘Dirty Hands Days,’ where we physically plant trees to offset our unavoidable emissions.

Our Prices Surprisingly, our prices are generally no more than a standard ‘metered’ Taxi. For longer journeys we can be a lot less. We constantly monitor our prices to ensure that we remain competitive. To use our services, you need to open an account with Ecorporate Travel Ltd. We will fully explain our pricing structure in advance of this. Whenever you open an account with us we celebrate by planting a tree on your behalf.

Our Vehicles Our fleet of vehicles are the most viable environmentally friendly cars available, the Toyota Prius. They are always immaculately presented with full leather throughout. With the instantly recognisable Toyota Prius design and our discreet livery promoting environmentally aware transportation, we believe there is no better way to travel or arrive at your destination.

In order to offset this negative impact, we use the services of an independent company to calculate our carbon footprint. They then advise us of the number of trees that should be planted to make us carbon neutral.

We plant double this amount to ensure that we have a positive impact on our environment.

We encourage our corporate clients to use this as an opportunity to promote and communicate both internally within their business and externally with their customers, how passionate they are about protecting our planet.

If you choose not to come along to out ‘Dirty Hands Days’ we will still issue your company with a certificate proving the number of trees that have been planted on behalf of your company to help our environment.

Did yorbuonkfonotoprwin?t

The ca ith us of a journey w will be is and always

zero!

T: 0131 6109810 M: 07775 504793 E: enquiries@ecorporatetravel.co.uk W: www.ecorporatetravel.co.uk BC issue 17.indd 22

23/5/12 16:15:34

I Love Landfill Tax Vegware’s Lucy Frankel on a tax no Edinburgh business needs to pay Pasty tax? Granny tax? Poll tax? Taxes are rarely popular, but there’s one tax nobody in their right minds can disagree with. Landfill tax. On 1st April it went up again, making landfill by far the most expensive destination for our rubbish.

This ever-increasing tax is sparking a revolution in our bins, both at work and at home.

Rubbish can be reused, recycled, burnt or buried.The UK used to prefer burying its rubbish, sending mind-boggling quantities of broken fridges, rotten food and rubble to clog up vast holes in the ground. Although the UK still sends 55% of its waste to landfill, things are improving, especially here in Scotland.

Wherever your business’ waste is taken – be it a recycling facility or landfill site – there is a gate fee per tonne. Landfill gate fees may be lower than many recycling processes, but adding landfill tax changes everything. Better still, landfill tax increases by £8 per tonne every year. On 1st April 2012 it rose again to £64 per tonne, to be added to the gate fee.That makes landfill by far the most expensive destination for

waste, and Edinburgh’s businesses can make big savings by maximising recycling, starting with recycling food waste. But in Scotland, recycling is becoming a legal requirement.

Scotland is way ahead of the rest of the UK. New Scottish legislation requires all large businesses to introduce food waste recycling by 2013, extending to all size business by 2015.This forward-thinking measure forces businesses to avoid paying landfill tax, whilst simultaneously going green. All businesses create some food waste. In an office or retail space with no catering facilities it may be just teabags, coffee grinds and banana skins. Onsite catering means much more food waste, especially in the hospitality sector. All businesses will have to introduce food waste recycling. But what are the practical steps to zero waste?

An Edinburgh initiative has the solution.

Vegware won Green Company of the Year in the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Awards.

This local success story is the UK’s first and only completely compostable packaging firm; Vegware manufactures certified compostable takeaway packaging which can be recycled together with food waste. Now their latest initiative helps any UK business find its ideal food waste recycling services, for free.

The Food Waste Network came about when Vegware wanted to help all its UK customers divert used packaging and food waste from landfill.Vegware started speaking to every organics recycling collector or processing facility in the UK, asking them about their services and coverage. In the course of their research, they realised that there was no accurate information covering all UK food waste recycling services.

Since not even WRAP have this information, Vegware realised their research was of use to all businesses. So now Vegware has launched the Food Waste Network – a free service to matchmake any UK business with its ideal food waste recycling service, helping Scottish businesses comply with zero waste legislation.

Contact Eilidh or Lucy on 03300 883 654 or recycle@foodwastenetwork.org.uk to clean up your bins and stop paying landfill tax.

www.sir-robert-mcalpine.com

Sir Robert McAlpine is proud to be helping shape a new future for Scotland through projects including the delivery of a new stadium for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Scott House, Mid New Cultins West One Business Park Edinburgh EH11 4DH

Tel: 0131 458 4255 Fax: 0131 458 4254 Email: edinburgh@sir-robert-mcalpine.com

Quartermile Development

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Theinterview sPeCiAl FeAture

Playing a key role in an evolving global success story As a senior member of the easyJet management team, Hugh Aitken travels all over the world - but his heart will always be in Edinburgh.

Hugh, who lives in the city, became easyJet’s UK Commercial Manager eighteen months ago, having previously spent thirteen years with airports company BAA, latterly working at Edinburgh International.

Now, he not only guides easyJet’s UK commercial operations but also has responsibility for overseeing services in Israel, Jordan and Iceland.

Hugh has joined at a crucial time in easyJet’s history as it seek to evolve from the ‘no frills’ airline of popular perception to one that is known much more for passenger experience. easyJet Airline Company Limited, to give its full name, has enjoyed dramatic growth. A British company with headquarters at London Luton Airport, it has become the UK’s largest airline measured by number of passengers carried, operating domestic and international scheduled services on more than 600 routes between 131 European, North African, and West Asian airports. easyJet’s rapid growth since its establishment in 1995 has been achieved through a combination of acquisitions and route expansions, fuelled by consumer demand for low-cost air travel.

Hugh said: “The company is seventeen years old now and continues to grow because I think people appreciate the low-cost model.

We know we are commonly referred to as a no-frills airline but we prefer to think of ourselves as making flying as affordable and easy as possible for people.

“Yes, cost is important but we also set out to give passengers good value for their fares. We ask our passengers what they want. One of the things they said they wanted was online booking and now more than ninety per cent of our passengers book through easyjet.com “The company is evolving. It is about going up a level and building our relationship with

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our passengers. When I came to work for the company, I was impressed at the level of care and time that is invested in ensuring that we offer a good customer experience. It is improving all the time. That is not to say that it did not happen before but it’s been constantly improved.

“We are working hard to change the way people perceive us. In a recession, people tend to trade down and for a long time we have been perceived as a trade-down brand, the no-frills airline. What we are seeking to do is ensure that when economic conditions improve, people do not trade up away from us.

Our experiences suggests that a lot of them stay with us as we invest more and more into ensuring a good experience for travellers.”

Another reason he identifies for the company’s rapid growth is its sharp focus on developing new markets.

Hugh said: “We have a very strong PanEuropean focus and are always looking to expand and open up new markets.

“We are also trying at the same time to increase business travel. One of the ways we are doing that is through a flexi-fare system which allows business travellers flexibility in their bookings given that plans do change.

“We are working hard to attract Scottish business travellers and Edinburgh plays an important role in that. We have thirteen flights a day from Edinburgh to London.”

That link with Edinburgh goes back to the early days of the company. Hugh said: “Edinburgh is in our DNA. Our first departure to Luton as a company was from Glasgow but the second, just a couple of days later, was from Edinburgh. It is such an important place for us because a lot of business people in Scotland need to travel south to carry out their business, heading for London, or need to go to Amsterdam. We provides both services, one of our strengths is that we fly into primary airports.

