Business Comment 38

DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016

Inspiring Tourism

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Tourism on Track

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Selling Scotland to the World

When The Sky Really Is The Limit

Inspiring Tourism This edition looks at the vital, year-round importance of the tourism sector to the economies of Edinburgh and Scotland – entirely appropriate as we head towards the Capital’s unique and internationally successful Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The importance of our visitor and hospitality sectors cannot be over-stated. Edinburgh attracts around 4 million visitors a year, injecting £1.32 billion into the local economy.

That creates high levels of business for our hotels, bars and restaurants, our shops, and many businesses from our service industries.

In this issue of Business Comment, we look at the vital role played by some of our key transport providers – notably ScotRail and Forth Ports - in supporting tourism in Scotland. We also look at the changing way in which people book their visits through the

keen eyes of a genuine Edinburgh business success story, Skyscanner.

We also look at the valuable work being done by our Universities working in collaboration with the industry, and also the vital research being undertaken which can help us to plot our way ahead in a sector that is genuinely competitive on a global scale, and in particular projects underway at both Queen Margaret University and Edinburgh Napier University.

And of course we look at the important role played in our tourism success by the Capital’s role as the world’s Festival city, with all of our major international festivals reporting excellent figures and high hopes for a hugely busy Christmas and Hogmanay.

All the very best for the Festive Season.

Introduction / Contents 03 Selling Scotland to the World 04 Les Arts on the menu at new look Café Rouge 05 Edinburgh College Academy 07 Scotch Whisky Experience educating people across the globe 08 Members Benefits - Discounted Fuel Cards 09 Success of Edinburgh’s Summer Festivals 12|13 Feature: Digital Focus 16|25 Scottish Chambers of Commerce Representing your business 26 Emirates celebrating 10 years of flying 28 60 Seconds 29 The value of Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage listing 30 Forth Ports thriving cruise business 31 Inspiring Tourism 32|35 Inspiring Tourism 36|37 Partners in Enterprise 39 Feature: Learning & Development 40|41 Getting Started/New Members 44 Ask the Expert 45 Feature: Finance/Legal 46|51 Casual Conversation turns into a Gamechanger 52 Be The Best/Get with IT 54 Europe Direct Edinburgh 55 Feature: Health & Wellbeing 56|57 Chamber Training 58 In the Spotlight 59 Inspiring Connections 60|62 Movers & Shakers 62

Join Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Our membership base is truly multisector, multi-scale and multi- national.

As we develop our geographic reach, we continue to welcome new members who can enjoy exclusive benefits of being part of Scotland’s capital city Chamber of Commerce.

We would be delighted to share with you the benefits of joining.

Contact our dedicated membership team on 0131 221 2999 or e-mail leads@edinburghchamber.co.uk

David Birrell

Chief Executive, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce david.birrell@edinburghchamber.co.uk

www.edinburghchamber.co.uk

www.edinburghchamber.co.uk

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CHAMBER NEWS

Selling Scotland to the World

I’m going to start with a cliché (those that know me won’t be remotely surprised at this) as I tend to find that if something is cliché it’s invariably accurate.

Selling Scotland is everyone’s job.

Now, that’s not an abdication of responsibility – my team and I take our role in attracting people from all over the world to Edinburgh and Scotland extremely seriously – rather it’s an acknowledgement that we can’t do it alone.

Just as in a service business like an airport where customer service is everyone’s job, the same is true for the promotion of Scotland.

Put simply, we can’t bring airlines to Edinburgh Airport without the support of our city and our country.

It’s impossible to sell in a vacuum and in Scotland we’re fortunate that we don’t need to. We have support.

The good news for everyone is that we have something to sell. Edinburgh is rightly recognised globally as a world class city and Scotland is a massive brand.

It’s easy to see why. Our heritage, our built environment, our culture, our people. People want to visit us. People want to do business here.

But we can’t be complacent – other places have these elements and our task is to ensure

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that Scotland’s attributes are understood.

The role of my team and I is to make it easy for the world to get here. Our brand – “Where Scotland Meets the World” is not a hollow slogan – it underpins our entire strategy and is at the heart of all that we do.

So we work very hard in identifying those airlines that can flourish in Scotland and marry that with where our customers – the Scottish public – wish to go. We then take our proposition to market.

Invariably our proposition is a commercial one. A robust business case based on understanding passenger flows and the commerciality of aviation.

Wrapped around this is everything else – Government support, support from the city, support from the tourism sector and our business sector.

The approach is also crucial. The “Team Scotland” approach – agreed between airports, the Scottish Government and its agencies works well. It’s based on a singular point of contact for negotiations, giving airlines clarity of the complete offer – the commercial and the supportive.

This is important. It not only allows us to have constructive and focused negotiations, it also sends a very strong signal to airlines that we, as a country, care about aviation and understand its benefits.

That’s a strong signal to an organisation like an airline that is about to make a massive and risk laden investment.

Another strong signal is the halving of APD by April 2018 which will have a fantastic impact on choice for Scots.

Contrast that with some of the signals sent by others countries (third runway anyone?) and you can see that having a clear view on the role of aviation in business and tourism is crucial.

Another cliché: An airport is only as good as the city it serves.

Edinburgh Airport has benefited massively from this. Our growth has been driven by the world class city we serve.

I’m unashamed to say that Edinburgh is Scotland’s attack brand. It is the brand that cuts through globally and the brand that attracts the most interest.

That is why it is right that Edinburgh is at the vanguard of selling Scotland to the world.

Why would you not use your best asset in making your pitch?

We know from our passengers that many journeys in Scotland begin in Edinburgh so a strong, focussed Capital will pay dividends across the country.

So we’ll continue to make the pitch, for Edinburgh and for Scotland. We’re grateful for your support.

Gordon Dewar Managing Director, Edinburgh Airport

CHAMBER NEWS

LES Arts on the menu at new look Café Rouge Edinburgh Café Rouge Edinburgh has unveiled a beautifully redesigned bistro with a theme paying tribute to let arts.

With Edinburgh being a city entwined with the arts scene, the restaurant has paid a fitting tribute to this. Four large panels in the vaulted ceiling display bespoke murals depicting of collection of artwork associated with culinary, literary, performance and visual arts.

Classic French artwork and vintage mirrors also adorn the walls.

A change in layout has seen extra fixed and booth seating incorporated, creating a relaxed and warm dining space. Selected chairs have been upholstered in Auld Alliance Tartan marrying the heritage and location of the Frederick Street restaurant.

Externally a string of classic festoon lighting decorates the Grade A listed building the illuminated 35 cover terrace.

As well as the new look, the 187 cover bistro is pleased to present a brand new menu, featuring the most authentic and classic dishes yet.

Executive Chef Duncan McEwan has explored 25 years of Café Rouge menus and French cuisine – from their debut offering in 1989 right through to current French food trends.

The selection even includes a rather special appearance from one of France’s most famous culinary exports – the snail - with Ragout D’Escargots a new, must-try dish! With the summer holidays well and truly over, parents can still treat their petit enfant to a new brand new Children’s menu featuring treats such as Le Burger and Sautéed Poulet Ooh La La. The restaurant can now cater for every social/corporate occasion. A large section to the rear can now be partitioned off with beautiful glazed screens, ideal for those looking to host a function, event or use as a meeting space.

Café Rouge’s signature brand of relaxed, authentic French dining coupled with down-to- earth, friendly service make Edinburgh’s local bistro the perfect place for business breakfasts, impromptu lunches, special occasion dinners and everything in between.

Morten Rengtved, Head Chef, DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre Morten found his passion for food through ice cream. As a young man of only 16 he worked in his friend’s family’s ice cream factory back in Copenhagen. The homemade Italian ice cream was hugely successful at the time and gave Morten a taste for fine ingredients and carefully crafted produce.

Morten was offered the chance to buy the business when he turned 18, but wanting to see the world, he turned it down and travelled to London, where he opened the first Starbucks in Notting Hill. This was when he realised that he very much enjoyed providing great customer service and, two years later, he headed back home to join the Chef and Waiter School in Denmark. Through this, he was later transferred to Edinburgh where he worked his way up from Commis Chef to Sous Chef at the King’s Manor Hotel in Portobello.

From there he went on to the Dalmahoy Marriott Hotel & Country Club, spent a year and a half in Northern Ireland opening a restaurant with his old Head Chef, before going back to Marriott where he spent two and a half years in total.

He then became the Head Chef at the Royal Terrace here in Edinburgh and most recently worked at the Dean Park Hotel for four and a half years.

Morten brings a wealth of experience - including being in the Master Chef quarter-final in 2012 - to the DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre and the team there is very excited to welcome him.

When asked what he loves most about being a Head Chef, Morten says: “It’s all about making humble produce into something unique, special and surprising. I love to make classic dishes different by putting my own twist on my recipes.”

He describes the new menu at DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre’s Bread Street Brasserie as modern British with a unique twist. Morten’s favourite dish on the menu is calves’ liver and he strongly encourages anyone to give it a go!

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Scott House, Mid New Cultins West One Business Park Edinburgh, EH11 4DH T: 0131 458 4255 F: 0131 458 4254 E: edinburgh@srm.com

Find out more at www.srm.com

One West Regent Street, Glasgow

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CHAMBER NEWS

Edinburgh College Academy Programme Positive employment destinations and accelerated learning: The Edinburgh College Academies With current levels of youth unemployment high and a premium on job opportunities, the challenge for today’s young people is to ensure they are work ready when they complete their education and can deliver the skills needed by today’s employers. The Academies at Edinburgh College enable them to do exactly that.

The Academies at Edinburgh College started in 2012-13 with the East Lothian Hospitality and Tourism Academy. This was a partnership between Edinburgh College, Queen Margaret University East Lothian Council, schools and a number of high-profile hotels. The aim of the partnership was to raise awareness of the career opportunities within tourism and hospitality, and to promote the industry as a first-choice career destination. Thirty four S5 students from three East Lothian schools were the Academies pioneers.

Fast forward three years and there are now several hundred academy students across City of Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian. From its beginnings as a single academy in a single region, there are now five academies, in Food Science and Nutrition;

Creative Industries; Health and Social Care; Engineering; and the original academy in Hospitality and Tourism. The Engineering Academy is a partnership with Edinburgh Napier University and the others are collaborations with QMU (as part of the South East Scotland Academies Partnership), along with the respective local authorities.

There are plans to expand the Engineering Academy to become a wider Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Academy, aiming to launch next year. And the college is working with partners and local authorities to explore the possibility of academies in other curriculum areas.

All of the Academies have one thing in common: They are all aligned to growth areas in the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy, with current or projected demand for jobs growth and associated skills gaps and shortages either within Edinburgh and the Lothians or across Scotland. Academy graduates hope to fill these vacancies.

The curriculum design is innovative and seamlessly blends schools, the college, local universities and Borders College. The education providers work together to deliver courses that better prepare students for work or accelerate their learning to university.

While still at school, young people in S5 and S6 study for qualifications [such as an HNC] that were previously only available

when they left school and attended college.

By completing these more-advanced qualifications while still at school, they reduce study time post school as the partner universities allow the Academy graduates to enter university in the second year.

A second feature of the Academies is their focus on employability, employment and skills development. This approach ensures Academy graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge to make an immediate contribution from their first day in the job.

Employer contribution and involvement is the major differentiator for the Edinburgh College Academies from the many other educational alternatives available. Employers contribute to curriculum design and development, offer extended work placements and internships and, above all, employ Academy graduates when they complete their qualification.

For employers reading this article today who have entry-level vacancies they are struggling to fill or have emerging skills gaps or shortages within one of the job sectors that the Academies are aligned to, please get in touch. The Edinburgh College Academies are developing young people ready to meet your needs and add value to your business. www.southeastscotlandacademies.org

By Ray McCowan, Vice Principal for Education Leadership at Edinburgh College

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CHAMBER NEWS

Scotch Whisky Experience educating people across the globe For the past quarter century, Edinburgh’s Scotch Whisky Experience has been educating people from across the globe about Scotland’s national drink and has positioned itself as the flag bearer for whisky tourism in Scotland.

Over £7m has been invested in the attraction over the past six years, which began with the installation of the World’s Largest Collection of Scotch Whisky in 2009 and came to a conclusion earlier this year with a complete overhaul of the venue’s event spaces.

Julie Trevisan-Hunter, Head of Marketing at The Scotch Whisky Experience, explains the attraction’s approach to investment.

“Scotland has firmly established itself as one of the world’s go-to tourism destinations.

However, the tourism industry needs to continually innovate to offer visitors from around the world the best experience possible.

“This is an approach we have embraced at The Scotch Whisky Experience during our programme of investment. This has included high-level projects, such as the installation of

our world record-beating collection in 2009 and the renovation of our shop, to smaller but still vitally important improvements, such as offering additional interactive content available in 20 languages.

based activities. These look at the history and educational side of Scotch Whisky, and appeal equally to those who are not yet whisky enthusiasts, leaving many with a new appreciation for ‘The Water of Life’.”

“We’re now looking to take our expertise even further by placing whisky at the heart of our corporate and group offerings. The renovated rooms each have their own whisky-inspired identity and we offer all groups whisky-

More information on The Scotch Whisky Experience can be found at www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk

Scotland has firmly established itself as one of the world’s go-to tourism destinations. However, the tourism industry needs to continually innovate to offer visitors from around the world the best experience possible.

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MEMBER BENEFITS

Discount Fuel Cards from The Fuelcard People We have launched our new member benefit – Discount Fuel Cards. Members can benefit from a free, no-obligation discount fuel card from our exclusive fuel card partner, The Fuelcard People.

The Fuelcard People offer an unbeatable range of fuel cards, with commercial rate fuel cards valid at 7000+ pumps across the UK, including BP, Shell, Esso, Texaco, Tesco, Morrisons, The Cooperative, Gulf, Pace, Emo, Murco and Moto forecourts, as well as the Diesel Direct (Keyfuels) and UK Fuels networks.

The benefits of having an Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce fuel card mean genuine savings for your business. To find out more, call 0844 804 0325 and speak to our friendly fuel card team, or visit www.edinburghchamber.co.uk/membership/membership-benefits.

Edinburgh ExEcutivE carriagEs

Savings With a fuel card from The Fuelcard People, you pay the same fixed weekly price wherever you fill up, meaning savings of up to 5p per litre, and up to 10p per litre savings at motorway pumps. Also, you can enjoy up to a fortnight’s interest-free credit, and reduced administration time as your fuel purchase paperwork is replaced by a single weekly invoice.