“We are also developing our service into Scotland; around 15 per cent of Scotland’s international visitors from markets, we serve fly on easyJet. “Edinburgh is important as we develop Scotland as a market, in addition to people flying out, it is attractive as an inbound destination. One of the things we want to see is for Edinburgh to be attractive all year

round. We can all make money in July and August and at Christmas but as an airline we need a year-round offer and Edinburgh is starting to develop that.“ One dark cloud on the horizon is Air Passenger Duty (APD). At the end of last year, four leading airline chief executives called on Chancellor George Osborne to axe the duty, arguing that by adding to the cost of flight, it is having a negative impact on the UK economy that outweighs any benefit from the revenue raised.

APD was doubled in 2007 and increased again in each of the past two years so that the UK has the highest aviation taxes in the world.

In a letter to the Chancellor, Carolyn McCall from easyJet, Willie Walsh from IAG, Michael O’Leary from Ryanair and Steve Ridgway from Virgin Atlantic said that what is happening in the UK mirrors what occurred in the Netherlands in 2008/09 when a similar air tax was imposed. After a year, the levy was abandoned after a study showed that its harmful effects on the Dutch economy were nearly four times greater than the revenue it produced.

Hugh said: “It is very unusual for four airlines, four rivals, to come together like this but we all feel strongly about it.

“We believe the tax is doing damage to the UK economy. It adds to the cost of flying and we believe that independent research is needed to assess its impact. If the research finds against us we will stand by it but we do not believe it will. Our campaign is called Axe the Tax and that is what we believe must happen.”

Another challenge for easyJet is meeting environmental regulations designed to reduce carbon emissions.

Hugh said: “We support moves towards sustainability. One of the things we do is to fly modern aircraft because they are cheaper to run and are better for the environment than operating a 25-year old aircraft that has gone round the planet three or four times.

“We are also working on fuel efficiency, including using only one engine when taxing to the terminal after landing,. This has cost benefits but it is also cuts emissions and makes air travel more sustainable. That has got to be a good thing for the planet.“

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“The company is evolving. It is about going up a level and building our relationship with our passengers.�

Hugh Aitken UK Commercial Manager easyJet

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coverfeature sPeCiAl FeAture

New owners, new era, new opportunities for Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh Airport is preparing for the next stage in its development after the Competition Commission approved its sale by BAA to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).

GIP has bought an airport with a proven track record. The sixth largest airport in the UK, Edinburgh contributes hundreds of millions of pounds to Scotland’s economy as well as supporting a vast supply chain.

destination we’ve been working hard to get.

Connectivity guides everything we do and this new route is doubly exciting because of the onward connection possibilities Istanbul offers.

As Scotland’s busiest airport, Edinburgh is home to more than 40 airlines which serve more than 100 destinations. Each year, 9.3 million passengers pass through the airport, figures which are set to grow as Scotland’s international connections develop.

“We’re committed to continuing to play our role in the Scottish economy by linking the Capital to as many destinations as we can.

As we face increased taxation and growth constraints in England, it is crucial that we secure further direct routes across Europe and beyond.”

For instance, Edinburgh recently announced Scotland’s first direct service to the Turkish city of Istanbul. The new service from Turkish Airlines will run four times a week from July 16 and provide a link for leisure and business travellers alike.

The route also offers connectivity to a range of global destinations, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Delhi, Mumbai, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Narita and Osaka.

The sale is the latest in a restructuring of BAA’S assets. GIP bought Gatwick Airport from BAA in December 2009, following the Commission’s report into BAA’s ownership of seven UK airports.

That report required BAA to sell three airports and said that either Edinburgh or Glasgow Airport would have to be sold.

Jim O’Sullivan, Managing Director, Edinburgh Airport, said of the new route: “This is a significant development for Edinburgh Airport and the wider city. Our European traffic has driven much of our growth in the past year and Istanbul is a

Chief Marketing Officer of Turkish Airlines Faruk Cizmecioglu said: “We are very happy to start flying from Edinburgh to more than 200 destinations around the world as from 16th July 2012.

“Turkish Airlines were awarded the Best Airline of Europe by Skytrax in 2011.

Following on from this prestigious title we are proud to announce our exciting new link with Edinburgh Airport. As part of our commitment to expansion throughout the UK, Edinburgh will increase our UK portfolio to six airports.”

More information on www.edinburghairport.com

Laura Carstensen, Chairman of the BAA Remedies Implementation Group, said: “We’re pleased to approve the sale of Edinburgh Airport to GIP and to enable the swift conclusion of this divestiture process.

“GIP’s track record is very strong and we anticipate that customers at Edinburgh Airport will soon see the benefits of new management approaches and that Scottish passengers and airlines more generally will also gain from the introduction of a more competitive environment.”

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“GIP’s track record is very strong and we anticipate that customers at Edinburgh Airport will soon see the benefits of new management approaches and that Scottish passengers and airlines more generally will also gain from the introduction of a more competitive environment.”

Laura Carstensen Chairman of the BAA Remedies Implementation Group

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coverfeature sPeCiAl FeAture

Airline secures accolade for seventh year running One of the major airlines using Edinburgh is bmi Regional, which was recently recognised as the UK’s most punctual airline.

“Not only do all bmi Regional customers have the reassurance of flying with the UK’s most punctual airline, we are also committed to offering the best service, quality and value for money with no hidden extras.

Official statistics published by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority for 2011 showed that bmi Regional was the most punctual airline operating from UK airports for the seventh successive year.

The data from www.flightontime.info puts bmi Regional first with 91.7 per cent of its flights departing on time and an average delay of just 5.3 minutes.

“All customers receive full service benefits regardless of their ticket type, including complimentary catering on board and no charges for checked baggage or seat selection.”

bmi Regional operates an all-jet fleet of modern Embraer 135 and 145 aircraft from airports including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Paul Alcock, bmi Regional Director of Operations, said: “bmi Regional prides itself on the punctuality and reliability of service offered to its customers.

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“Once again, the official figures show that we continue to get it right, and after seven full years at the top, it shows that we’re consistently getting it right time after time.

The company runs various services to and from Edinburgh, including Brussels (up to 18 a week), Copenhagen (up to two flights a day), Manchester (22 flights a week) and Zurich daily.

The Zurich service recently celebrated its fifth anniversary from Edinburgh.

23/5/12 16:16:34

Since the launch of the route on 26 March 2007, more than 75,000 customers have used the service and the route continues to grow in popularity.

According to the company, the anniversary demonstrates how popular the route is for both business and leisure travellers, boosting business and tourism connections.

Fares for bmi Regional services to Zurich start from £94 one way and customers are given a 20kg baggage allowance and receive complimentary refreshments onboard. Business fare passengers can make use of priority check-in services, lounge access and have newspapers provided onboard.

“Once again, the official figures show that we continue to get it right, and after seven full years at the top, it shows that we’re consistently getting it right time after time” Paul Alcock bmi Regional Director of Operations,

Flights can be booked at flybmi.com

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CityJet-210mmx270mm-21-may.pdf 1 21/05/2012 15:36:12

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Clearer, fresher drinking water on tap Scottish Water is delivering a clearer, fresher drinking water supply for Scotland’s capital city.

The new Glencorse Water Treatment Works will supply customers across Edinburgh and the Lothians with clearer, fresher drinking water for many years to come, supporting the region’s £2 billion tourism economy and providing a quality product which is vital to the daily lives of both our customers and the thousands of tourists visiting Scotland’s capital every year.

The works is capable of supplying up to 175 million litres of high quality drinking water to around 450,000 customers across Edinburgh and Midlothian, every day.

With sustainability at its core the £130 million facility, which was delivered on time and under budget, has replaced the ageing treatment works at Fairmilehead and Alnwickhill that served the city well for over a century but have now reached the end of their operational life.

The site of the new treatment works was chosen following the largest consultation exercise in Scottish Water’s history, with communities and organisations across Edinburgh and the Lothians asked for their views in narrowing down the location. Combining these findings with the latest civil engineering studies the site near Penicuik was selected.

Having met strict guidelines, spoken directly to neighbours and added sustainable features such as a grass roof, the works received planning approval in a ground-breaking 10 weeks.

In order to better blend Glencorse into the surrounding Pentland Hills the design incorporates the largest ‘grass’ roof in Scotland. We worked with a locally-based turf specialist who carefully studied the wild flowers and grasses indigenous to the Pentlands area, in order to cultivate the unique Glencorse roof. The roof also harvests rainwater into bio-diverse wetlands surrounding the site, providing a rich habitat for local animal, bird and plant life.

All spoil from the construction programme was retained on site, reducing the number of lorries present on Midlothian’s roads by around 75%. This not only helped to significantly reduce disruption and cost but improved the safety for local communities.

Lorry journeys were further reduced by a million miles with the introduction of a world first mobile pipeline production plant on the route of the 9 mile pipeline, connecting Glencorse water flows with existing infrastructure in the capital. Locating the plant along the route of the pipeline allowed for pipes to be rolled straight from production and into the ground. Because there were no transport restrictions, the project team could produce pipes that were 50% longer than normal, reducing the number of welds necessary, making the pipeline more robust and decreasing the overall construction time.

The route of the pipeline took into consideration a number of historical sites, with archaeologists finding Cromwellian artefacts on the site of a known World War II camp in addition to the discovery of a Roman marching camp on the periphery of the Glencorse site. We worked with neighbours on how to best preserve this historic location.

Glencorse will leave a living legacy having worked closely with schools in the local area to educate young people on a range of topics from health and safety to environmental engineering practice.

The Glencorse project has helped to inspire future generations towards careers in the water and engineering industries in Scotland.

We worked with the local community to plant 60 donated oak trees, which will help to further blend the treatment works into the natural environment of the Pentland Hills.

If you would like any further information about this project, Scottish Water or our services visit www.scottishwater.co.uk or call our Customer Helpline on 0845 601 8855.

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Tel: +44 131 5545413

Based only a stones throw from the Scottish Office in Leith, Edinburgh Coach Lines is one of Scotland’s premier coach operators with over 40 years of experience in providing transport solutions for corporate and leisure travellers alike throughout Scotland, the UK and beyond.

As part of the Eirebus Group – a UK and Ireland group of companies offering coach hire and destination management services – Edinburgh Coach Lines operates a fleet of 20 luxury touring coaches an boasts 40 members of staff with a unrivalled reputation for quality service.

Edinburgh Coach Lines was born in 2005 following the amalgamation of two sister companies Edinburgh Castle Coaches and Silver Coach Lines and has grown from strength to strength, year on year under the guidance of General Manage Peter Fyvie.

81 Salamander Street, Edinburgh, EH6 7JZ, Scotland

www.edinburghcoachlines.com

Peter has a wealth of experience within the transport industry, having run his own chauffer company for a number of years that looked after the driving requirements of many blue-chip clients, including Sony.

Peter joined Edinburgh Castle Coaches in 1995 and has steadily grown the company in stature, reputation and vehicle numbers into a force to be reckoned with.

By 2009 the City of Edinburgh Council had awarded this forward thinking company the contract to operate a new bus service on the 13 routes previously operated by Lothian Buses In 2011 Edinburgh Coach Lines won the Megabus contract, operated on behalf of Stagecoach, which will see the Salamander Street company carry passengers between Dundee, Perth and Edinburgh.

In association with Gray Line Scotland, Edinburgh Coach Lines offers a range of one, two and three day tours all over the Scottish Highlands. They offer a fantastic selection of itineraries, including one day tours to Loch Ness and Highlands of Scotland, Loch Lomond, St Andrews and the Kingdom of Fife and the Highland Whisky Experience, also catering for a three day tour which takes in the West Highlands, Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye.

During the last decade we have seen the majority of work going from advance bookings weeks, allowing tour operators the luxury of planning ahead, to independent travellers rather than the package tour, travellers are now more than happy to arrive at their chosen destination and check what is on offer, as a result tour and coach operators have to react quickly to guarantee availability.

www.graylinescotland.com

www.budgetbus.co.uk

www.reachscotland.com

www.travelsolutionsireland.com

Campus at Donaldson’s offers: • A modern venue for meetings and events of all sizes • Overnight accommodation with access to swimming and sports facilities • A semi-rural location, whilst still enjoying easy access by car/train from all major towns within the central belt • Courtesy bus from train station • Healthy menus from our in-house catering team • State of the art ICT equipment • A range of professional training courses • An opportunity to support a local charity • Conference facilities • Courses in BSL/Deaf Awareness

Contact us; Gill Sinclair, 01506 841900 or campus@donaldsons.org.uk

Campus at Donaldson’s, Preston Road, Linlithgow, EH49 6HZ www.donaldsons.org.uk Any profits made by Campus at Donaldson’s will be reinvested into Donaldson’s School and the education, therapy and care of our pupils who are deaf or have communication difficulties. (Scottish Charity No: SC017417)

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sPeCiAl FeAture

Pufferfi sh and NL Productions ‘enLIGHTen’ Edinbugh Very proud of our roots, Pufferfish and NL Productions were thrilled to be able to use their joint expertise to support the recent Edinburgh City of Literature ‘enLIGHTen’ project.

Tasked with showing Edinburgh in a ‘whole new light’, Pufferfish and NL Productions collaborated closely to transform some of the city’s best known landmarks into vibrant quotations.

Getting ready for the Festival that’s worth millions You can already tell from the number of ‘staff wanted’ signs appearing in the windows of Edinburgh’s hotels, bars, restaurants and coffee shops that the city’s businesses are starting to prepare for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

This year the Fringe runs from August 3rd – 27th and will once again be the largest and greatest arts festival in the world.

According to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society’s annual report, last year saw more than 20,000 performers play to an audience of around 2 million people.

Hosting the biggest festival in the world clearly has an impact on the city’s economy. In a recent study commissioned by Festivals Edinburgh it was shown that the Fringe generated an astounding £142 million for Edinburgh every year.

The Fringe plays a starring role in the profile of the city and its tourism economy. The same report showed that 93% of visitors to Edinburgh say that it was the city’s festivals that made Edinburgh special as a city and 82% stating that the festivals were their sole or an important reason for coming to Scotland.

This year’s Fringe overlaps with the Olympic Games in London, something that Fringe organisers are seeing as an opportunity.

Kath M Mainland, the Chief Executive of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “It’s an exciting time for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The world’s greatest cultural event and the world’s greatest sporting event happening at the same time in the same country is a once-in-alifetime occurrence.”

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society started marketing for the annual event earlier this year in a bid to attract tourists who might be making plans around the Olympics.

Kath Mainland said: “One thing we did differently this year was to start selling tickets at the start of the year. Our audience research told us that many visitors to the Fringe make their decisions to come or not by spring. Producers and venues have also told us that from their point of view they want to be able to sell tickets as soon as details about the show, such as its time and venue, are confirmed.”

On a bigger scale than ever before, the ‘enLIGHTen’ project saw seven locations carefully chosen to receive dynamic projections of inspiring quotes, including the Melville Monument in St Andrews Square and the Royal Society of Edinburgh building in George Street.