Service The Fuelcard People will help you find the best fuel card for your needs rather than push you towards a pre-decided product. If you ever need to talk to them, you can call your dedicated account manager directly rather than an anonymous call centre, and you can also access your account details online 24/7, including recent transactions.

Security All fuel cards provided by The Fuelcard People are PIN protected, so if a card is lost or stolen, it is completely useless to anyone else, as it is tied to a specific driver or vehicle. Fuel cards can also only be used for refuelling, removing the possibility of unauthorised purchases, which can happen with credit cards.

Executive Business Travel • Airport Transfers Golfing Trips • Sightseeing Tours Weddings • Special Occasions Telephone: 0131 644 3034 E-mail: enquiries@edinburghexecutivecarriages.co.uk www.edinburghexecutivecarriages.co.uk

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CHAMBER NEWS

Success of Edinburgh’s Summer Festivals

2015 saw another bumper summer festivals season with impressive statistics from all the major festivals which greatly benefits the economic position of the City.

The Fringe Festival ended in a high this summer with 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows in 313 venues across Edinburgh with an estimates 2,980,090 tickets been issued for shows across the capital. The number of tickets reflects a 5.24% increase in comparison to tickets issued by the same point last year.

Kath M Mainland CBE, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: “Once again artists and audiences have travelled across the globe to be apart of this unique culture event. And with an estimated 2,2980,090 tickets issued and many thousands of people attending the 800 free shows in the programme, I’ve no doubt every single person who watched a Fringe show, or experienced this wonderful festival city will take away unforgettable memories”.

The 2015 Edinburgh International Festival was a hugely successful programme, featuring some of the world’s greatest artists, which has extended its reach to audiences both at the Festival and across the world. Audiences have packed theatres and concert halls across the city, with the Festival taking more than £3.8

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million in ticket sales income, surpassing last year’s record receipts by approximately 19%.

This year was Festival Director Fergus Linehan’s first Festival, He said: “This alliance of artists, audiences, government agencies, the media, donors and sponsors is unprecedented and all of us at the Festival office are deeply honoured to be given the opportunity to contribute to this remarkable organisation”. They presented over 2,300 artists from 39 nations. They issued approximately 82% of all available tickets.

Overall attendance is estimated to be over 435,000. Their audience was made up of tickets bookers from 78 nations.

The Edinburgh Mela celebrated welcoming 26,000 visitors. One of the undoubted stand-outs of this year’s festival was the full performance of the spectacular Bollywood Love story. “I am delighted with the success of the Mela this year” said Festival Director Chris Purnell. “Once again we have demonstrated just how important our festival is to the people of the city and Scotland

CHAMBER NEWS as a celebration of our collective culture heritage. The Mela is unlike any other festival in Scotland offering a platform for diversity and supporting the work of emerging talent whilst bringing artists of international stature from the world music and dance scene to the attention of new and exciting audiences”.

The Edinburgh International book festival enjoyed the most successful year in its history. The Book Festival welcomed over 800 authors from 55 countries taking part in almost 800 events. Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said “We’ve enjoyed truly brilliant, exuberant and record-breaking festival this year – our most successful with record tickets and book sales”. With around 225,000 visits and tickets sales in 2015 increased by 2% and book sales were up by 5% - the highest ever sales in the Book Festival’s 32 year history.

This year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival screened 134 new features over the 12 day Festival. More than 50,000 admissions represent a 9% increase on 2014. An additional 14,600 people enjoyed the Festival’s two weekends of outdoor screenings, as part of Film in the City. Ken Hay, CEO of the Film Festival commented: “There have been some truly memorable moments , from the spectacular opening night World Premiere of ‘The Legend of Barney Thomson to Ewan McGregor’s sold out In Person at the Lyceum, our audiences have obviously responded to our rich and diverse programme and we are thrilled to see the increase in admissions” And with the Christmas and Hogmanay celebrates just around the corner, this shows how Edinburgh really is a Festivals City.

By Mayan Grace, Marketing Manager at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce

I’ve no doubt every single person who watched a Fringe show, or experienced this wonderful festival city will take away unforgettable memories”

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FOCUS ON: RECRUITMENT

ADVERTORIAL

A truly digital age? Not yet We live in a digital age and everyone in business is talking ten to the dozen about broadband, social media and connectivity. Right? Well, perhaps not entirely. Not yet anyway.

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According to Gareth Biggerstaff, who started Edinburgh technology and digital recruitment company Be-IT Resourcing in 2013, the message still has not sunk in for some people.

people talk about digital technology, they do not understand it or recognise it as an opportunity. Rather, they see it as something to fear.

The Managing Director argues that the idea must be embraced otherwise some businesses will find themselves left behind by their competitors.

“The way to view digital, though, is the latest stage in a technological evolution. We had steam technology, jet developments and now digital technology.

Gareth said: “If you are in business, you really have to get digital or die. It is a stark and simple message. If you are not using digital technology you risk being left behind all your competitors.

“It’s part of the same process and can bring businesses not just more efficient ways of working but a chance to develop brand awareness.

digital technology has a crucial role to play in making it work.

“You have to be out there and many companies are showing increasing levels of imagination as they respond to the new world.

“They are experimenting with the likes of Linked-In, Twitter and Facebook to grow awareness of their products and services but the important thing is to understand how each one works.

“The truth is that there are some small businesses that work in the way that they have always worked and have not embraced digital.

“Digital is excellent for making small businesses look big, it really has levelled the playing field between small and big companies. It allows SMEs to think big and look big and compete with big companies.”

“If you want to look smart and sell your product you may wish to use Linked-In or Twitter, whereas if you want the conversation to be more relaxed, if you want to sell sandwiches or something similar, you may wish to use Facebook.

“This is particularly prevalent in rural areas.

They sell over the farm gate in the way that they always did and, although they hear

Gareth also advocates use of social media to promote brand awareness. He said: “Branding is crucial for businesses of any size and

“However you do it, using social media allows businesses to get the message out and to respond to any comments that are made.

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FOCUS ON: RECRUITMENT

ADVERTORIAL

Gareth Biggerstaff

“It is a way of bringing them closer to their customers and really does offer great opportunities.

“There is a new term being used to describe people who understand the power of digital technology, netizens. They are people who realise that digital technology is good for business.

“I cannot stress too strongly that a business embraces digital technology or dies and, even if you do use digital technology, that on its own is not enough.

“You need to be inventive to ensure that that you get yourself to the front of the queue otherwise you will be left behind.”

Gareth acknowledges that reports of hacking attacks like the recent one on Talk-Talk do not inspire confidence in those who have not espoused the digital age.

He said: “Such incidents should not put people off. Yes, there are attacks and I am afraid that I believe that hackers will increasingly turn to SMEs because they see them as easy targets who do not invest in cyber protection.

“However, there are things that you can do to keep them out. Companies should not skimp on cyber protection. To do so would be a false economy.

“There are good protection systems out there and, at our company, we use the Microsoft Cloud for our activities, which means that we benefit from a major company’s investment in keeping its customers’ data safe.

“I understand that people who have not moved into digital technology will read about what happened to the likes of Talk-Talk and be concerned but that really is no reason not to take the opportunities that new technology offers them.”

Be-IT has grown to become one of the new leaders in IT and digital recruitment with an enviable list of preferred supplier agreements across sectors including banking, digital, software, consultancy, manufacturing, logistics, government, financial services and oil and gas.

You can contact Gareth Biggerstaff at: 0131 344 4778 Gareth.biggerstaff@be-itresourcing.com www.be-itresourcing.com

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FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

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FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

Customers want to be treated as individuals, so brands need to put data to one side and see through real people’s eyes. In our new report, we’ve analysed over 100 UK brands to find out who does it best. How do you think you’d measure up?

For its tenth year, email has proved to be the most successful method of business communication, delivering the highest returns on investment of any marketing channel. But as we’ve discovered in our Retail Email Report, only a handful of brands know how to use it effectively. So we’re sharing our findings to bring the nation up to speed.

With everything from focus groups and interviews to benchmark studies and in-depth investigations, your free report covers:

• Opinions and experiences of real people • Analyses of top brands’ emails • The components of email effectiveness • The need for relevant real-time content • How to get the right message to the right place at the right time

Download your free copy of our Retail Email Report today.

Head to: steeledinburgh.com/retailemailreport STEELEDINBURGH.COM RESULTS. CREATED.

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Give your business a digital head start Stay one step ahead of your competitors With an Edinburgh CORE, pure-fibre connection directly to your premises you’ll have a digital head start over your competitors Make the most of the latest cloud applications and services Reliable, secure access to remote data storage Ultra-fast upload and downloads Benefit from smart, cost saving VoIP technology

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FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

ADVERTORIAL

First Customers Connected as the Edinburgh Gigabit City Project Goes Live

Digital infrastructure builder, CityFibre, in partnership with network and internet provider Commsworld, has announced that the first businesses have now gone live on the Edinburgh CORE network - the largest pure fibre metro rollout in the UK. The first business in the capital was connected to the future-proofed ‘pure fibre’ infrastructure in November, which delivers internet speeds approximately 100 times faster than the average found in the UK. The important milestone comes seven months after CityFibre, together with Commsworld, officially launched their ambitious plans to make the capital a ‘Gigabit City’.

Businesses in the city have been quick to realise the potential operational and financial benefits with over 350 registering their interest in the scheme so far, helping determine the route and reach of the network.

The Edinburgh CORE is CityFibre’s second Gigabit City initiative in Scotland and one of over 50 towns and cities in the UK to benefit from the transformational infrastructure.

James McClafferty, City Development Manager at CityFibre, said: “Edinburgh represents our first Capital ‘Gigabit City’ and we are thrilled by the amount of interest and hugely positive feedback that we’ve had already.

“This level of interest means that it’s vital to actually get it to market as quickly as possible, therefore I’m absolutely delighted to see the first connection going live and they will be joined by many more over the coming weeks and months.

“We are delighted to have the first businesses connected so soon and we look forward to seeing the network footprint expanding rapidly over the coming months.

“It’s great to see the Edinburgh business community embracing the project and the huge benefits it could bring to them and the city as a whole.”

“Ultra-fast, gigabit connectivity appeals hugely to digitally dependant businesses, which is almost all businesses now and this is only going to grow with time. As the UK’s largest Gigabit City, Edinburgh will have a unique selling point as one of the foremost digitally connected locations anywhere in Europe.”

The route of the 150km Edinburgh CORE network throughout the city is being shaped by demand, with CityFibre aiming to lay the infrastructure near businesses that have registered their interest in the service.

Ricky Nicol, CEO of Commsworld, is delighted to see the project moving along so swiftly and revealed that he expects several other businesses to go live in the coming weeks.

He said: “This hugely exciting project is set to transform business in Scotland’s capital.

“The buzz since we announced this at the end of May has been absolutely incredible.

More than 350 businesses have registered their interest, we’re getting enquiries every day and on a more personal level business owners are asking me about it all the time.

Due to high demand and the recent announcement of the extension of the network to an additional 294 Edinburgh Council-owned sites, more businesses outside of the city centre are set to take advantage of the benefits of ultra-fast internet such as operational efficiency, increased productivity and improved digital services for customers.

Businesses can find out more about the proposed route, the business benefits and how to register at www.edinburghcore.com.

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DIGIT SK AL

D Apprenticeships IGIT Social Media Executive

PROG I L L S RA M M E

SKILLAL Name: Alex PRO GR S

Apprenticeships

Digital Marketing Assistant A HARNESS HARNES THE POWER Salary: £175 p/wOFMME Name: Ryan Location: Glasgow ONLINE MEDIA ON Salary: £150 p/w SCOTLAND’S ONLY DIGITAL SKILLS PROGRAMME FROM SCOTLAND’ QA Location: Aberdeen

HARNESS THE POWER OF ONLINE MEDIA Digital Skills Assistant Name: Hannah Salary: £190 p/w SCOTLAND’S ONLY DIGITAL SKILLS PROGRAMME FROM QA Location: Edinburgh

Social Media Executive Name: Alex Digital Marketing Assistant Digital Marketing Assistant Salary: £175 p/w Name: Ryan Name: Ryan Location: Glasgow Salary: £150 p/w Salary: £150 p/w Location: Aberdeen Location: Aberdeen

Find out more about IT, Tech and Digital apprenticeships Digital Skills Assistant Hannah Salary: £190 p/w Location: Edinburgh Name:

Tel: 0131 338 5367 Web: apprenticeships.qa.com

Find out more about 2014 IT,Awards Tech and Digital apprenticeships EducationInvestor

IT, Tec

Tel: 0131 338 5367 Web: apprenticeships.qa.com

EducationInvestor

Awards 2014

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Digital Marketing Assistant BC December 2015/January 2016 Name: Ryan

Social Media Executive Name: Alex Salary: £175 p/w

Tel: 0

EducationInvesto

Awards 2014

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QA Apprenticeships Digital Skills Programme Leads the Way in Scotland!

In one way or another the digital sector is a part of our lives, whether you use social media, a smartphone, online shopping or even read e-books. Experts even believe that every home will have 500 connected gadgets by 2022, not just TV’s, phones and computers, but fridges, freezers and washing machines. You’ll be able to digitally control your entire home in less than 10 years.

If we already think digital is at the heart of everything, then we’re in for a few shocks. Digital marketing is key to the success of businesses and brands all across the world, and soon it will be involved in everything we do. As the digital sector continues to develop, young adults are becoming more reliant on social media and mobile technology. It’s estimated that those aged between 16 and 24 spend, on average, 3 hours and 36 minutes a day on their smartphones.

Gary Standen QA Apprenticeships Scotland

Contact: 0131 3385 367 gary.standen@qa.com

To complement the shift in how marketing is now evolving into a digital sector, QA Apprenticeships created the Digital Skills Programme, the only training provider in Scotland to offer this programme.

Our modern apprenticeship will nurture the expertise that already exist within young adults, and teach them all about email marketing, design, online advertising, PPC, SEO, social media and image as well as video editing. On completion of the course our apprentices’ receive a Diploma in IT SCQF Level 6, focussing on Digital Skills, as well as progression to an SCQF Level 8, both of which provide the necessary foundation of knowledge, theory and skill to apply to the working world.