Creating an ‘enLIGHTen’ trail, visitors were encouraged to explore the projections, learning about the significance of the locations chosen and the history surrounding the literature.

Using a mixture of projection mapping, stop motion animation and high impact visuals, the teamwork between Pufferfish and NL Productions produced stunning results, creating captivating literary spectacles across all seven locations.

Pleased to have been able to play their part in ‘enlightening’ a new audience to literature in Edinburgh, Pufferfish and NL Productions would like to thank the team behind Edinburgh City of Literature for organising a fantastic event.

This year’s Fringe will feature the usual heady mix of comedy, theatre, music, musicals, dance, cabaret, spoken word and children’s shows, exhibitions and street events.

Tickets are available from http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on

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The Bo’ness Hillwalking & Touring Company

The Bo’ness Hillwalking and Touring Company organize small group trips, maximum 6, around Scotland.

These trips include fully guided “Bag a Munro” Days (certificate on completion) and Glencoe Hidden Valley Days. A qualified Mountain Leader with assistant guide will accompany the group on these trips. We will provide you with quality waterproof clothing, hats, gloves and rucksack.

We also offer Trossachs, beautiful Perthshire and Forth Valley sightseeing tours in all new luxury vehicles.

find us on

Tel: 01506 828999 www.bonesshillwalkingandtouring.com G r a n g e m o u t h

R o a d ,

B o ’ n e s s

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ROYAL HIGHLAND CENTRE’S CULTURAL COUP The Royal Highland Centre (RHC), Scotland’s largest event venue adjacent to Edinburgh airport, is once again demonstrating its diversity.

present work that otherwise could not be brought to the UK and will add to the scale and ambition of the Edinburgh International Festival in 2012.”

The Centre has been chosen by the Edinburgh International Festival as the platform to launch this year’s programme, which features over 3,000 artists from nearly 50 countries.

Director of the Royal Highland Centre Archie Glendinning said, “The fact that the Edinburgh International Festival has chosen the Royal Highland Centre to stage it’s three largest productions emphasises our track record of hosting international events and ensures our relationship will continue to go from strength to strength.”

Following on from the success of Faust in 2009, the Lowland Hall will be transformed as it hosts the Festival’s three largest productions, which are coming to the UK for the first time.

Running from 11-28 August 2012, audiences will be treated to Grzegorz Jarzyna’s 2008: Macbeth, a visceral and multi-media version of the “Scottish play” set in the Middle East; an epic and witty production of Les Naufrages du Fol Espoir (Aurores) by legendary French director Ariane Mnouchkine and an off the wall adaptation of My Fair Lady, Meine Faire Dame – Ein Sprachlabor by Christoph Marthaler who will be making a rare appearance in the UK.

“The Royal Highland Centre provides theatre goers a unique experience in the surroundings of our beautiful landscaped parkland, which provides ample parking and is close to Edinburgh Airport.”

The project, supported by the City of Edinburgh Council, Creative Scotland, EventScotland and the Scottish Government through its Edinburgh Festival’s Expo Fund forms part of the Festival’s contribution to the London 2012 Festival. The Edinburgh Festivals bring £245million annually into the local economy.

The Lowland Hall will be transformed into three separate auditoriums for the vast multimedia productions, which will benefit from the Royal Highland Centre’s state of the art technology, with each individual show seating a capacity audience of 600.

Director of Edinburgh International Festival, Jonathan Mills said, “The Royal Highland Centre allows us to

To find out more about the Royal Highland Centre please visit www.royalhighlandcentre.org.uk or call us on 0131 335 6200

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Inthespotlight Company name: Anderson strathern Who? Mark Coulter, Head of residential Property Website: www.andersonstrathern.co.uk

1. What were you doing between 10 and 12 this morning?

6. Where do you stand on work/life balance?

Planning for an ongoing rebranding and reposition exercise for the Anderson Strathern residential property business which is being launched in August 2012!

Your working life is a marathon not a sprint and too many people focus on ‘face time’ and quantity and not quality of work.

You have to work hard to get somewhere but you have to work clever, this is just as important. You also need quality down time otherwise you will be less effective in your work time.

2. What do you see as your job’s biggest challenge?

Differentiating your brand and business offer in a very competitive and challenging market.

3. What do you consider your biggest business triumph?

In my previous role, I reduced the operating costs of my business by 50% whilst turnover dropped by 15% from prerecession levels, thus dramatically increasing profitability. I also completely overhauled the offer of the business. This resulted in the team being crowned ‘Residential Team of the Year’ at the Scottish Legal Awards 2012.

4. do you have any money-saving business tips?

If something is not fundamental to your business and it is not giving you a minimum return then you should seriously consider losing or replacing it.

5. What do you believe are the 3 key stages on your career ladder?

Identifying what you like and what you are good at, getting the correct qualifications in order to practice, and then to work hard and clever to make sure you get ahead of the opposition.

7. What do you like to do in your spare time?

I have a young family so most of my time is spent with them. I do also like to do hill walking and I enjoy supporting rugby as a spectator now!

8. What qualities do you need to see in your employees?

Honesty and hard work are the two elements that I always look for in any team member. Without trust and honesty you can’t give honest feedback on both sides and you lose all shape and direction.

9. in business, is it more important to be liked or successful?

Liked is certainly a luxury but respect is a must. If you don’t have respect from your colleagues and competitors you are sunk.

10. What is the one piece of advice you would give to others trying to reach the top?

You never really reach the top. Life is not about scaling one peak its about continually scaling them. Once you have reached the top of one mountain there is always another challenge (mountain) waiting for you!

11. Who is your hero?

Jonny Wilkinson. Not because he is one of the greatest rugby players ever played but because of his work ethic and selflessness towards a team goal. There are many celebrity obsessed sportsman and business people who could learn a lot from this approach!

12. Any business (or other) projects you would like to plug?

I try to raise a minimum of 1% of my gross salary per annum to a charitable cause. This year I intend to walk the entire length of the West Highland Way in four days (100 miles). Please donate generously!

13. other than your current position, what would be your dream job?

The England Rugby team coach. I would like to have a go at restoring them back to world no 1 and to win the RWC 2015 - a serious challenge!!

14. Who (living or dead) would you invite to a fantasy dinner party?

Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Terry Leahy, and Margaret Thatcher.

15. outside of business, what is the most important thing in your life?

Family and helping others.

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Business News Resilient City is good for business Lothian and Borders Police worked with City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce to deliver the fourth annual Edinburgh Community Resilience Week.

The three-day event was designed to equip businesses with the knowledge required to cope with a major incident, such as a terrorist attack, in the Capital.

Leading figures in the fields of business resilience and national security spoke at the event, which began with a one-day Councilled conference at Edinburgh City Chambers and culminated with a Counter Terrorism Security Conference. Standard Life provided venues and support for the police-led events.

Assistant Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, from Lothian and Borders Police, said: “The programme of events help businesses and organisations ensure they are prepared for a major incident, and assist in maintaining Edinburgh’s reputation as a safe place to live, work and visit.”

Councillor Tom Buchanan, Convener of the Economic Development Committee at City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Edinburgh is a

renowned business city, and it is important that we have robust plans in place to deal with all eventualities.”

Graham Birse, Managing Director of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “Business continuity is not just a matter for large enterprises, small businesses are also vulnerable to unexpected events that can damage their capacity to trace and employ people. Resilience Week gives local businesses a unique opportunity to engage with the professionals in this field in order to develop and protect their own organisation.”

Paul Chong, Group IT and Commercial Director at Standard Life, said: “For companies like ourselves it is essential we develop our thinking and share insight with business continuity experts and our peers to allow us to protect our organisations effectively.”