Scotland’s ONLY Digital Skills Modern Apprenticeship Holly, a modern apprentice with QA, was preparing to go to University when she found out about the opportunities that are open to Digital Skills Apprentices’. She applied for one our apprenticeships and was placed with content and social media marketing firm Juggling Swords, based in Edinburgh. “…I chose to go for a modern apprenticeship and it’s been the best decision I could have made. I am now going to be working for a fantastic, fun company, getting a qualification in digital marketing whilst also getting paid.”

Our modern apprenticeships are a combination of classroom and on the job training, whilst providing all apprentices’ with a wage from day one. QA’s digital skills programme will prepare apprentices’ to move into full-time roles such as Digital Marketing Assistant, Social Media Assistant, Online Marketing Assistant or even Digital Account Assistant. In fact, 94% of our apprentices’ go in to permanent roles upon completing their apprenticeship.

In developing this programme QA Apprenticeships is ensuring that a talented and capable workforce is developing in an exciting sector.

#10KinTech – kick-starting 10,000 careers In the last five years QA Apprenticeships has kick started over 5,000 careers, and it plans to reach the milestone of 10,000 in the next year.

Since the launch of the #10KinTech initiative in June, the company has already gained the support of over 7,500, and has galvanised the support of EE, Microsoft and notgoingtouni.com.

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ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

CGI to improve digital services in Edinburgh Closing the digital divide is increasingly exercising politicians in national and local governments. Across the UK, millions of families still have no connection to the internet in their homes. Others have a connection, but do not have the computer skills required for the most basic of tasks, such as attaching a document to an email.

The City of Edinburgh Council has signed a £186 million contract with the global IT company CGI to deliver digital services for Edinburgh’s citizens for seven years from April 2016. A key part of the contract is to give the people of Edinburgh the opportunity to engage with the council and carry out transactions online.

There will be a special focus on developing good IT skills among young people as CGI have pledged to support 60 ICT modern apprenticeships and to improve the internet speeds available to primary and secondary schools, providing students with greater access to online educational tools.

Recent statistics show just how many people lack basic access to the digital world: 10.5 million adults within the United Kingdom lack core IT skills, including 6.5 million who have never been online. Disadvantaged groups suffer even more with 27% of disabled adults never having used the internet and 4.1m adults living in social housing with no access to an IT connection.

The effect of a lack of digital skills becomes even more apparent when activities supported by the internet are considered - offline households pay an extra £560 per year as they are unable to shop and pay bills online. So, poorer and disadvantaged families are further penalised.

Maggie Morrison, CGI Business Development Director, Public Sector, Scotland, said: “We live in a society that is becoming increasingly dependent on the internet, which means the work taking place in Edinburgh will be of vital importance. Having internet and digital access is now essential for so many activities within our society. Even with something as simple as looking for a job, if a person cannot type their CV and email it as an attachment to a potential employer, they will be disadvantaged compared to others with good computer skills.

“We are particularly focusing on developing the ICT skills of young people within Edinburgh. Through the modern apprenticeship programme, we will help 60 young people in the city ‘earn as they learn’ so they can develop the digital skills necessary when working for CGI. We are also

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going to modernise the ICT infrastructure in schools so that children in Edinburgh will have greater access to online education.

“Some disadvantaged groups in the United Kingdom are particularly predisposed to lacking life-enriching digital skills. People in areas of social deprivation, especially women, often lack the skills and the equipment necessary to help get them online. This is also the case for the elderly and the disabled.

Considering the benefits of internet access, it is essential for the Government, companies in the private sector, charities and social enterprises to work together to close this gap.

CGI will help by giving people the tools to help themselves.”

Councillor Alasdair Rankin, the Convenor of the City of Edinburgh’s Finance and Resources Committee welcomed the new deal: “People are at the heart of our organisation whether they are citizens, staff or working in the city’s economy. One of the exciting things CGI will do is to speed up our move to increased online capability, giving residents and businesses greater flexibility to engage with the Council and, if they wish, carry out their transactions digitally.

It will also assist our employees providing opportunities for more effective delivery across our wide range of Council services.”

FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

ADVERTORIAL

Helping you keep up in a fast moving world “Mobile technology is really exciting for us, particularly with the advent of new devices such as MiFi, which offer so many opportunities for users.”

Never has the pace of communications technology development been so rapid and to keep up with the constant innovations, you need a company that has a good track record – and that means BT. Helping the company maintain its leading position is a group of smaller businesses who promote its products to a wide range of customers, including Practical Telecom, based in Livingston.

The business, which covers a large area, including Edinburgh, the Lothians and Southern Scotland, has grown from six staff to thirty six as it increases its client base, and has just established a specialist team dealing with mobile technology.

That is particularly important as BT presses ahead with its acquisition of EE, which will increase its access to the mobile technologies which are transforming the way we work and live.

Practical Telecom Managing Director David Hodge said: “Mobile technology is really

exciting for us, particularly with the advent of new devices such as MiFi, which offer so many opportunities for users.”

“They see how flexible it can be and we are seeing increasing interest in Cloud-based technologies.

MiFi describes a wireless router that acts as a mobile WiFi hotspot and uses a handheld device smaller than mobile phone, using 3G or 4G to effectively provide mobile broadband.

“It does rely on good broadband connections and BT is pressing ahead with the upgrading of its broadband services across Scotland to ensure that the support is there for those using the Cloud.”

David said: “MiFi is broadband on the move and is very flexible. It can allow you to have ten people in your team on line at the same time, wherever you are, and, whereas you cannot really write long documents on a mobile phone, you can write them on your laptop then connect it to your MiFi.

However, all this technology does not mean that the good old telephone is dead. Far from it.

David said: “The telephone is far from history.

There remains a lot of interest in switchbased telephony, giving businesses access to conventional phone networks and we advise a lot of customers on getting the best out of their systems.”

“MiFi is an example of the way people can benefit from access to communications on the move. It is the very latest technology available and is invaluable for businesses and we are talking to a lot of people about it.

As a one-stop shop for companies wishing to improve their connectivity, Practical Telecom deals in everything from phone lines and broadband to the rapid advances in Cloud technologies and hand-held mobile devices.

You can contact Practical Telecom on tel: 01506 426100 or 07483 127639 or email: david.hodge@btlocalbusiness.co.uk Stadium House, Alderstone Road, Livingston EH54 7DN

The Cloud is proving to be a growth area for the team. David said: “I think that more and more businesses see the value of the Cloud.

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FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

ADVERTORIAL

What is Chamber Mobile and what will it do for your business?

Chamber Mobile from 4G Scotland offers Chamber members a refund on their membership subscription, in addition to providing first class and flexible business mobile packages.

4G Scotland is working with the Chamber to help businesses connect on multiple levels with the Chamber Mobile solution. 4G Scotland is an award winning communications consultancy working in partnership with EE the UK’s biggest and fastest 4G network provider.

Great mobile packages 4G Scotland’s solutions are market competitive & tailored to your specific requirements with a focus on reducing costs and maximising service benefits. Packages typically include the latest handsets from top brands and superfast 4G data solutions.

Fantastic savings on Chamber membership Companies that take mobile contracts with Chamber Mobile will receive a refund against their Chamber of Commerce subscription next time they renew their Chamber membership. All refunds will be made directly to your company by 4G Scotland 90 days after mobile connection and following confirmation of the membership renewal from the Chamber of Commerce. If you are joining the Chamber for the first time, refunds are 90 days after you connect your lines with 4G Scotland.

To take advantage of this exclusive offer email: chambermobile@4gscotland.com or call 07500 900 700 Visit our website to learn more about our wide range of products and services www.4gscotland.com

Number of mobile connections purchased

Refund on Chamber of Commerce subscription (in £’s)

1–2

43.00

3

93.00

4

150.00

5–9

240.00

10

290.00

11 – 20

350.00

21 – 50

430.00

51 – 100

562.00

101 – 250

696.00

251 – 500

1017.00

501 – 750

1252.00

750 – 1000

1499.00

1001 – 2000

1823.00

2001 – 3000

2302.00

3001 Plus

2807.00

Associations and Charities

See number of connections

To take advantage of this exclusive offer email: chambermobile@4gscotland.com or call 07500 900 700 Visit our website to learn more about our wide range of products and services: WWW.4GSCOTLAND.COM

ADVERTORIAL

The importance of Strategy & Connectivity Constant connectivity is transforming how we connect with our clients. In having multiple options to connect to your clients, the possibilities are incredible, and the opportunities are huge.

When it comes to digital commerce, multiple screen options are part of our everyday working lives, meaning there are more consumer-initiated touch points than ever before.

However, it’s important to be strategic with your connectivity. It’s important to be aware of how your clients want to connect with you. Otherwise, it’s digital for the sake of being digital.

While technology is a driver, the focus should be on solving your business challenge. There are several key stages when this strategic planning can be particularly helpful:

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n At start-up - define & clarify the online presence you will need to provide your offering to your client base and create and effective design & build

Whatever your stage, it’s important to follow three simple steps - define the opportunity, determine your approach, and decide your delivery tactics.

n Preparing for growth - identify the platform you will need to support & nurture the growth you anticipate.

To talk about your business challenge and discuss how we can help you put the building blocks in place to grow your business, contact Aileen Boyle on 0131 225 8199 or email aileen.boyle@escrivo.com

n Driving change - think beyond the day-to-day, be aspirational and look to use proven technologies to support the direction & structure to your online activities

FEATURE: DIGITAL FOCUS

ADVERTORIAL

Agency Tech Partner Cohaesus is Opening an Office in Edinburgh Cohaesus, a leading tech development partner for UK marketing and advertising agencies, is expanding its operations to Scotland after several years of rewarding partnerships with some of Scotland’s best known brands from their head office in London.

Quentin Ellis, senior partner and User Experience Director of Cohaesus said, “We’ve had close links with Scotland for more than a decade. I spend part of each week here and I love the atmosphere of this city. It’s the right time to open an office in the heart of Scotland’s capital. We want to build on the strong links we have in this region and we look forward to working in partnership with some of Scotland’s great creative agencies to provide the latest tech solutions.”

Cohaesus’ London office is in the area known as ‘Silicon Roundabout’, at the centre of the city’s creative and technical hub. Their rapid expansion - almost doubling in 2014 and expected to double again by the end of 2015 - is due to their reputation for providing complex, bespoke technical solutions to some of the world’s largest creative agencies.

The success of their latest offering, a new on-demand resourcing solution, ‘Reinventing Freelance’, has been a fundamental part of their decision to open an office in Edinburgh.

As Quentin Ellis says, “We understand the pressures on marketing and advertising agencies to balance internal resources.

As The Drum reported recently, most media pitches being held this and next year by the world’s leading advertisers will be decided based on agencies’ ability to provide technology, data or content. This shows the importance of hiring software engineers capable of delivering the highest quality products that clients demand. Our hand-picked engineers, coders and UX professionals are at the top of their game.

Their skills are available to our partner agencies as, where and when they are needed, on or off-site.”

Edinburgh has a reputation as a global creative hub. International festivals celebrating the arts from books to theatre, film to

fine art, already attract the biggest global brands. Now, as the UK’s largest financial centre outside London, Edinburgh has become a magnet to the most prestigious and successful companies. New ideas are common currency here in Scotland’s capital city and most recently it is digital technology that is attracting the brightest talent in Europe.

Cohaesus, with their own Apprenticeship Scheme and commitment to mentoring and training, is hoping to attract local talent: passionate people of any age or educational background who aspire to be the next generation of crack coders here in Scotland.

Quentin Ellis said, “We are massively excited about coming here to Edinburgh. This is a

great opportunity for us and we are looking forward to working with many of Scotland’s famous names and with some of the UK’s most innovative agencies who get their inspiration from working in this city.”

To find out more about Cohaesus and what they do, contact Quentin Ellis at quentin.ellis@cohaesus.co.uk www.cohaesus.co.uk

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BUSINESS NEWS

Royal Highland Centre provides an important economic boost The Royal Highland Centre occupies a unique space in Edinburgh’s tourism sector, straddling both leisure and business tourism markets.

Its accommodation provision is significant: The Royal Highland Centre site includes the recently refurbished Holiday Inn Express, as well as the ‘pop-up’ hotel Snoozebox.

Additionally, the Royal Highland Centre has recently announced a 200-bedrooom hotel is due to be constructed in 2016.

As well as offering traditional hotel accommodation, the site regularly hosts caravan and camping visitors at various Royal Highland Centre events. These include the Royal Highland Show, Scotland’s largest outdoor event, and the new for 2015 ‘Camping Ninja’ facility, which provided pre-assembled tent accommodation for Edinburgh Festival Fringe-goers.

Best known as Scotland’s national showground, and the largest events venue in the country the Royal Highland Centre attracts in excess of one million visitors each year to a mix of both consumer and business-to-business events.

With Scotland outperforming the rest of the UK in visitor growth, The Royal Highland

Centre’s performance has reflected this, resulting in important benefits to the economic health of the capital, particularly in the highly lucrative business tourism market, which accounts for 20% of all tourism expenditure in Scotland.

The Royal Highland Centre hosts in excess of 200+ events each year and, given its ideal location next to Edinburgh International Airport, attracts visitors from throughout the UK, Europe and further afield. A significant proportion of these visitors go on to enjoy the delights of the Capital, making the Royal Highland Centre an important partner in generating complimentary leisure and retail revenue.

Each year the Royal Highland Centre hosts the Royal Highland Show, a four-day spectacular that welcomes almost 190,000 visitors. Research has shown that a staggering 74% of these visitors come from out with Edinburgh and surrounding area and, with these visitors staying an average of three nights, the economic impact of this event alone is in excess of £64 million, with £47 million of this benefiting Scotland directly.

The venue has an ambition to attract new and exciting events to Scotland and, with this is mind, there has been significant investment in the 280-acre site. A six-figure sum has gone into upgrading the original racetrack, which dates back to 1965. On the back of this investment a new event was created – Ingliston Revival which is set to return again in 2016 following the success of its inaugural event in September.

The investment in the Royal Highland Centre continues as it strives to deliver an exceptional event space. This is not only good for the charity, The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, which runs the Royal Highland Centre, but also for Edinburgh, which will undoubtedly benefit from the organisation’s ambition and investment.

By Stephen Hutt, Chief Executive at RHASS (The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland)

Scottish Chambers of Commerce - Representing your business The rise of Scotland’s capital to its current commanding position did not happen by accident.

It is the result of enlightened and mutually beneficial co-operation between local private and public sector players, with Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce at the forefront in representing businesses - large and small - on which the city‘s prosperity always depends.