Public sector contract win for local business Office equipment specialist Capital Document Solutions has been hailed by a Scottish Government minister as a textbook example of a business seizing the opportunities presented by reshaped procurement policy.

Capital, which has offices throughout Scotland, has won over 30% of the public sector contracts awarded under an office equipment procurement framework introduced in 2009.

Infrastructure and Capital Investment Secretary Alex Neil MSP visited the Edinburgh HQ of the business to hear first-hand how Capital has worked to win the largest share of contracts tendered within the framework.

Alex Neil said: “The Scottish Government is working hard to ensure our procurement spend delivers maximum benefits for the Scottish economy. Capital Document Solutions are a fine example of how independent Scottish companies can take full advantage of public sector contracts to help their business. Our reforms are designed to make it easier and simpler to bid for work, and as a result, there are increasing numbers of companies like Capital Document Solutions who are winning work through high quality bids.”

From Left to Right: Michael Kellet, Scottish Government; ACC Iain Livingstone, Lothian and Borders Police; Sue Bruce, Chief Executive, City of Edinburgh Council; Graham Birse, Managing Director of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce; Alastair MacLean, Director of Corporate Governance, City of Edinburgh Council

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Capital managing director Tom Flockhart says: “We devoted a great deal of time and resources to proving we have the capabilities, capacity and commitment to be an approved supplier. That effort and investment has proved more than worthwhile.”

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING

The Regent Promise

for professionals working in the international community Regent Edinburgh has built its reputation as a premium centre of tuition by providing focused courses suitable for ambitious learners. With the world now a global economy, it has never been more important for people of every nationality to share a common language in business. That language is English.

Choose your course • • • •

English World programmes IELTS preparation and testing ClasSIX programmes Enhanced 1:1 tuition

- Equip yourself with the tools to thrive in the global community.

- Earn the credentials to make the most of your future.

- Focused, direct and effective. Business English on a tight schedule.

- Accelerate your performance with additional to attention detail.

Quantify your progress

Business programmes offer companies a unique opportunity in the current economic climate to invest in their employees’ ability to outperform the competition in an international market.

Each ClasSIX programme focuses on specific communication skills required for the individuals chosen profession alongside the art of having a real conversation; make more of small talk.

Tell the world “Regent Edinburgh is very welcoming. It was a pleasure to develop my English here. I will recommend this course to my EDF colleagues.”

- Mr. Abella, France “Two courses at Regent Edinburgh I’m still improving! I had never repeated a course in the same school before but I am going to return for a third time to take the IELTS exam for work.” - Ms. Finskya, Russia For more information email edinburgh@regent.org.uk for your free brochure, or call our team who will be happy to help.

Regent Edinburgh, 65 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4NA Tel. +44 (0)131 225 9888 Fax. +44 (0)131 225 2133

www.regent.org.uk

member

We have successfully developed the Regent Promise over 50 years.

• Maximum of 12 students per class and 6 in the business courses.

• This is your course; we adjust your tuition to suit your needs.

• Every teacher holds a CELTA qualification, a university degree and a minimum of 2 years of international experience.

• Accommodation options including homestay that allow you to relax and focus on your academic improvement.

• One-to-one coaching session every week.

CONFERENCES and MEETINGS at the ROYAL COLLEGE of PHYSICIANS of EDINBURGH

Modern conferencing in a historic setting Our comprehensive facilities at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh range from lecture theatre to meeting rooms, Great Hall and Georgian suite Choice of spaces for conferences, meetings, dinners and receptions for 3–300 Full AV support including video conferencing Stylish central Edinburgh location at 9 Queen Street Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 9 Queen Street Edinburgh UK EH2 1JQ

+44 (0)131 225 7324 events@rcpe.ac.uk

www.rcpe-venue.co.uk facebook.com/rcpevenue @RCPEVenue

Scottish charity no. SC009465

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n Commercial & Domestic work n 3 phase work n Electrical Inspecting / Testing n Lighting & Power - External n Lighting & Power - Internal n Power Showers and Pumps n Bathroom Installations n Plumbing Repair & Maintenance n Bathroom, Kitchen and WC Plumbing

MSF Electrical 125/8 Stenhouse Drive, Edinburgh EH11 3NG

07817 270023

ocean70.com

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Everything is going to be alright Email enquiries@tbbc.net Telephone 0131 553 9355 40

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S T I C KY A DV E R T I S I N G

23/5/12 16:17:52

Asktheexpert Facebook or Google?

One of the biggest problems any business comes up against is where to invest their precious time and money in order to reap the biggest reward. Nowhere is this more the case than when it comes to all things online.

Should your company be investing in Facebook, LinkedIn or Google AdWords to market itself? Is it more important to be #1 on Google or to build an email newsletter database? Many of the options are ‘free’ but can take a huge amount of time and so are far from free in reality. Some of the most effective ‘free’ marketing tools are as follows: n Facebook n Search Engine Optimisation (getting to #1 on Google) n Twitter n Email marketing n Building a LinkedIn profile All of these can be incredibly powerful, but unless you are a huge organisation with a

By Lucy Johnston from Bread and Butter Marketing

large marketing team you won’t ever be able to do everything effectively. Add to this the paid forms of marketing online, PPC, display advertising etc, and it can all feel very overwhelming.

I’m often asked by people how to decide which of the myriad options they should go with. I have found that the best thing to do is to get a basic understanding of most of the options and then to see which appeals to you most. As with many things in life, you are likely to do best in the areas you enjoy most.

All of the forms of online marketing can work for nearly all business types, as long as your business puts its heart and soul into it. Hence, choosing a marketing strategy you feel you might actually enjoy and which will suit your business is a great start.

makes being online great in comparison to other media. Therefore, before you start any form of digital marketing you should ensure you have implemented an analytics package on your website to measure it (Google Analytics is a great free package to do this).

You then have a baseline from which to measure everything you do so you’ll start to get a feel for what is working.

The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce runs a quarterly course which provides an introduction to all of the above, including the ‘free’ tools, Google AdWords and how to measure them all using analytics, the next is on the 5th of September. Book online via www.chamberbusinesssolutions.co.uk/ Open_Training_Courses to get started.

The most important thing, whatever form of online marketing you choose, is that you know whether it is working or not. Being able to measure success accurately is what

GetwithIT

By Bill Magee

Scottish Business Technology Writer of the Year

Taking a leading role Edinburgh’s universities take a leading role when it comes to technological research and development capabilities to the lasting benefit of the local and Scottish economy.

Not to mention a myriad of entrepreneurial commercial ventures across all the sectors looking for hi-tech aid and assistance to get their ventures off the ground.

Now more proof of such high calibre R&D capabilities is evident, if proof is needed, thanks to Heriot-Watt University.

The hunt is on across Scotland’s universities and research institutes to uncover the country’s most pioneering entrepreneur with a significant “cash and guidance” pot worth £45,000 up for grabs for the winner.

This is the largest amount ever available to Scotland’s academic community and especially significant, as the process of establishing, developing and funding a New Technology start-up company remains one of the toughest challenges faced by budding entrepreneurs.

Students and academics entering the “Converge Challenge” competition will receive a great deal of help and encouragement to bring their ideas to fruition. Olga Kizlova, Heriot-Watt’s enterprise creation manager, reports it will also offer financial, legal and patent assistance.

Entrants have two months to submit their initial form and three months to prepare for an Elevator Pitch process, taking place in early June.

Closing deadline has been set for early August.

Some of the most illustrious names in the Scots business and technology sectors will judge final selections.