But just as Edinburgh’s achievements up till now should not be taken for granted, neither should its continuance in the future. This will require hard work, leadership and strong partnership from all.

Representing the largest Scotland-wide network, linked and connected throughout the UK, Europe and the wider world, channelling the Scottish business voice to the political and “public policy-making” world is a key part of what we do. As the Scottish Election looms into view, in the weeks and months ahead your Chamber Team is embarking on a major business consultation. Rest assured we will be probing, challenging and above all listening to Edinburgh’s business community, to the issues, opportunities and solutions unique to operating in this Capital City, and to those that

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are shared throughout Scotland.

The Chamber of Commerce Network works every day on your behalf to navigate Scotland’s evolving constitutional environment, identifying the opportunities to influence change that could maximise business competitiveness and holding Scotland’s politicians - at Holyrood, Westminster and Brussels - to account. What are they doing for business and what real impact is that making to our bottom line and jobs?

When it comes to creating the right environment for prosperity, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network has a strong record of influence. For example we worked hard to secure meaningful concessions on Business Rates from the Scottish Government, from early implementation of its Small Business Bonus scheme but we need to go much further, seeking a speedy fundamental root and branch reform of Business Rates as an integral part of the next Government’s economic strategy.

Conversely, political statements and policies that are not aligned with our business interests - like the proposal not to proceed with a hard-won APD tax reduction and eventual abolition - remain an ever-present

threat to business growth and new jobs.

With our strong record of advocacy and our wide national and international network, the Scottish Chambers movement is well-placed to ensure that the business voice is heard clearly over the party-political hubbub.

As the General Election campaign looms into view, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce through Edinburgh Chamber, are uniquely positioned to ensure that the businesses interests of Edinburgh are front and centre of the policy-making process. We must challenge and remind all political parties that the capital’s business community is not a marginal interest group, whose concerns must be weighed in the balance against other competing interest groups. Instead, from high finance to food and drink, the progress of Edinburgh business success is inseparable from the progress of Scotland’s prosperity. Our job is to secure the hard-won gains, and to keep winning more.

Let’s get on with the job of creating wealth, creating and nurturing exceptional talent, and playing to our strengths. Oh and having some fun in the process!

By Liz Cameron, OBE, Director/Chief Executive, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

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We all have a past, a present and a future At Cyrenians we aim to change public perceptions about poverty and those excluded from family, home, work or the wider community. Through the services we provide, we’re supporting people as they make real changes to their lives, and to their futures.

We can only continue our vital work with the support of businesses and individuals like you, who want to give something back to their communities. Find out more about how your organisation can make a difference to people like Chloe, and help others on the edge of society fulfil their potential. fundraising@cyrenians.scot

www.cyrenians.scot

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BUSINESS NEWS

Impacting Scottish Tourism through stronger universityindustry collaborations Stronger and more closely aligned universityindustry partnerships is critical. An integral part of most if not all degree programmes is experimental work-based learning. Thus, existing university-industry collaborations for placement programmes offers a suitable platform for exploration of tourism curriculum co-creation and more active engagement by industry partners in impacting Higher Education (HE) programme outcomes.

Tourism accounts for over £9billion from visitor spend, from approximately 15 million arrivals making it a leading contributor to Scotland’s economy. The year to June data reflects 5.5% increase in trips and 25.5% in spend to reach £1.47 billion (Insight Department VisitScotland, October 2015).

Both government and industry acknowledges the strength of Scotland’s destination brand.

As such planning for employment in the tourism industry demands special attention and careful strategic preparation to ensure that the knowledge, skills and abilities of tourism graduates are relevant to the current and future demands of the local industry. The present market requires that businesses are focused on satisfying a more informed and demanding clientele, constantly evaluating the quality of their product offering, while keeping abreast with technological advances for maximum customer engagement.

According to Tracey Crouch, Minister for Tourism, “We need talented, creative and driven people across the country to consider tourism as a career choice”.

The role of university-industry collaborations therefore becomes pivotal. Employers are keen on ensuring that graduates can ‘hit the ground running’ and fit well into their organisational culture; but more importantly contribute to the advancement of their business product. Thus, the value added of employing university graduates is now much more ‘instrumental’ than ‘academic’.

Businesses wants results. They are seeking innovation and advanced management skills embodied in strategic thinkers and planners.

More significantly, the sector needs graduates who can apply their knowledge, implement skills learnt and deliver on business success.

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One such initiative is being advanced through a research project by the author, an academic at Queen Margaret University and The Tourism Society Scotland. The project aims at creating a platform for developing a framework within which the HE tourism curriculum is redesigned in alignment to the career goals of the primary customer – the student; the roles and responsibilities of the education institution; and the ever changing higher level employment criteria now demanded by the Scottish tourism sector. Helen Adams, Elected Chair of Tourism Society Scotland commented, “Tourism Society Scotland is delighted to support this important research, designed to ensure that tourism related degrees produce a strong alumni of work-ready graduates.

Our members work in all parts of the visitor economy so are well placed to contribute and give an industry perspective.”

The project welcomes industry stakeholder contribution in identifying core tourism graduate competencies required for smooth transition from academia to industry by partaking in co-creation of work placement programmes. The project further aims to develop and proffer a template for adoption not only in Scottish tourism programmes but in similar destinations elsewhere.

The partners in this project invites a wide cross section of stakeholder involvement and engagement. For more information on this initiative and to get involved please contact: Dr Violet Cuffy, Tourism Lecturer QMU – vcuffy@qmu.ac.uk www.qmu.ac.uk Helen Adams, Chair TSS – scotland@ tourismsociety.org www.tourismsociety.org

Emirates celebrating 10 years of flying Last year Emirates celebrated 10 years of flying from Glasgow Airport. The first daily service began in April 2004 and in June 2012, a second daily nonstop flight was introduced to meet the growing demand. The current Emirates Team in Scotland has grown to over 34, along with a number of contracted suppliers all helping to contribute to the Emirates success in Scotland as well as generating millions in visitor revenue to the overall Scottish economy.

Currently the service is operated by a 3 Class Boeing 777 aircraft which offers an unrivalled premium experience with Private Suites in First Class, Lie-flat seats with massage function in Business Class and ergonomically designed seats with adjustable headrests in Economy Class.

In July 2014 the Emirates Lounge opened in Glasgow Airport, offering passengers travelling in First and Business Class along with Gold and Platinum Skywards members an un-parralled experience prior to boarding. The Lounge comfortably accommodates 140 passengers with 42 dining seats available. It’s the largest lounge in the airport and represents a significant £2 million direct investment.

Its opening celebrated Emirates decade-long operations and longterm commitment to Scotland along with forging greater business links and access between Scotland and key Asian economic centres such as Hong Kong and Singapore as well as emerging markets in China and India.

In April 2014, Emirates operated a oneoff A380 service into Glasgow to mark ten years since the Dubai-based carrier launched services in Scotland. It was the first ever A380 to come to Scotland.

Over the years Emirates has carried over 2.6million passengers from the airport. Emirates SkyCargo operation at Glasgow Airport has moved in excess of 65million Kgs to/from Scotland since the launch of the route in 2004 with the majority of the exports being seafood and whisky although offshore oil well equipment, cars, monkeys & Penguins are not unheard of.

60 SECONDS

Name: Kirsty Baird Company Name: Sing in the City Website: www.choiredinburgh.co.uk Q In five words or less, what do you do?

A Sing, perform, entertain, manage, encourage.

Q How long have you been a Chamber member?

A About a year.

Q Why did you join?

A To meet other Edinburgh business people, to promote Sing in the City.

Q What services do you use?

A The directory, attend some of the events, in particular the women in business events.

Q What’s the best business/benefit you have won through the Chamber?

A Meeting some of the chamber staff, who find ways to involve you in their events and introduce to relevant people they feel will be useful to each other and my business mentor.

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

A If you are thinking of it then there must be things that can be improved in your business so, give it a go for a year, what is the worst that can happen?

Q Where do you read your copy of Business Comment?

A In peace and quiet in a coffee shop whilst having some time out.

Edinburgh Bus Tours Edinburgh Bus Tours is a true Edinburgh success story and takes pride of place as Scotland’s third most popular paid-for visitor attraction behind only Edinburgh Castle and Edinburgh Zoo This in an enviable position to be in but the Company, a subsidiary of Lothian Buses and part of the Transport for Edinburgh Group, sees itself as much more than just a popular attraction for tourists.

The tour company also plays a key role in the city’s tourism economy by linking other popular attractions such as the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and The National Galleries to name only a few.

Lothian Buses Chairman Jim McFarlane said: “Edinburgh Bus Tours sits right at the centre of Edinburgh’s tourism industry, taking visitors from one attraction to the next as part of an open top experience that rivals any in Europe.

As a backdrop for a tour, it doesn’t get any better than Edinburgh.

“We operate in a compact city and short stay marketing is key to the visitor economy, with Edinburgh’s most iconic attractions accessible in only a short space of time. Our tours last about an hour and cover a vast amount of what the city has to offer. Our experienced

and talented guides make sure that every customer has a fantastic experience but also that they know what’s on offer once they get off the bus. This drives custom to other attractions and plays a genuine role in enhancing Edinburgh’s tourism economy. It’s something we’re proud of.”

Staff knowledge is carefully preserved and shared with new recruits. A total of 116 seasonal members of staff joined 36 highly experienced permanent staff this summer. Edinburgh Bus Tours Manager Kenny Campbell is responsible for the staff team. He said: “Of our summer recruits, 26 were ticket sellers, 55 were guides and 35 were drivers but no matter the role, all play their part in ensuring the customer gets the best experience of Edinburgh. Our seasonal staff come back year after year too. More than half have previously worked with Edinburgh Tours so there’s a depth of experience that can be relied on.”

The highest passenger numbers are in the summer when tourism is at its peak, but Edinburgh is undoubtedly a hotspot for tourism all year round. Edinburgh Bus Tours operates 364 days a year so visitors can hop on virtually all year round. Over the last year the attraction, operating across five routes, welcomed a record 530,000 passengers.

Jim McFarlane is optimistic about the future too. He said: “Through carefully managed growth and acquisition, Edinburgh Bus Tours has achieved a place among the giants of

Scotland’s tourism industry. Quality has remained a priority throughout this growth and this has been recognised by VisitScotland who awarded us the coveted five star visitor experience rating again this year. We can be confident going forward but we need to stay alive to the demands of the market in terms of where tourists are staying, how they getting to the city and how they are accessing information about the city. It’s our ambition to stay at the top of visitors’ ‘to do’ lists and being top of the online search results and in the right sales locations is more crucial than ever.”

Edinburgh Bus Tours operate five tours which between them take in the Old and New towns, the Botanic Gardens, The Royal Yacht Britannia, The Forth Bridges and all of the main city centre attractions.

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CHAMBER NEWS

The value of Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage listing

UNESCO World Heritage status is awarded to sites considered to be of outstanding value to humanity, with the challenge in many urban World Heritage sites being the need to balance conservation of the heritage resource with other economic activities such as tourism and retailing.

Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage site status has featured in the news regularly in recent years, most usually prompted by planning applications for large-scale redevelopment projects such as the Quartermile, Cannongate, St James Centre and, most recently, the Old Royal High School proposals for conversion into a luxury hotel.

Concern regarding the level and scale of proposed development in Edinburgh has resulted in ICOMOS representatives recent visit to the city to consider the situation, with the remote but still possible outcome for a recommendation that might lead to Edinburgh being placed on the ‘in danger’ list or eventual removal of the status. This has sparked a public debate into the value of World Heritage status for Edinburgh. Adam Wilkinson, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage, has stated his concerns regarding the current proposals and lack of adherence to planning guidance that advised against the proposed developments

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at St James Centre and Royal High School, arguing that approval for these could seriously damage the integrity of the city architecture.

Research conducted by Professor Anna Leask at Edinburgh Napier’s Business School has shown that, while it is difficult to establish the direct implications of World Heritage designation, it is clear that heritage and tourism are mutually dependant and require careful management to avoid irreversible damage. Working with Edinburgh’s World Heritage Trust, the research project established that Edinburgh uses this status to appeal to incoming businesses, visitors, students and residents on a destination-wide basis. Visitors come all year round, with 68% citing the historic city as the key motivator for their visit and 69% most impressed by the historic town and buildings (CEC, 2013). The year round economic benefit of tourism to Edinburgh is hugely significant to the city and the city needs to utilise whatever possible methods they have to enhance the city’s appeal to visitors, residents, students and business alike, particularly given the competitive circumstances within which they operate.

While World Heritage status cannot claim to motivate significant numbers of visitors, it does contribute in several ways. The status

holds an international brand appeal that is recognised by tour operators and visitors alike and appeals to visitors engaging in high value tourism activity that the city wants to attract. It also enables the city marketers to differentiate the city from other cities that might appeal but don’t hold the same quality status and to promote the authenticity and individuality of the city experience. This need to differentiate between destination products is a key part of the Destination Leaders’ Programme that Edinburgh Napier’s Institute for Festival, Event and Tourism Management delivers in conjunction with Scottish Enterprise, and of the extensive undergraduate and postgraduate Tourism Management programmes that are run by the Edinburgh Napier Business School.

While the threat of losing World Heritage status may not be immediate for Edinburgh, decisions taken on current proposals will impact on the nature and the future of the city, so development decision-makers should be aware of the consequences for the appeal of the city to visitors, residents, students and businesses alike.

By Professor Anna Leask, Professor of Tourism Management, The Business School, Edinburgh Napier University.

CHAMBER NEWS

Connections are the key to Forth Ports thriving cruise business Forth Ports is one of the UK’s largest port groups operating not only in Leith, but at seven other ports in Scotland and Tilbury on the Thames.

The key to the success of the group is its ability to make connections. In its Cruise business the team use their connections to deliver a high quality experience that discerning cruise passenger’s demand.

Forth Ports has worked exceptionally hard to create a diverse offering to the UK cruise market and currently serves around 30 cruise operators across all spectrums of cruise ships, from the small boutique ships to the large, resort-sized vessels. Forth Ports cruise offers dedicated facilities in Tilbury, Leith (Edinburgh), Rosyth, Dundee and two anchorages in the Forth Estuary and has committed more than £3.5m in 2015 to refurbish and renovate berthing facilities at Tilbury, and to create a new Edinburgh anchorage at Newhaven. Collectively, Forth Ports’ cruise ports deal with over 190,000 passengers a year and around 130 calls.