The 2012 Converge Challenge has received support from the highest levels of government in Scotland. The overall winner will be announced after a final pitch process at a gala event on 27th September.

Check out ~ www.hw.ac.uk/industry/ collaborate-with-us/converge-challenge.htm Contact me: billmagee@btconnect.com Catch my Daily TechPost via Twitter @billamagee

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Welcome to Shaw Trust Shaw Trust is a national charity which supports disabled and disadvantaged people preparing for work, finding jobs and living more independently.

We believe everyone has the right to work and we have campaigned for over 25 years to turn our vision into a reality.

Every year we work now with over 75,000 clients who face barriers due to disability, ill health or social circumstance. Thousands of employers and public sector organisations also benefit from our range of services for business.

We are very interested in working with small to medium sized employers and currently have a special offer of paying the first 3 months salary of any client hired into employment this month.

We are currently working with a variety of employers very successfully in Scotland. These include Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrison’s, Poundland, City Facilities Management, Ikea, Harmony Recruitment and Teleperformance.

Services for your business Shaw Trust supply a variety of services to help employers. These include a free recruitment service, job coaching, access to free health care services; counselling, occupational health and condition management.

Shaw Trust offer training support grants for employers to help our candidates through specific training requirements to enable them to do that job. This includes Scottish Vocational Qualifications and payment of PVG membership (Protection of Vulnerable Groups).

We provide financial support with interview clothing and travel.

Once a job is obtained by a client we can help ease the financial burden by providing Job Start Grant to assist the client until they receive their first pay.

Shaw Trust can also help support employees currently in employment by making funding available to employers to support them.

For more information please contact our Edinburgh Office on 0131 272 2776 and ask for Zac Quinn.

Craig won Employee of the year 2011 at the Scottish Union of Supported Employers

Registered Charity no. 287785

www.shaw-trust.org.uk

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sPeCiAl FeAture

Supporting Scottish Apprenticeships The skills challenge is an increasingly important focus for countries across the world - but Scotland has recognised that success is not merely about a highly educated workforce.

Achieving sustainable economic growth will only be possible by making academic and vocational skills relevant and ensuring that these skills are applied in the workplace.

These skills include those that are job-specific and associated with a given industry sector, updated and honed as demands change.

There are also personal and learning skills that enable individuals to become effective lifelong learners by adapting to a changing environment.There are the fundamental skills of literacy and numeracy and increasingly IT capability and today’s work environment requires high levels of communication skills, the ability to solve problems and to work effectively in teams.

Modern Apprenticeships offer anyone, aged over 16, paid employment combined with the opportunity to train for jobs at craft, technician and management level.They are an exciting way of gaining skills and qualifications that will help to start a career without having to study full-time, and are available across a wide range of industries.

Designed to help create a high-calibre workforce and to strengthen the training system in Scotland, Modern Apprenticeship frameworks are developed by the industry or sector in which they will be implemented, and encompass all the skills required in that area.

Modern Apprentices are employed from the very start of their training and will receive a wage from their employer. Apprentices are given the chance to develop expertise and knowledge through on-the-job assessment, as well as gaining vital skills such as teamwork and problem solving. Many Modern Apprentices also attend college or a training centre to study the theory relating to their chosen occupation.

The Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) for the sector at Level 3 are the core of every framework. Some frameworks may specify progression routes, which allow apprentices to work towards a Level 2 initially, and then progress to the Level 3 and Level 4 SVQ. More and more companies are seeing SVQs as an integral part of their business development strategy.They give a focused, on-the-job context for training and developing staff.They are an excellent way of making sure that

staff development programmes and business strategies go hand-in-hand.

SVQs are based on national standards of performance, developed by representatives from industry, commerce and education. Matching the skills and knowledge of candidates against these nationally agreed industry standards gives you a good idea of where there might be room for improvement.This kind of skills and knowledge audit is a useful business exercise in its own right - following this up with an effective SVQ programme to develop the skills of your staff gives you a significant competitive edge.

Once training and development are underway and people are working towards their SVQs, many employers begin to notice clear material benefits, including healthier bottom-line performance.

To find out more about SQA’s qualifications and other services please call 0303 333 0330 or visit www.sqa.org.uk

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Gettingstarted

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Name: Alex Orr Business name: Orbit Communications Start up date: April 2012 Website: www.orbit-comms.co.uk q1: tell us a bit about your business?

We’re a communications consultancy specialising in media relations, public affairs and community engagement. We help our clients to build and manage their reputation and exert influence with the press, politicians and the public.

q2: What gives your business ‘the x-factor’?

For a small business, I think we have a fantastic range of skills and experience across the team. I think our clients really appreciate that. We’re also very adaptable and quick on our feet – and we actively enjoy new challenges.

q3: What motivated you to set up in business for yourself?

I think being more in control of your own destiny is a big attraction. Building up a business is a lot of hard work, but there are also huge rewards in turning an idea into a fully functioning business with prospects.

q4: What do you like most about working for yourself?

Having the freedom to take the business in new directions. But also being able to deal with other senior business people on equal terms.

q5: What has been your greatest business success to date?

We’ve had a number of successes during our first year. Having clients recommend us to others is always very gratifying. But also

having people call us up unprompted because they’ve witnessed the positive impact of some of our work and want to know how we might be able to help them. We’ve also just been shortlisted for an Excellence Award by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations for the PR campaign we ran to secure planning permission for Scotland’s first commercial goldmine. If we progress beyond the shortlist, that will be a really great endorsement for the work we do.

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q6: What has been your lowest moment?

Setting up the company in the first place was a stressful experience but since crossing that threshold and starting trading, we’ve never looked back. To be honest, we simply haven’t had time to indulge in any low moments. I’m pleased to say we’ve kept extremely busy and, as we celebrate the company’s first birthday, we’re now looking forward to being able to start expanding. The first step will be to move to some new, larger premises at the end of April.

q7: in terms of business achievements, where do you want to be within the next 5 years?

I think having consolidated our reputation as one of the leading PR and public affairs agencies in Scotland, and to have significantly grown the business by taking on new challenges, attracting new clients and expanding into new sectors. Picking up some awards along the way would be nice too!

I M q8: What would be your top tip to someone thinking of starting up their own business?

Talk to as many people as you can. Take full advantage of the wealth of advice and support there is out there for new start-ups. We’ve got involved in the Edinburgh Chamber’s Business Mentoring scheme, which has been really helpful in giving us the space to chew over some of the big issues around running a business with an experienced outside observer.

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There are certainly risks but in terms of personal development, whatever the outcome, the experience of setting up a business is second to none. I can safely say it’s the most challenging but also the most rewarding thing any of us at Orbit Communications has ever done.

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Announcing the winners, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar said: “Our focus is top quality service and these awards pay tribute to the hard work of those working in the tourism sector. This year, over

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22,000 of our customers who travelled around the UK & Ireland with CIE Tours gave their views on accommodation, dining and tourist attractions choosing these winners from over 400 suppliers.”

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Craig Irving, Director of Sales & Marketing at the Marriott Dalmahoy, said: “It’s a massive honour for the hotel to receive this award, particularly in light of the fact that it’s voted for by guests themselves.”

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International award for hotel Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, situated seven miles outside Edinburgh, has won a prestigious award. The facility was one of just three UK hotels to win a CIE Tours International Awards of Excellence at a reception in the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin.

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I have some great people and Individual people and had the opportunity to share experiences CPD (Continuing Professional ILA Individual Learning Account Individual Learning Account ILA ILA - £200 available that I would otherwise never have Individual Learning Account Part-time Fee Grant - £500 available thathad I would never have had.had.

ILA Tracey McLaughlin the to share experiences Development) For HR Professionals - £200 available thatopportunity I otherwise would otherwise never have had.that I would - £200 available - £200 available Conditions apply call for details.

My course is only 4 hours a week and has fitted and Managers of People Part-time Fee Grant otherwise never have had.- CIPD HRTracey Student Practice PFG Part-timeGrant Fee Grant - £500 available McLaughlin £500 available Tracey McLaughlin Part-time Fee Grant Tracey McLaughlin - £500 Fee available AfternoonPart-time or Evening course 3 -hours per week- £500 available

well into my busy routine. I have met some great Tracey McLaughlin Student -- CIPD HRPractice Practice Student - CIPD HR HR Practice Student CIPD HR Student CIPD Practice people and had the opportunity to share experiences To see full range courses on offer go to www.west-lothian.ac.uk Individual Learningof Account ILA the that I would otherwise never have had.

- £200information available For further call Daniel Evans on 01506 427557 To see the full of courses ongo offer to www.west-lothian.ac.uk To the full range of courses offer go to www.west-lothian.ac.uk Part-time Fee Grant - £500 available To seesee the full range ofrange courses on on offer to go www.west-lothian.ac.uk Tracey McLaughlin West Lothian College, Almondvale Crescent, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 7EP For further information call Daniel Evans on 01506 427557 Conditions apply call for details. further information call Daniel Evans 01506 427557 Student - CIPD HR Practice Tel:For 01506 427955 Fax: 01506 409980 Email: business@west-lothian.ac.uk For further information call Daniel Evans on on 01506 427557 Conditions apply calldetails. for details.

Conditions apply call for Conditions apply call for details.

Conditions apply call for details.

www.business-partnership-centre.com Lothian College, Almondvale Crescent, Livingston, West Lothian WestWest Lothian College, Almondvale Crescent, Livingston, Lothian EH54EH54 7EP 7EP Tel: 01506 427955 Fax: 01506 409980 Email:West business@west-lothian.ac.uk 01506 427955 01506 409980 Email: business@west-lothian.ac.uk Tel: Tel: 01506 427955 Fax:Fax: 01506 409980 Email: business@west-lothian.ac.uk

West Lothian College, Almondvale Crescent, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 7EP

Registered Scottish Charity No. SC021216 Board of Management

Registered Scottish Charity No. SC021216 www.business-partnership-centre.com Board of Management Registered Scottish No. SC021216 To see the full range of courses on offer go to www.west-lothian.ac.uk Registered Scottish CharityCharity No. SC021216 www.business-partnership-centre.com of Management www.business-partnership-centre.com Board Board of Management For further information call Daniel Evans on 01506 427557

BC issue 17.indd 45 West Lothian

College, Almondvale Crescent, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 7EP Tel: 01506 427955 Fax: 01506 409980 Email: business@west-lothian.ac.uk

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AdVertoriAl

Scottish Business benefi t from ScotRail Business Direct service ScotRail Business Direct is a completely free service, with no set up cost, providing fee-free transactions – so no hidden booking fees, postal charges*, or Ticket on Departure costs.

Clients can choose which service method they prefer, with an emphasis on account management and support.“The online self-book tool is exactly what the majority of our clients want� explains Sue Perez, ScotRail’s Sales Development Manager, “offering an intuitive, easy to use tool. The online self-book tool is further complimented by our specialist Scotland based telephone and email support team, ensuring continuity and reliability.

The dedicated Business Direct team can assist with journey planning, including berth reservations and ticketing for the ScotRail Caledonian Sleeper, which can also be purchased as a 10 journey option, valid for a full calendar year.They can also help drive compliance with your travel policy, and will allow only designated bookers to purchase tickets.

“Johnston Carmichael has ten offices across Scotland, so our partners and staff are often travelling. We have found ScotRail’s new Business Direct Service convenient and easy for our people to use and it allows for greater flexibility with our train bookings.� Julia Timmins, JCCA, Aberdeen.

Pivotal to both elements of the service is the new, flexible 3rd party ticket on departure functionality. “Previously, the payment card which was used to purchase a ticket also had to be presented at our Fast Ticket Machines in order to collect it,� says Sue Perez.“This created a barrier to rail usage for business purposes in the past, as the traveller was not always necessarily the booker.We are delighted that Business Direct removes this requirement, allowing businesses to get the best value on their tickets.�

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Commercial Director, Richard Muir, said:“ScotRail’s Business Direct service will make it much easier for us to manage our travel budget and ensure we get the best value tickets available. And the ticket-ondeparture option is really flexible.�

“The team in Fort William pride themselves on offering excellence in customer service� comments Sue,“taking calls from 8am until 6pm Monday to “To make the journey as easy as possible for the Friday they really are there to make life easier for

traveller, bookers can opt to have the booking the client.�

reference sent directly to the passenger, via email or SMS, again, a benefit that lets people get on with what they do best, removing the need for paper print outs and scribbled post it notes,� added Sue. But the benefits of Business Direct don’t stop there.

We can also assist with group bookings, so if the business is planning an ‘away day’ or simply has to get a group of people from A to B, then they can enjoy preferential group rates, with discounts ranging from 20% to 50%**, and that even includes our Caledonian Sleeper.

ScotRail operates 95% of services within Scotland, including the Caledonian Sleeper Service, an overnight service conveniently linking over 40 Scottish towns and cities with London Euston, in the heart of the city.

To find out more, call 08450 700 908, or visit www.scotrail.co.uk/businessdirect *Standard postage only. Next Day Delivery incurs a ÂŁ6 fee. **Subject to date/time of travel and availability.

A fresh approach to Business Travel from ScotRail

Let us manage your business travel, while you get on with managing your business.

Arranging business travel for your organisation can be a headache so let ScotRail’s free Business Direct service do all the hard work.

With benefits like these, why not take advantage of this personalised service:

• • • • • •

Fee-free account-managed resource ‘Collect at station’ provision Aides implementation and compliance with travel policy Dedicated specialist Scotland-based support teams Online- and telephone-based ticket fulfilment options More value for your travelling needs

It could save you time, money and a lot of effort.

Visit www.scotrail.co.uk/businessdirect or call 0845 070 09 08 to find out more

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Water plant switched on Scottish Water has turned on the tap at the new Glencorse Water Treatment Works to complete a £130 million project.

Located in the Pentland Hills, the works will supply up to 450,000 customers across the city and parts of Midlothian with 175 million litres of water every day.

Glencorse is also at the forefront of Scottish Water’s drive to deliver renewable energy and a third of the works’ energy needs will be provided by an on-site hydro turbine.

At its height, Scottish Water and construction delivery partners Black & Veatch employed about 400 construction engineers on the programme.

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive David Birrell said:“The delivery of high quality drinking water to communities and businesses is a fundamental element of sustainable economic growth. Not only has Scottish Water safeguarded our future supply with this project, they have improved it, both in quality and efficiency of delivery.

“At a time when the budget for major capital works is under close scrutiny, it is praiseworthy that the Glencorse project is on time, on budget and supported by some enterprising green technology solutions.”

Richard Ackroyd, Scottish Water’s Chief Executive, said:“This is an extremely important project to construct a new water treatment works serving nearly half a million customers across Edinburgh and parts of Midlothian. It has been delivered on schedule and under budget, with sustainability at its very core.

Tunnelling allowed the team to slide the new trunk main underneath the Edinburgh City Bypass, ensuring the pipeline progressed without disturbing the thousands of commuters who use this vital artery every day.