“We are delighted that our cruise business is thriving year on year and we are working hard to ensure that the cruise lines rebook for future seasons.”

Forth Ports works hard to enhance the customer experiences at each of its ports while making sure that the economic impact is felt locally and ensuring that any disruption to the local area, such as traffic congestion, is minimised. In delivering this, Forth Ports has a clear strategy of close collaboration with local government bodies, Chambers of Commerce, partner organisations and local businesses.

The cruise team are actively working with Edinburgh based businesses to develop a range of ‘local’ offerings for cruise passengers.

this happen. Our 2016 season is looking very positive, with 2015 seeing growth in the both the duration of the cruise season and the number of days vessels staying in Port.”

Rob Mason, Head of Cruise for Forth Ports said: “We are delighted that our cruise business is thriving year on year and we are working hard to ensure that the cruise lines rebook for future seasons. Key to this is to make sure that we create a positive passenger experience which links the port with Edinburgh which is a major draw for visitors. In Edinburgh, we want to be able to offer passengers something both unique and authentic to the City, and are keen to talk to more businesses about how we can make

Examples of the integrated approach already in place in Edinburgh include the design of street signage and maps to direct passengers around the local area, working with local bus operators to increase capacity on key routes during vessel calls and selling tickets at the port to minimise disruption to local commuters and other bus users.

The company also works with businesses in the immediate area around the ports to focus footfall locally via the use of jointly co-ordinated shuttle bus routes, especially

important for passengers who want to explore independently from the organised tours.

Working with partner organisations to provide a friendly welcome and advice to passengers is also a key element of this strategy and ‘Cruise Forth Welcome Volunteers’ won the Visit Scotland prestigious award for the Warmest Welcome in delivering extraordinary customer satisfaction and a real Scottish welcome.

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INSPIRING TOURISM

Tourism on Track Think of tourists coming to Edinburgh, and you immediately think of visitors arriving on flights from around the world at our busy international airport.

Or perhaps big spending holidaymakers come to mind, arriving on the increasing number of luxury liners which dock at Leith, as Edinburgh becomes a more popular cruise stopover.

And if you do think of these you would, of course, be correct. Edinburgh is one of the most popular destinations for short breaks and holidays for people from Europe and further afield.

But ponder this; around 75% of tourism in Scotland is domestic. So in Edinburgh’s case that means visitors hail from other parts of Scotland and the UK. And many of them arrive in our city and move around our country courtesy of our railways.

ScotRail is a major player in Scotland’s tourist industry, with around a third of its 93m+ passenger journeys each year being for leisure purposes. Edinburgh is a focal point of course, with about 25 million journeys a year.

That’s a lot of tourists…

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Alasdair Smart, Tourism Manager at ScotRail, is keen to emphasise the important nature of the company’s role. “Given these numbers, it’s easy to see why we are a critical player within the tourism market in Scotland.

“And it’s about far more than just transporting people to and from destinations. It is about providing access across the country that

delivers benefits for local, regional and national economies. It is about linking people to communities. It is about supporting jobs and opportunities. And all of that in a way that hopefully gets people out of cars and reduces carbon pollution.”

ScotRail is working closely with the Scottish Government, VisitScotland and local

INSPIRING TOURISM authorities to support tourism the length and breadth of the country.

As far as Edinburgh is concerned, the recent improvements in the central belt rail network and the opening of the Borders Railway have acted as a catalyst for growth.

Alasdair said: “In the case of the Scottish Borders, we are already hearing from local businesses that the trains are bringing a lot of new business and increased opportunities, with 125,000 people using the Border trains in the first month of its operation alone.”

The train operator is also working to support rural communities throughout the country, and has specific projects on the go in Stranraer, Dumfries and in the West Highlands.

Alasdair added: “There’s growing recognition about the importance of railways in planning the future of our tourist industry. But there is also a great history that links railways with tourism.

“Scotland’s tourism industry really came into being thanks to the novels of Sir Walter Scott and thereafter through the visits of Queen Victoria. These caught the imagination of the public in England and elsewhere, and it was trains that carried visitors in their droves to their Scottish destinations.

“Even the great hotels were owned by the railway companies in those days – the North British (now the Balmoral) and the Caledonian in Edinburgh were two famous examples.

“But while the history is rich, it is the future that must concern us. And we are investing in our infrastructure to ensure that we can deliver well into the 21st century. Innovations such as wifi on trains and the use of smart

card technology are essential to provide tourists with the best possible experience.”

ScotRail has recognised that working with the private sector is vital to ensuring that Scotland’s tourist industry thrives in future.

“The private sector is key,” said Alasdair.

“Organisations such as Edinburgh Chamber have a big role to play in helping us to interact with business organisations and, in doing so, create jobs.”

For the future, Alasdair sees good things ahead. “Edinburgh is still the biggest driver for tourism in Scotland, domestically and internationally, through its appeal as a city break destination, its festivals, its culture and heritage, shopping, food and drink and so on.

“And we also are lucky enough in Scotland to have golf, ski-ing, walking and climbing and a myriad of other activities that mean we are increasingly a year-round destination.”

“Good, well connected rail services are instrumental in supporting Scotland’s status as a first class tourism destination.”

Alasdair Smart, Tourism Manager at ScotRail

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INSPIRING TOURISM

When The Sky Really Is The Limit One of Edinburgh’s business success stories is jet propelled on its way to becoming a truly world force in the ever growing digital travel business.

Skyscanner may now be a global concern, operating in 30 different languages in more than 40 international markets around the world. It may have ten global offices, and have more than 700 employees. And most of all, it may have 50 million unique users of its ever-growing digital travel and hospitality website every month…

It may well have its head in lofty clouds, but the company’s feet remain firmly rooted in Scotland’s Capital, and its beginnings owe everything to the most mundane of emotions – frustration.

It was the frustration felt by co-founder and Chief Executive Gareth Williams as he searched for cheap flights when he was a student and wanted to visit his brother in the

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Alps that led him and Bonamy Grimes and Barry Smith to establish the concept and site in 2001, on a laptop.

The business has travelled a long way since then, but its core purpose remains durably intact – to take the strain out of planning travel by making it as easy as possible.

Hugh Aitken, Director of Business Development at the company, said: “That remains the absolute aim at Skyscanner, to make flight,hotel and car hire booking as integrated, seamless and cost effective as possible for our customers.

“Travel is one of the most online-intensive areas of life. Most people now book their flights and accommodation online, and with mobile computing increasing we are seeing more and more people actually making these bookings from the smart phones. The technology is only going to make it evermore convenient for people to do this, and providing the best options for people to search is what we are all about.”

Other than in the most obvious way – by making travel easier – Skyscanner is also

Hugh Aitken, Director of Business Devbelopment at Skyscanner helping our tourist industry grow in a variety of other ways, both through its own efforts and through an increasing number of partnerships.

Hugh explained: “There are two sides to our business. The first is the side that everyone can see online, our consumer-facing digital travel business through the Skyscanner website. Building that website has taken many years so far, we have relationships with more than 1000 organisations who help provide us with content through hotels, airlines, airports, car hire and so on. That is something we continue to develop.

“Then there are specific partnership projects we are working on, providing other

INSPIRING TOURISM

organisations with specific solutions, such as the online travel planning system we have worked on for Flybe which allows their passengers to plan longer-haul flights they would not otherwise be able to easily access.”

Skyscanner, through its unique data, can also offer partner organisations “travel insights.”

Hugh explained; “We can provide data which shows, for example, if more or less people are searching to travel to Edinburgh; when the peaks and troughs of activity occur and so on. That data can be matched to other information, and can then provide organisations with really useful information in looking at future travel trends.”

Being founded and based in Edinburgh has brought genuine advantages for Skyscanner.

Hugh said: “We have a world-class informatics computer science department on our doorstep at the University of Edinburgh, and there are around eight high quality universities that excel in computing and the digital sector in the central belt of Scotland.

That provides a rich source of people who have the right skills for a web company like Skyscanner.

“That, allied with Edinburgh’s attractions, ensures we can keep on employing the talented people we need. In addition, the environment was supportive, particularly amongst the start-up community in Edinburgh. That might have been less of the case elsewhere.”

The company has grown from its Edinburgh base, and now also has offices around the world including London, Miami, Singapore and Beijing.

The future direction of travel is upward. Hugh said: “It is all about continuing to grow the numbers who come to Skyscanner on one hand, and the number of organisations we partner with on the other. That will all be about continuing to provide great content via all the organisations and relationships we have and will have in future, and through continuing to expand the range of products we offer.”

“The business has travelled a long way since 2001, but its core purpose remains durably intact – to take the strain out of planning travel by making it as easy as possible.”

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FOCUS ON TOURISM

ADVERTORIAL

Gleneagles and golf – not even half the story!

Think of The Gleneagles Hotel and you immediately think golf and you would be right to do so.

However, that is only part of the story of the stunning Perthshire hotel because it also offers everything from corporate membership packages to conference facilities that are second to none, making it the ideal venue for business events.

Indeed, with its spectacular setting and its commitment to quality, the hotel has become a big favourite with businesses, offering the opportunity to take part in everything from off-road driving, tennis and falconry to whisky blending and fine dining in unique surroundings.

Ashley Thompson, the Regional Sales Manager who is the main point of contact for companies in Edinburgh wishing to use the hotel, said: “The hotel is best known for its golf, and quite rightly so, but we offer so much more as well.

“The hotel is very popular with businesses,

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not least because it has fifteen rooms in which we can stage events ranging from small board meetings to conferences for up to 300 people. We have hosted everything from food fairs to car launches.”

The indoor courts, which complement Gleneagles’ five outdoor tennis courts, can be booked by both guests at the hotel and non-residents.

In addition to its range of meeting rooms, The Gleneagles Hotel also recently opened its new 2,500 square metre indoor tennis and event space, The Gleneagles Arena.

Ashley said: “The Arena adds to what was already a very varied offer at the hotel. Our guests can choose from 20 outdoor activities, from falconry and off-road driving to tennis and archery.

It provides a 2,250-capacity events venue in the heart of Scotland, suitable for all kinds of corporate events and live entertainment, suitable for conferences, product launches and team-building activities.

“The Arena has fantastic potential as a venue for large-scale events. We’ve already had a lot of interest from event planners for everything from corporate celebrations, to exhibitions and concerts.

Key features include:

“It’s such a large space that it provides a great blank canvas for organisers to create something really ambitious.

n Car parking for 500 vehicles n 650 seats, with capacity for additional seating to be brought in n Usable floor space of 2,500 square metres

“We hope this new development will help us bring even more diverse and exciting events to Gleneagles.

The £750,000 development is also home to four indoor tennis courts, open to both hotel residents and members of the public, and offers a variety of lessons and coaching programmes.

“The overall message is that, whether it’s in the hotel’s meeting rooms, or in the Arena, we offer everything that you would expect of a quality hotel, including complimentary wi-fi and high class surroundings.

FOCUS ON TOURISM

ADVERTORIAL

“We are ideal for a company seeking to entertain a client or reward staff, and our corporate packages include the opportunity to stay overnight and enjoy our leisure facilities.”

Decorated with artefacts and archive material from throughout the hotel’s fascinating history, it is ideally suited to wine and spirit tastings, intimate dinners, cocktail parties and canapé receptions.

Of course, a visit to Scotland would not be complete without a wee dram and Gleneagles can cater for everyone from the beginner to the aficionado.

Whether you want to hold a formal silver service dinner or a more informal affair with quirky dishes such as traditional British fish suppers, the hotel’s chefs can design a menu which is sure to delight.

From the Jazz Age-inspired Bar, which is home to more than 120 single malts, to the Stillroom, where you can discover an array of rare drams to take home, to the ‘treasure trove’ of spirits in the Gleneagles Cellars, the hotel has something to suit every taste.

Whisky blending can be arranged for any size of group – whether it’s an intimate get-together with one of the hotel’s whisky experts in the bar or the atmospheric cellars, or a large-scale tutorial in one of the 15 beautiful private event spaces.

You can even have a go at creating your own whisky. The legendary Johnnie Walker Blue Label is one of the world’s most famous blended whiskies and, during the ‘Perfect Pour’ experience, you will learn how to identify and savour its flavours then try to create something as exquisite for yourself.

There are also plenty of places to enjoy some fine dining if all that tires you out!

The Cellars is particularly popular and is a haven for lovers of fine wines and spirits. It was here that the hotel first received its wines by rail from all over Europe - and you can still see those original railway bays while you dine.

Since that will tire you out, it’s off to bed after that and The Gleneagles Hotel has invested heavily in refurbishing its bedrooms as part of an ongoing programme of upgrades, with 36 of the five star hotel’s 232 bedrooms being given a new look by designers Greyline, who were responsible for the redesign of an additional 36 rooms completed in 2014.

Of course, no article on The Gleneagles Hotel would be complete without mention of golf, a sport woven into its DNA and which played a key role in its creation.

King’s, The Queen’s and The PGA Centenary Course – and the 9-hole ‘Wee Course’ and Scotland’s PGA National Academy, which offers expert coaching for all abilities.

Put all this together and The Gleneagles Hotel offers something for everyone and is ideal for businesses seeking to treat staff or clients alike.

Ashley said: “These really are exciting times for the hotel and we look forward to hearing from Chamber members who wish to find out more about us.”

To find out more about what the hotel can offer your business, contact Ashley Thomson: ashley.thomson@ gleneagles.com or call Group Sales on 0800 587 8806.

The hotel, which was officially opened in 1924, can actually trace its history back to 1910 when Donald Matheson, General Manager of the Caledonian Railway Company, was on holiday in Strathearn.

His railway line ran through the valley and he was so impressed by the countryside that he had the vision of a large country house hotel, built in the style of a palace which would provide golf for the travelling public.

The result is that Gleneagles, which hosted the Ryder Cup in 2014, includes three courses used for championship tournaments –The

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Hospitality at BT Murrayfield Make your matchday with Edinburgh Rugby that extra bit special with a superb hospitality package & VIP Tables in our hospitality suite.

Packages include: • 2 course meal • Q&A session with rugby legends • Pre and post match cash bar • Opportunity to meet players • Designated car parking pass • Official match programme

£79

from

inc VAT

per person per game or 3 games for £199 inc VAT To book call 0131 346 5250 or email niall.watson@edinburghrugby.org

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PARTNERS IN ENTERPRISE

Going back to the roots of your business We’ve now emerged from a long recession… so what are the tell-tale signs of businesses who aren’t ready to take advantage of the next wave of growth?