Bread & Butter Marketing Limited Brown Paper Tickets Business Doctors Scotland East Calderbers Systems Limited

Catalog Limited Designworks Design & Artworking Limited Edinburgh Centre For Carbon Innovation Edinburgh Skills Shop Limited Icon Sports Solutions Limited

Sustainability is central to the Glencorse Water Project with raw water supplies fed, by gravity, from reservoirs in the Borders.Treated water is delivered directly into the Capital using the same natural force.

Construction of the 15 kilometre pipeline linking the Glencorse water treatment works with the existing network in Edinburgh was an engineering feat in itself, recording a world first with a mobile pipeline production plant ‘dropped’ adjacent to the pipeline route.This helped remove a million lorry miles from the project.

Brian Scouler

Carbon Trust

“This is a water treatment works fit for the 21st century, leading the water industry and at the cutting edge of the construction industry.”

The location of the facility was chosen following one of the largest consultations and evaluations in Scottish Water’s history.The site at the foot of the Pentlands has been landscaped, blending it into its surroundings under the largest ‘grass’ roof in Scotland. Rainwater harvested as part of this agricultural engineering forms bio-diverse wetlands, providing a habitat for insects, animals and plants.

The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies:

J T Weir Solutions Katy McIntyre M&C Energy Group Mackerel Media Message Matters Limited n Turning on the tap at Glencorse with Scottish Water Chief Executive, Richard Ackroyd and Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, Alex Neil

The Millhouse Group Mycos Consulting Limited Ocean Terminal Limited On Street Media Limited

The project will also boost the city’s £2 billion tourism economy with clearer, fresher drinking water for hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars; underpinning Scotland’s global reputation for the purity of its food and drink.

Malcolm Rann, General Manager at the Radisson Blu in the High Street, said: “We are the custodians of quality in tourism and the image of Scotland. Often first and last impressions are gained in hotels and it is critical that the water supply is seen as a crystal clear product and tasting good.”

Pentland Corporate Funding Consultants Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids The Shack Skoogmusic Limited Turner Estate Solutions Whyte Park Limited Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust

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At DHL Express, we go to the ends of earth and back to support businesses’ import and export needs.

From small companies to large organisations, we care about driving customers’ businesses forward. They’ve been trusting us to deliver for over 40 years – probably because we make understanding international express shipping our business.

Our local expertise, unparalleled international network and customs clearance experience is second to none. Whatever a business is shipping; whenever a shipment needs to get there – DHL delivers, making us the perfect partner for small businesses expanding into overseas markets.

That’s the Speed of Yellow.

www.dhl.co.uk

BCSOY issueAdvert 17.indd 48 DHL 270x210mm ESSEX.indd 1

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PartnersinEnterprise Carillion to deliver £3m of track alterations Network Rail has announced £55m-worth of contracts associated with the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme.

Morgan Sindall will construct a new £25m station at Haymarket, in Edinburgh, to create a fully accessible station as well as an integrated train, tram, bus and taxi transport hub.

BamNuttall is to reconstruct or remove a number of structures around the central belt in a £27m project and Carillion will deliver a range of track alterations, also in the central belt, in a deal worth £3m.

The contracts, all of which will see work commence in 2012, form part of the £1bn EGIP scheme.

EGIP will also see the electrification of 350km of the existing rail network in the central belt, including the main Edinburgh Waverley-Glasgow Queen Street line, and provide opportunities to increase services and

Funded by Transport Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, the new infrastructure is being financed through Network Rail’s Regulatory Asset Base.

David Simpson, Network Rail route managing director for Scotland, said: “The investment announced today will transform Haymarket, delivering a facility which will better serve customers and offer the city as a whole a station it can be proud of.

“The track and bridgeworks contracts we have awarded also mean that preparations are well under way to deliver the electrification of rail lines in the central belt – which will cut journey times and increase capacity on key routes into Scotland’s two biggest cities.”

Transport Minister Keith Brown added: “This £50m investment for the Haymarket Station Capacity Project and electrification takes us one step closer to revolutionising the rail network in central Scotland.

“The Scottish Government is committed to bringing tangible benefits to passengers across the country through projects such as EGIP,

which will reduce journey times between Glasgow and Edinburgh and increase capacity.

These works are a significant part of this and I look forward to witnessing the progress made.”

Steve Montgomery, managing director of ScotRail, said: “The expansion and redevelopment of Haymarket station is warmly welcomed. We look forward to working with Network Rail to deliver a more modern and welcoming station for future generations of rail customers.”

Handling four million passengers a year, Haymarket is Scotland fourth busiest station and passenger numbers are expected to reach 10m by 2025.

Work will begin on site in spring 2012 and enhancements will include: n Refurbishing the existing station building and constructing a new modern concourse to the west of the existing building. n Constructing a new access bridge, with DDA compliant lifts and escalators, to all platform levels. n Renewing the platform canopies.

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reduce journey times on routes between Alloa and Dunblane and Edinburgh and Glasgow.

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Moversandshakers Growth the target as Andrew takes on new job

New man at the helm ready for exciting challenge

Investors in People, who specialise in transforming business performance through people, has appointed Andrew Coetzee as Business Growth Manager.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), the owners of Edinburgh Zoo, has announced the appointment of a new chief executive officer.

Professor Chris West, CEO of the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia (RZSSA), will take up his new post later this year, replacing Hugh Roberts, who was appointed interim CEO in April 2011 and is now retiring.

As the organisation looks to significantly grow its business throughout Scotland, one of Andrew’s responsibilities will be to increase a presence in the Edinburgh area.

Lynn’s new challenge in hospitality Lynn Millar, who has been appointed as Business Development Manager for Signature Pub Group, has a portfolio including The Rutland hotel, Kyloe Restaurant and Grill as well as The Queens Arms, Black Bull and Element, all located in Edinburgh. She brings a wealth of hospitality experience to her new position, which includes developing the corporate dining and events market at the recently launched and highly acclaimed Kyloe in the West End.

Success for Steven Steven Murray, Membership Assistant at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, has recently completed the Modern Apprenticeship in Level 2 Business & Administration.

Professor West, who hails from the UK, is one of the world’s leading authorities on animal conservation.

In 2009, he led the RZSSA team which successfully introduced a pair of giant pandas to Adelaide Zoo. Manus Fullerton, the Chairman of the RZSS Board of Directors, said: “He has vast knowledge and experience of dealing with the big international issues, including the management and promotion of giant pandas, which will be a natural complement to the skills and expertise of our current management team.”

Edinburgh Zoo has enjoyed a significant increase in its profile since the arrival of the giant pandas to the zoo in December 2011 and Professor West said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be at the helm of an organisation that is one of the leading lights in worldwide animal conservation. I am tremendously excited by what the future brings, and look forward to returning to the UK later on this year following what has been a fantastic six years in Australia.”

Would you like to promote your organisation?

We have a mag for that...

If you would like to promote your organisation in Edinburgh Business Comment please contact Distinctive Publishing on 0845 884 2334 or email john.neilson@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

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, NL PRODUCTIONS e Are proud to support th ture Edinburgh City of Litera

www.nl-productions.co.uk/

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PUFFERFISH &

tt Photograph by Chris Sco

enLIGHTen project

www.pufferfishdisplays.co.uk/

23/5/12 16:18:53

Skills mean more with SQA.

SQA offers a range of qualifications and services to develop the skills people need to work more effectively and more productively. Meaning happier employers, happier staff, happier results.

Smile.

Log onto www.sqa.org.uk/employers Contact SQA’s Business Development Team on 0303 333 0330 or email mycentre@sqa.org.uk

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