In this fourth article Gaynor McIntyre talks about the importance of going back to the roots of your business and refreshing your product offering.

Last year I was invited to a family event in the north of Scotland. My husband booked a room in a local hotel; the pictures on the web site promised pampering and luxury for a couple of nights. When we arrived and were shown to our room my heart sank. Greeting us was a stained carpet, pillows that looked as though they had been sat on by an elephant, old bedding, a gloomy shabby bathroom suite and curtains you could spit peas through.

My husband chipped in with “Oh well, never mind, we’ll hardly be in the room anyway.”

Meanwhile I’m thinking, “Romance in this dump? Not a chance!”. So off I popped to see if we could change rooms, hoping in vain that an upgrade was possible, only to be met with a surly receptionist who barked, “the hotel is full,” clearly unable to deal with a prickly guest like me. The upshot is that it was a long weekend in a very mediocre hotel, and hell will freeze over before I go back!

When I got home and had time to reflect, I put on my consultancy hat on and tried to evaluate where it had all gone wrong. Here was quite simply a tired product that was in desperate need of a refresh, some good marketing to promote it and some training for the staff to feel proud of the product they represented. My suspicion was that, like many businesses the hotel had found themselves in the impossible

situation of knowing they needed to invest but lacking the money or energy to do so.

Having a product conversation is possibly one of the most invigorating conversations I can have with a client. When I was training to be a business coach I learned so many interesting questions to ask, many of which resulted in emerging or repackaged products that clients could then go away and explore. For example: n What is your product or service? n Is what you are selling the same thing as what people are buying? n What do you get paid for? n What are your clients really buying? n Why do clients buy your product?

I work with a solicitor whose specialises in divorce and is brilliant, with a fantastic reputation in the market. In itself however, divorce does not fill people with a lot of positive energy. So I asked my client, ‘When people buy your services how are they feeling and what are they like when the divorce is finished?’ She replied, “Well, when clients come to me they are usually in an emotionally volatile situation. I get them out of that situation and give them their lives back. They leave me knowing what they have and what they need to do to move their lives forwards.’

Bingo! How much more engaging does that feel rather that saying you “specialise in divorce.”?

I encourage my clients to revisit their product suite regularly. Whether it is to refresh, extend, unbundle or bundle or even build new products from scratch I take them through a process that injects energy and innovation within a commercial context.

Nine times out of ten, out pops a variation of an existing product or something new that means the client can go back to all his/her clients with something to talk about.

We’ve probably all experienced the tired hotel room that I explained earlier on – so stand back and, using the analogy of the room, rate your own product proposition on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is ‘very tired’ to 10 which is ‘leading edge’. Score yourself less than a 7.5 and you’ll probably be missing a few tricks and definitely not making as much money as you could be.

In the next article Gaynor explores customer service and the opportunities for the small boys to beat the big boys…

Gaynor McIntyre

We thank our Partners in Enterprise for their continued support of the Chamber.

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SQA JOURNEYS DEVELOPING THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW

Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) is the Scottish Government’s seven year initiative to improve the options available to young people, reducing youth unemployment by preparing young people for the workplace and giving them the skills that employers are looking for.

SQA plays an important part in this initiative as we are uniquely placed to support Scotland’s young workforce. By working together with training providers, employers, colleges and schools to ensure young people have the skills and qualifications employers are looking for.

SQA Journeys SQA has wide range of robust, relevant and respected qualifications which are designed in partnership with industry experts to ensure learners gain the skills and experience needed in the workplace We have created SQA Journeys to support the Developing Young Workforce initiative.

SQA Journeys includes case studies and videos featuring young people talking about their own journeys, endorsements from recognised industry bodies and employers, along with details of SQA qualifications available by sector.

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Help inspire a generation

Find out where SQA Journeys can take us.

SQA Journeys aims to inspire the next generation, enabling individuals to succeed in their lives and achieve their goals.

Everyone has a part to play, so that everyone benefits – our young people, your businesses and Scotland as a whole.

www.sqa.org.uk/journeys

Find out where SQA Journeys can take us.

“SQA is proud to be at the heart of the education and skills system in Scotland and is committed to helping young people realise their potential and to achieve their ambitions.”

Dr Janet Brown, Chief Executive of SQA

December 2015/January 2016

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Business Development T: 0303 333 0330 E: mycentre@sqa.org.uk W: www.sqa.org.uk/journeys

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FEATURE: MOTORING

FASTER AND LIGHTER EVORA 400 The new Lotus Evora 400 is built in the true tradition of Lotus sports cars; high performance with precision handling.

Developed on the race track to be perfect on the road, its lightweight construction, outstanding agility, aerodynamic styling and dynamic and uncompromising performance sets the Evora 400 apart from its rivals. This is a car for serious drivers.

This is the fastest road car Lotus has ever built.

CALL US NOW AND FIND OUT HOW TO EXPERIENCE OUR FASTEST EVER ROAD CAR ON 0800 804 4577 OR VISIT LOTUSCARS.COM

MURRAY MOTOR COMPANY Bankhead Drive, Sighthill Industrial Estate Edinburgh, EH11 4DJ WWW.MURRAYLOTUS.CO.UK

FUEL CONSUMPTION Lotus 400 (mpg* [l/100 km]) Urban 20.8 (13.6), Extra Urban 38.7 (7.3), Combined 29.1 (9.7), CO2 emissions 225 g/km. *Performance results may vary depending upon the specification of the particular vehicle, environmental conditions, driving style and other factors. MPG figures are obtained from laboratory testing and intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not reflect real driving results. Published MPG figures and performance results are intended for comparisons between vehicles only. Verification of performance results should not be attempted on public roads. Lotus recommends that all local speed and safety laws must be obeyed and safety belts worn at all times.

Murray Motor Evora Advert.indd 1

28/10/2015 11:24

THE HEAD SAYS YES. THE HEART SAYS DEFINITELY, YES.

MASERATI GHIBLI. STARTING FROM £49,160

THE NEW MASERATI GHIBLI IS POWERED BY A RANGE OF ADVANCED 3.0 LITRE V6 ENGINES WITH 8-SPEED ZF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INCLUDING, FOR THE FIRST TIME, A V6 TURBODIESEL ENGINE. Official fuel consumption figures for Maserati Ghibli range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 20.5 (13.8) – 37.2 (7.6), Extra Urban 39.8 (7.1) – 56.5 (5.0), Combined 29.4 (9.6) – 47.9 (5.9). CO2 emissions 223 – 158 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Model shown is a Maserati Ghibli S at £70,383 On The Road including optional pearlescent paint at £1,776, 21” Titano design alloy wheels at £3,675 and Red brake callipers at £432. www.maserati.co.uk

GRAYPAUL EDINBURGH FORT KINNAIRD, EDINBURGH EH15 3HR Phone: 0131 475 4500 / Web: www.sytner.co.uk/maserati/graypaul-edinburgh

8524 GPE Ghibli advert 265x170.indd 1

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04/08/2015 09:02

JAGUAR XE Get ready to rewrite the rules. With its F-TYPE inspired design, the Jaguar XE is a wake-up call for every other car in its class. With an engine range that delivers thrilling performance and impressive efficiency, the XE redefines the sports saloon.

The Jaguar XE Prestige from £349 a month on Personal Contract Hire plus initial rental of £2,080*.

36 Month Term. Model pictured (including optional metallic paint) from £356 a month, plus initial rental in advance of £2,136. Based on a mileage of 10,000 miles per annum. Excess mileage charges apply.

Contact us today to book a test drive.

PENTLAND JAGUAR

107 GLASGOW ROAD, EDINBURGH, EH12 8LH

WWW.PENTLANDJAGUAR.CO.UK 0131 603 5238

Pentland Jaguar, a trading style of John Clark Motor Group, is an introducer and not a provider of Contract Hire.

THE ART OF PERFORMANCE

Official fuel economy figures for the XE 163PS Prestige in mpg (l/100km): Urban 64.2 (4.4); Extra Urban 83.1 (3.4); Combined 75.0 (3.8). CO2 Emissions 99 g/km. Official EU Test Figures. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ. *Important Information. Based on an XE Diesel Saloon 2.0D 163PS Prestige 4dr 16 standard specification, with a mileage of 10,000 miles per annum (30,000 miles in total), non-maintained. Credit approval, manufacturer’s price changes, volume related bonus and purchase through Jaguar Contract Hire Supplier Network.

The payment terms are 6 month(s) in advance, followed by 35 monthly rentals commencing in month 2 payable by Direct Debit. In the event of cancellation of an order, you will be liable for such costs to be confirmed to you in writing. Excess mileage charges (at 10.92p per mile). Must be returned in good condition to avoid further charges. Contract Hire subject to status. Over 18s only. The promotion cannot be used together with other manufacturer’s promotion and is subject to availability at participating Retailers only for new vehicles ordered by 31st December 2015. Contract Hire is provided by Jaguar Contract Hire a trading style of Lex Autolease Limited, Heathside Park, Heathside Park Road, Stockport, SK3 0RB. Vehicle shown is an XE Diesel Saloon 2.0D 163PS Prestige 4dr 16 with optional Glacier White paint.

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GETTING STARTED

Name: Tam Denholm Business name: Red Raptor Consultancy LTD Start up date: November 2014 Website: www.redraptor.co.uk Q1: Tell us a bit about your business?

Red Raptor provide Business Consultancy service. We show companies how to improve efficiency and revenue by utilising technology, increasing their profits.

Q2: What gives your business ‘the x-factor’?

Our simple and transparent pricing model, for every £1 we make in your business, we charge 25p. So we only make money, if we make you money, we’re that confident.

Q3: What motivated you to set up in business for yourself?

I enjoy the responsibility of running my own company. I’m not good at working for someone else, I’m extremely good at spotting problems in businesses and making them more efficient.

Q4: What do you like most about working for yourself?

I like the ability to make my own destiny. I love seeing other businesses and how people offer value to their customers and I get a kick out of helping them improve their businesses.

Q5: What has been your greatest business success to date?

I’ve managed to work with some of the biggest brands in the business, BBC, Barclays Bank, Mercedes, HP, Bentley and more.

Its great being trusted to deliver solutions that will really make an impact.

Q6: What has been your lowest moment?

Sometimes when you run your own business, its a struggle.

You sometimes feel you’re not making progress, but being an entrepreneur means you have to have unwavering confidence in your ability to make it.

Q7: In terms of business achievements, where do you want to be within the next 5 years?

I’d like us to build the business into an incubator and investment vehicle so that we can help people that are just starting out and provide the support that I never did when I started.

Q8: What would be your top tip to someone thinking of starting up their own business?

Do things, tell people. That’s the fundamental formula in business. Lots of people do one or the other, you have to be good at what you do and you have to tell enough people about it that they want to be your customers.

NEW MEMBERS

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ActivityMix

Gallowglass Security LLP

Tanami

Alba SEO Services

Keeble Creative

Thames Water Commercial Services

AM Bid Services LTD

Red Raptor Consultancy LTD

The Data Lab

Edinburgh Life Stories

Redspire LTD

Total Health

Emirates

Santane

Erskine

Scottish Association for Mental Health

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ASK THE EXPERT

The Importance of Providing a Great Customer Experience in Tourism

Whatever the length of their visit, or whether they are travelling for business or pleasure, their experience of customer service helps tourists to determine whether they return for another visit.

A poor experience means they warn their colleagues and friends to avoid the hotels, tour groups, and destinations they visited.

Visitors have many options open to them, and a great customer experience may well be the difference between choosing you in the future, or ignoring you and choosing to use another company instead.

Our expectations as customers When you travel you want things to run smoothly, with no “hassles”, so you can look back on your visit, smile, and feel good about it. When it comes to hotels, transport and visitor attractions, what are you looking for from staff members? What are the things they do that make a difference to your trip?

You probably have the following expectations of staff: n They are courteous, helpful and friendly in all of their interactions. n They are knowledgeable and competent to talk about their services and the local area.

n They deal with complaints quickly and properly, with updates in person rather than relying on email or text messages.

or tone immediately. Courtesy and respect create loyal customers who are more willing to return to you in the future.

When we travel we really appreciate it when staff take an interest in what we enjoy doing, so we are directed to visitor attractions and places of interest because they meet our needs. This interest help us to build the fantastic memories we desire, and means we will talk to our friends and colleagues positively, thereby encouraging them to visit in the future.

Learn more The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce provides training courses in a variety of subjects, including Improving the Customer Experience, and Dealing with Difficult Situations. They are available as open courses, or in-house workshops to meet your requirements. Visit our website www. edinburghchamber.co.uk/training/courses.

The importance of a positive attitude “Attitudes are contagious; is yours worth catching?”

Indifference, lethargy, smugness, and employees who complain in front of guests are attitudes that will taint the image customers have of your business forever. A great customer experience begins and ends with smiling staff members, positive attitudes and helpful, friendly voices. Attitudes must be genuine as customers will spot a fake smile

By Bryan Leslie

December 2015/January 2016

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ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: FINANCE/LEGAL

Are you ready for Auto Enrolment?

A recent survey found that almost 1 in 3 firms had completed their Auto Enrolment application at the last minute or missed the deadline completely.

With some staging dates already passed and more looming you need to make sure your business is compliant with the new legislation.

We are one of the largest independent accountancy firms of choice in Scotland and offer friendly and professional advice to clients looking to take their business to the next level.

Acumen’s payroll and book-keeping bureau has over 20 years experience in dealing with ever changing legislation and compliancies, we can take the pain out of the Auto Enrolment procedures, ensuring that you are prepared.

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We have around 60 members of staff, who serve over 1,800 clients. Our range of services are bespoke and built around the needs of the small and medium owner managed businesses.

For more information, and to view our services, visit: www.acumen.info or email us at: enquiries@acumen.info

Your future, is our business.

FEATURE: FINANCE/LEGAL

ADVERTORIAL

What is Auto Enrolment?

How long will it take to get ready?

The government has It can take up to six months to recently introduced prepare and for some larger new legislation on employers sometimes even longer.

You are best to prepare as early as workplace pensions. possible as this will give you enough Under the new law time to source a qualifying pension every employer in the scheme and ensure that you have UK must “automatically processes in place to comply with the law. If you leave it too late you may enrol” eligible members find that you cannot get a scheme of staff into a company setup in time. pension scheme if they What happens if I do not comply? are not already in one.

There are certain employer duties If you do already have a company pension scheme in place you would need to check that this scheme qualifies for auto enrolment.

Will this affect my company?

Yes, whether you are a beautician, an electrician or employ a personal care assistant, if you employ at least one person you are an employer.

The new legal duties require you to assess your staff and enrol eligible employees into a qualifying pension scheme, you will also be required to make contributions to their pension and perform other duties too. Other employees may be eligible to join the pension scheme

When is my staging date?

The Pension Regulator has issued every employer with a staging date; this is the date that you need to start performing these duties and has been communicated in the form of a letter to all employers, with many reminders sent throughout.

If you are uncertain of your staging date this can be obtained from the Pension Regulator’s website (www. thepensionsregulator.gov.uk) where you will be required to enter your PAYE reference number.

you must comply with. If you fail to comply the pension regulator may take enforcement action and issue a notice and/or a penalty. The pension regulator is constantly working to educate employers through direct mail as well as advertising to ensure that you are fully prepared and therefore able to comply with the legislation. This puts you in a position to make the right choices and decisions.

How can Acumen Help?

Our payroll bureau has over 20 years’ experience in dealing with ever changing legislation and compliances and we have already assisted a number of our clients with the Auto Enrolment processes. We can work with you to ensure that you fulfil your obligations assisting you every step of the way; from selecting a scheme, preparing letters to staff, completing the declaration and providing the ongoing assessments and reporting requirements of Auto Enrolment to providing our standard payroll services where required.

Lisa Bruce, Director at Acumen

Can I Choose to delay this?

You can postpone some duties for a period of up to three months however; you are still legally required to have a pension scheme in place by the staging date.

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ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: FINANCE/LEGAL

WORKING WITH SCOTLAND DELIVERING OVER £28M FUNDING A MONTH FOR BUSINESSES* See how our local team can support you

BIBBYFS.CO.UK

0800 91 95 92

*Source: Based on the level of regional funding provided by Bibby Financial Services as at September 2015 BC December 2015/January 2016

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ADVERTORIAL

Funding SME optimism Bibby Financial Services is the UK’s leading independent invoice finance specialist and a trusted provider of funding solutions to over 7,000 businesses.

Through our network of 19 local offices, we handle annual client turnover of £5 billion and advance in the region of £440m to small and medium sized businesses throughout the country.

Formed in 1982, we are members of the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA) and support businesses in over 300 industry sectors.

In 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015 the company was awarded a place in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For, ranking 50th in the most recent poll.

Bibby Financial Services is supported by its parent, the Bibby Line Group, a businessto-business services group involved in ship owning and operation, shallow water accommodation, offshore oil and

gas services, contract logistics, memorial parks, specialist plant and equipment hire, and retail.

an increase in the number of SMEs using asset based finance to unlock value in their businesses.

Amid the commotion sparked by the General Election earlier this year, reports on the fortunes of the UK economy have been mixed.

At Bibby Financial Services, we have increased the vital funding we provide to SMEs in the UK and we now advance over £440m to businesses in over 300 industry sectors.

However, at Bibby Financial Services, we have noticed a step-change in business sentiment over recent months, and our Q2 SME Confidence Tracker shows that over a third of businesses plan to invest in recruitment in the three months leading to October.

While it’s encouraging to hear businesses talk positively about their plans for the future, we must be realistic about how these ambitions can be realised. Before an SME owner can look ahead to growth, they must ensure that they have funding in place which is not only sustainable, but tailored to their specific needs.

Flexible business funding for growth In recent years, independent funders have expanded product portfolios to meet the varying demands of their clients and – encouragingly - there has been

While we’re known for our Factoring and Invoice Discounting solutions, we provide a wide range of funding types, including Leasing, Export Finance, Trade Finance and specialist funding for the construction and recruitment sectors.

This flexible funding support is vital in helping our clients overcome cashflow barriers to growth. The businesses we speak to value the bespoke, flexible and personalised service offered by invoice finance. It’s this flexibility and tailored approach to funding that will help Scottish SMEs to fulfil their growth plans in the final months of 2015 and beyond.

Alan Anderson, Head of Sales, Bibby Financial Services Scotland Tel: 07720 307 856 alan.anderson@bibbyfinancialservices.com

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FEATURE: FINANCE/LEGAL

ADVERTORIAL

Why being different is proving popular with bank’s customers They do things differently at Handelsbanken. While many of their rivals are closing branches, cutting back their face-to-face customers service and referring customers to impersonal call centres, Handelsbanken is doing the opposite.

Their personal approach is one that works well and, to meet demand, the bank is continuing to expand across Scotland with eight branches already open.

The two branches in Edinburgh are typical of the bank’s distinctive and highly successful approach to finance.

The first branch opened in 2009 and is now based in Charlotte Square and the West End branch opened in 2014 with both of them typifying the highly personal approach that has characterised the bank’s approach to customers for almost 150 years.

Handelsbanken is the UK trading name of Svenska Handelsbanken AB, one of Sweden’s largest banks with more than 840 branches in 25 countries, and more than 11,800 employees.

The bank, which was established in Stockholm in 1871, has operated in the UK since 1982, via a decentralised model delivered through a network of more than 200 branches across Britain, with further expansion ongoing.

The UK is one of Handelsbanken’s six “home market” countries, where the bank offers full service banking to domestic market customers, the other countries being Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands.

Handelsbanken’s success has been achieved because it specialises in providing highly personalised and competitive banking services to both businesses and individuals, as well as wealth and investment management through its UK subsidiary Heartwood.

Key to the success is the fact that each Handelsbanken branch operates as a small business of its own, enabling it to make decisions at a local level and provide a service that is truly bespoke.

The focus is always on the need of the individual customer and not on the sale of specific products, which is why the bank does

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not offer its branch staff bonuses.

Staff are empowered to advise customers on their banking needs, take lending decisions and agree individual product terms and pricing, free from targets or bonus incentives. They focus their efforts on listening to customers and ensuring they meet their specific needs.

Mike Mullins, Charlotte Square Branch Manager, said: “Virtually everything that we do is decentralised. All the things we do are about managing relationships and each branch is given responsibility to run itself.

“Decisions are made locally and customers talk to a member of staff at their branch, and one of our big strengths is our availability.

If you come to us you will usually receive a decision within 24 hours and you will talk to the same person throughout the process.

“Your enquiry will not be referred on to someone else outside the branch or to an impersonal call centre. That is what makes us different and our highly personalised approach is something that appeals to customers. People who have come to us from other banks find it refreshing. It is traditional banking.

“We are a throwback to the way banking was in years gone by when banks offered personal services, and older customers are delighted to see that that type of service still exists. Younger customers who have not enjoyed such personal services really appreciate that banking can be like this.”

Although the teams provide the various digital options that modern customers expect, what they really value is the bank’s ability to offer expert advice and make decisions locally, alongside a high level of personal service, according to Iain Henderson, West End Branch Manager.

He said: “One of the big things that appeals to customers is that we do not force them to use expensive call centres, as the branch is the principal way in which customers can contact the bank. We also have no centralised processing; together, these are two of the main things that put people off banks. It is a very individual, personalised way of working.

“Customers respond to people. We deal with both personal and business banking and work hard to recruit people who are passionate about offering personal service.

“Our staff have many years of banking

experience between them and that means that they have seen just about any kind of situation and can offer the right advice.

“We also bring in talented young people and are committed to giving them responsibility to make decisions.”

The approach certainly works.

Handelsbanken has built its success around a unique combination of branch based decision-making, customer satisfaction and prudent financial standing, allowing the bank to grow rapidly in the UK. The bank’s approach has received official recognition as well. In October 2015 the European research institution EPSI Rating, in an independent survey of British banks’ personal and business customers, rated Handelsbanken top for customer satisfaction and loyalty, for the seventh year running. This is also a position that the bank has enjoyed in its home country of Sweden since surveys began in 1989.

In addition, in July 2015, the Swedishheadquartered bank was judged one of the world’s strongest banks, for the fifth year running, by financial information provider Bloomberg.

Mike Mullins said: “The bank consistently has more satisfied and more loyal customers than our High Street bank peers, and that is all down to the way we deal with people.”

Iain Henderson said: “Ours is an approach that works and the fact that we continue to open new branches stands testament to that.”

The Edinburgh branch contact details are:Michael Mullins, Branch Manager Charlotte Square Branch, 18 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4DF Phone: 0131 225 1171 Mobile: 07587 666827 E-mail: mimu04@handelsbanken.co.uk Iain Henderson, Branch Manager West End Branch, Apex 3, 95 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5HD Phone: 0131 337 0581 Mobile: 07587 666824 E-mail: iahe01@handelsbanken.co.uk

ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: FINANCE/LEGAL

“We also bring in talented young people and are committed to giving them responsibility to make decisions.”

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CHAMBER NEWS

Casual Conversation turns into a Gamechanger A casual conversation on how one of Edinburgh’s best known names could enhance its contribution to the community planted the seed of an idea which is rapidly taking root…

The chat between Hibernian Football Club and NHS Lothian centred on how the Club might use some of its brand, emotional and physical assets to further embed the Club in its community in Edinburgh, the Lothians and beyond.

Those assets include the Club’s stadium at Easter Road, and its 70 acre training centre near Ormiston in East Lothian.

Club Chief Executive Leeann Dempster and Linda Irvine, Strategic Programme Manager for mental health and wellbeing at NHS Lothian, realised the enormous potential to improve the lives and life chances of many people as they talked through the potential opportunities.

Fast forward several months and three major “gatherings” of interested organisations and we now have the GameChanger Public Social Partnership. While there are three founding partners in Hibernian FC, Hibernian Community Foundation and NHS Lothian almost 100 private, public and third sector organisations and individuals have signed up as interested parties.

Included amongst these are local authorities, MSPs, universities, colleges, and some of the region’s major charities and social enterprises.

In all, more than 250 people and organisations have been engaged in the “gatherings” at Easter Road Stadium and at the Hibernian Training Centre in Ormiston, and these have spawned 350 ideas which a PSP management group has filtered to create programmes that match the key strategic objectives of the Scottish Government – Wealthier and Fairer; Smarter; Healthier; Safer and Stronger; and Greener.

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The scope and scale of the projects being planned to deliver community benefits is very significant, with medium-to-long-term projects including a health village, a learning and innovation zone, a family centre, and a healthy growing zone. A huge range of other ambitious projects and programmes are also being developed.

Key strategic task groups are now being established involving organisations which are well-qualified to deliver, and who have expressed a keen interest in being engaged in the process.

These groups will be tasked to take forward more detailed planning and delivery.

Leeann Dempster said: “GameChanger is attracting a lot of interest because it sees football take a very different approach to how it works to benefit its community. It is the first time a Scottish Club has been involved in a Public Social Partnership, and on such a very significant scale.

“We came from the perspective that the Club has very large physical assets.

Clearly these can be utilised in ways that create community benefits if we engage with the right partners, but everyone accepts that engaging with a major football clubs brings much more than that.

“Football helps gain access to hard-toreach audiences, it creates high levels of awareness, it touches lives in a way that very few other things in Scotland can match. Our partners are all very excited at the ‘magic dust’ that football can sprinkle on issues that really need our attention.

“Hibernian tried to conduct all of its business in a professional and responsible way. We are a Living Wage payer, for example. Our Community Foundation is already engaged in some tremendous work around grass roots football participation and physical exercise, and has an excellent partnership with Edinburgh College to deliver learning and opportunities through our Learning Centre at the stadium.

“The PSP simply builds on that commitment in a very ambitious way.”

ADVERTORIAL

LOVE’S T RUE COLOUR EXQUISITE PINK DIAMOND RINGS

SWISS TIMEPIECES & FINE DIAMOND JEWELLERY MULTIPLE JEWELLER OF THE YEAR FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS AVAILABLE IN THE GYLE SHOPPING CENTRE, OCEAN TERMINAL AND ONLINE AT CHISHOLMHUNTER.CO.UK

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BE THE BEST

Tourism, Don’t Muck It Up! What are the chances that you will muck it up?

I spend my life managing people that need creative content to grab attention, deliver traffic and keep building that bottom line.

Now that the tourists faces are glued to a smart-phone how do you standout, how do you get their attention?

1. I’ll build an App… 2. My website is mobile friendly I’ll be fine…

3. My stock is exclusive…

4. I’ve got a business Facebook page…

5. I’m registered on VisitScotland…

6. My best friend is the concierge at…

7. I’m on Google plus…

8. I’m in the guidebook…

9. My brochure is available in different languages…

In a world of AirBnB, TripAdvisor, Zomato, Yelp and more, the impression your staff make and the quality of your service outweighs any advertising or online marketing.

The priority for your marketing investment is staff and staff training; I’m not saying the list above does not have a place. For most small businesses your biggest monthly outgoing is staff.

The subtlest change can transform a business; I’ve witnessed it first hand. Pick up the phone with a smile on your face and it transforms the tone of your voice into a positive experience. Seeing a tourist with

More of us are becoming aware of websites that provide a ratings service with customer feedback. We may not like it but you can be sure whether you’re heading to a shop, a museum, a tour bus, or more, we are tuned in to look for feedback and recommendations.

GET WITH IT

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By Colin Gilchrist, Social Tailor

Scottish Business Technology Writer of the Year

managing director of it500, reports it was equally key to both the private and public sectors.

Organisers chose the Capital for the inaugural IT Service Management (ITSM) and Best Practice conference aimed at giving participating organisations a distinct competitive edge while achieving their business goals.

IT systems are to integrated into our day-today working lives with ITSM representing the very core of such tech-based activity.

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Just don’t muck it up!

By Bill Magee

Edinburgh continues to prove a premier venue for global events - none more so than when it comes to this brave newish Digital World in which we are all engaged.

“IT in the Park” was the catchy title for the first-time global event at Our Dynamic Earth and co-organiser Martin McLennan,

their head in a map outside your premises, invite them in and offer guidance. The little things that boost your business in this area are transformational both for staff morale and bottom line.

Around 200 delegates attended, to hear from - and press the flesh with - all the best ITSM names including speakers, hosts and suppliers from all leading industry best practice bodies.

Clearly defined ITSM policies, organised and structured into processes, enable the smooth running of procedures to plan, deliver, operate and control IT services offered to customers.

This is vital when it comes to departments across an organisation staying connected and communicating with one another, collectively contributing to last productivity gains and delivering a boost to the bottom line.

Special reference was made during the conference to vital IT skills development, both at individual and team levels plus examining how to alleviate well-known shortages in the technology jobs marketplace.

For detailed reports check out www.it500-conference.com

EUROPE DIRECT EDINBURGH

Europe 2020 Support for Tourism Europe remains the number one tourism destination in the world; the Tourism sector in the European Union alone, employs over 17 million people and thus contributes close to 10% of the EU Gross Domestic product.

The sector has been quick to respond the digital trends for marketing and bookings, but now must look to develop a more responsible sustainable connection with local communities and the environment.

In order to help the sector achieve this, the EU is offering funding programmes to the sector until 2020. The funding is designed to help promote and develop destinations and services in this demanding market.

The available funding is separated into 5 investment areas.

1. The European Regional Development Fund aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion. To achieve this it may provide essential support to improve the competitiveness and quality of tourism at regional and local levels, notably in areas in of industrial/rural decline or those undergoing urban regeneration.

2. The European Social Fund looks to improve employment and workers

mobility as well as the level of professional qualifications.

3. European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development focuses on Economic development in rural areas, assisting in the diversification of farmers into non-agricultural activities, developing of non-agricultural SMEs in rural areas and engaging in sustainable & responsible tourism. Business start-up aid is available for non-agricultural activities in rural areas, such as rural accommodation, shops, restaurants and guided tours. Small investments for public use recreational infrastructure, tourist information and small scale tourism infrastructure are also available.

4. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, replacing the European Fisheries Fund, the priority is increasing employment and territorial cohesion in coastal and inland communities depending on fishing and aquaculture. This should be achieved by the promotion of economic growth, social inclusion, creation of jobs and supporting labour mobility in these communities. The fund supports diversification of activities within fisheries and into other sectors of maritime economy in particular for cultural fisheries and maritime cultural heritage. This can also cover tourismrelated projects, such as eco-tourism, general fishing tourism, fish and seafood restaurants, accommodation, tourist trails and diving, etc. In this area the fund can also support awareness

raising campaigns and associated communication and dissemination activities, such as publicity campaigns, events, the development and maintenance of websites 5. LIFE is the financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects.

The priority areas are; Environment and Resource Efficiency, and Nature and Biodiversity, so covering projects relating to water use, including the marine environment management, and environment and health, including noise levels air quality and emissions. While LIFE does not finance big infrastructure projects, it may support investment in Green Infrastructure. Green Infrastructure refers to a network of high quality natural and semi-natural areas designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services while protecting biodiversity. These services can also include recreational and touristic activities.

The EU hopes to not only assist individual organisations with its funding areas, but also to promote best practice in order that the sector is continually improved. www.ec.europa.eu/programmes/ horizon2020/en/how-get-funding

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ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Business Medical – Occupational Health – Drivers Medicals There have been recent cases in the media of accidents involving drivers at work, and a spotlight beamed on the health of the driver.

So does your business have people who drive, on or off the public roads? Do you carry out medical checks on your drivers? How often? What about drug and alcohol tests?

What about those who drive in England?

So what is the law in relation to driving at work? Well, we are all aware of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and the changes in Scotland in 2014 to the alcohol “drink-drive” limit. Less known is the recent Crime and Courts Act in England which introduced a new offence this year of driving while over a prescribed drug limit, and can be enforced at the roadside with mobile testing equipment.

Have you considered the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, and the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 in relation to driving at work? - ensuring the health and safety of employees, and others (including contractors) who may be affected by their activities at work, including driving a company or hired vehicle, or in their own vehicle, making appropriate risk assessments and acting on the results. Finally what about the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 where there has been a “gross breach of relevant duty of care”?

At Business Medical our Occupational Health trained Nurses and Physicians carry out Drivers Medicals, with a level dependent on the job and risk assessment. Your employee completes and signs a health questionnaire, and our nurse checks include BMI, blood pressure, urine tests for diabetes etc., hearing, vision, balance, movements and co-ordination. ECGs can be performed if required. Full medical examinations can be carried out by the Occupational Health Physician. We can request further information/verification from the GP if necessary.

Why not ask the GP for these medical checks? Well, apart from being too busy, GPs are not trained on the hazards and risks at the workplace, and GPs are their patients’ representative with a primary interest to aid their patient.

In Occupational Health we are independent specialists providing advice to employers and employees, with a knowledge of the legal framework and the workplace. We can help you to control the risks of employees with health conditions driving for your company.

So there are many legal reasons to consider carefully whether you should carry out medical checks on your drivers.

We tend to think of drivers at work as being LGV/HGV or PCV/PSV drivers, but even these drivers tend not to have medical checks in between the minimal statutory DVLA requirements. And we forget that salesmen/ marketing people, van drivers, minivan drivers, forklift truck drivers, and ordinary employees who just use their car to get from one workplace to another, or drive workmates or deliver items to sites, are also business drivers.

The HSE has good information on its website for employers - www.hse.gov. uk/pubns/indg382.pdf and www.hse. gov.uk/workplacetransport/personnel/ medicalfitness.htm

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Dr Linda Bell, Business Medical Ltd. www.businessmedical.co.uk

ADVERTORIAL

FEATURE: HEALTH AND WELLBEING

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CHAMBER TRAINING

Training Course Calendar December

February

Tuesday 1st December 2015 08.30 – 10.00 Management Essentials Breakfast 8

Monday 1st February 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Sales Skills

Wednesday 2nd December 2015 09.30 – 16.30 Winning Presentations

Tuesday 2nd February 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Process Mapping

Thursday 3rd December 2015 09.30 – 16.30 Finance for non finance managers

Thursday 4th February 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Essential SEO and Google AdWords

Wednesday 9th December 2015 09.30 – 16.30 Leadership Skills

Friday 5th February 2016 09.30 – 12.30 Instagram, Google + & Facebook for Business

Thursday 10th December 2015 09.30 – 16.30 Introduction to Project Management

Monday 8th February 2016 09.30 -16.30 Finance for non Finance Managers

Wednesday 16th December 2015 09.30 – 16.30 Time Management

Tuesday 9th February 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Difficult Situations

Thursday 17th December 2015 09.30 – 16.30 Process Mapping

Friday 12th February 2016 09.30 – 12.30 LinkedIn for Business Development

January

Friday 15th February 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Negotiation Skills

Monday 11th January 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Introduction to Project Management Tuesday 12th January 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Time Management Monday 18th January 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Networking Skills Friday 22nd January 2016 09.30 – 12.30 How to Create a Social Media Strategy & Content Plan Monday 25th January 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Leadership Skills Tuesday 26th January 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Transformational Business Leadership Wednesday 27th January 2016 08.30 – 10.00 Inspiring Insights – Planning for Growth & Valuation Strategy

Wednesday 17th February 2016 08.30 – 10.00 Inspiring Insights - Implementing a growth strategy Friday 19th February 2016 09.30 – 12.30 An Introduction to Basic Google Analytics Monday 22nd February 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Keep the Customer Wednesday 24th February 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Bidding to Win Thursday 25th February 2016 09.30 – 12.30 10 Steps to convert website traffic into sales Friday 26th February 2016 09.30 – 12.30 Incoterms 2010 Monday 29th February 2016 09.30 – 16.30 Winning Presentations

Friday 29th January 2016 09.30 – 12.30 Twitter and Blogging for Business

To book please contact the training department on 0131 221 2999 option 3 or email: training@edinburghchamber.co.uk www.edinburghchamber.co.uk/training/courses

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Company name: Capita Translation and Interpreting (CTI) Who? Kristine Berry-Trow, Sales and Marketing Director Website: www.capitatranslationinterpreting.com What were you doing between 10 and 12 this morning?

Working on the commercials for a tender process we are pursuing with a large retailer – along with flicking between emails and calls as usual!

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

Sales are always a challenge! Creating something out of nothing is no mean feat, so working with and supporting the sales team in this regard is crucial.

What do you consider your biggest business triumph?

The progress we have made as a business, particularly within the last 12 months. We now have a number of new customers working with us and establishing CTI as a recognised brand within the localisation industry.

Do you have and money-saving business tips?

Treat your business budget as if it were your own. We have limited control over the economy at the moment, however, we can control our costs!

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

The experience I gained working for Aldi on their Graduate Programme.

Returning to university in order to pursue my career in localisation.

Moving to CTI where I have progressed quickly.

Where do you stand on work/life balance?

Both are equally important, and whilst at work, I am very productive and usually work 10-12 hour days. However, whilst I am always available for emergencies, I try to protect weekends and holidays to spend time with my family.

What do you like to do on your spare time?

I love spending time with my new daughter, going to the beach, surfing, travelling and eating out.

Work in an industry you are passionate and enthusiastic about, as it means you will enjoy striving to achieve the highest possible level.

Who is your hero?

I don’t really have one as such - there are a number of people I have met during my career who I look up to and admire. People who are dedicated to what they believe in and do inspire me the most!

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

Our business provides language solutions to a number of high profile clients around the world. Language solutions are very important to businesses trading within international markets, as they are crucial for the localisation of websites and marketing material. After all, words and expressions can have very different meanings in different languages and cultures!

What qualities do you need to see in your employees?

Other than your current position, what would be your dream job?

Dedication, commitment, enthusiasm and top-notch effort! We offer training in order to provide people with new skills, however, those four key personality traits are very important and cannot be taught.

I always say if I won the lottery, I would go into property development – but only if I could pay people to do all of the work for me! I’m not so great with a paintbrush and drill!

In business, is it more important to be liked or successful?

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

This varies person to person and depends on how success is defined - it’s all about balance and I think there needs to be elements of both.

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

Work hard, challenge yourself, don’t be afraid to submit ideas and don’t just wait or assume things will happen, make them happen!

Michael Jackson or Freddie Mercury!

Outside of business, what is the most important thing in your life?

As of 17 days ago, it is my daughter! She is amazing and it’s interesting how life changes you; family are now definitely priority number one and I work hard to ensure the three of us have a great life together.

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INSPIRING CONNECTIONS

With Autumn coming to an end and the winter season approaching, the events at the Chamber are still going thick and fast till the end of the Year!

We started off September with our 60 Really Useful Minutes event with Ross Haston from Hamilton & Inches, who gave us an honest insight into the recovery of their business after an armed raid in 2014.

Our popular Breakfast Speed Networking event at the Royal College of Surgeons saw around 30 delegates get together for an intense networking session.

Our sell-out Women in Business lunch at the Waldorf Astoria – The Caledonian saw Lesley Eccles from FanDuel give an exceptional talk about the international growth of her company, inspiring a room of 70 people.

We also heard from Oli Norman, Founder of itison at our Influencers Lunch event who’s philosophy of ‘unique and best’ helped him on his journey to become one of the fastest growing online businesses in Scotland.

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INSPIRING CONNECTIONS In October we held our next Breakfast Connections on the theme of ‘Bold in Business’. We welcomed Jo Dow, CEO Business Stream, Mally Graveson, Managing Director of Heehaw and Gordon Dewar, CEO of Edinburgh Airport which attracted over 70 delegates. Our next Breakfast Connections will be with the new CEO of Edinburgh Council Andrew Kerr at our Breakfast Connections on 7th of January.

Our Chamber Dining Club Lunch will take place at La Favorita on the 13th of January and our Inspiring Women in Business Lunch with the Director and General Manager Susan Morrison from the Scotch Whisky Experience is on the 26th of January.

Our Business Awards are now open and entry is free for all members, and the forms are now available to download via our website. Our glittering Awards Ceremony will be taking place at the Sheraton Hotel on Monday 29th February 2016 and tickets are selling fast.

At the end of October, we welcomed Roxy Nicol to the team as our new Events Executive, who joins us from Transport for Edinburgh and is an asset to the team.

We hope you all have a fantastic festive period and look forward to meeting members in 2016.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS December

January

February

Wednesday 2nd 60 Really Useful Minutes: Social Media Trends (10-11am)

Thursday 7th Breakfast Connections with Andrew Kerr CEO City of Edinburgh Council, Balmoral Hotel (8:30am-10:00am)

Wednesday 3rd 60 Really Useful Minutes, 40 George Street (10:00-11:00am)

Friday 4th Inspiring Women in Business End of Year Lunch with Nora Senior, Executive Chair, Weber Shandwick, UK Regions and Roseanna Cunningham MSP – The Waldorf Astoria (12:30-3:30pm) Thursday 10th Annual Christmas Party - Hilton Grosvenor (6:30-9:30pm)

For all event queries please contact the Events Team on 0131 221 2999 option 2, e-mail events@edinburghchamber.co.uk or visit www.edinburghchamber.co.uk/ events/events

Wednesday 13th Chamber Dining Club Lunch, La Favorita (12:30-2:30pm)

Tuesday 9th Inspiring Women in Business Workshop (12:30-2:30pm) Wednesday 10th Chamber Dining Club Lunch, Revolution Bar (12:30-2:30pm)

Friday 22nd Breakfast Speed Networking, Surgeons Hall (8:45am-11:45am) Tuesday 26th Inspiring Women in Business Lunch with Susan Morrison, Scotch Whisky Experience (12:30-2:30pm)

Monday 29th The 5th Annual Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa (7pm till late)

Wednesday 27th Standard Life Pension Seminar, Standard Life Office (8:30-10:00am)

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS

RHASS appoints a Marketing Manager The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) has announced the appointment of Kimberly Walker to the role of Marketing Manager at the Ingliston based charity. Kimberly brings with her five years of marketing experience from her role at Scotwest Credit Union.

With a background in events management, Kimberly will be responsible for the promotion of RHASS and its role in supporting rural Scotland, supporting events at the Royal Highland Centre and the marketing of the Society’s flagship event, the Royal Highland Show. On her appointment Kimberly said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Society and look forward to helping in the delivery of its charitable remit.”

Stephen Hutt, RHASS Chief Executive, said: “It gives me great pleasure to announce Kimberly’s appointment as Marketing Manager and look forward to seeing her settle into the role and into her new position within the team here at the Society. This is an exciting time for us, with lots of developments at our events space, The Royal Highland Centre, in the pipeline and planning for the 2016 Royal Highland Show well underway.”

Business Stream Poaches Water Expert from Rival to Lead Service Delivery Team Business Stream has appointed Dave Allin, formerly of Severn Trent Water Services, to further strengthen its senior team ahead of the opening of the English water market in 2017.

Dave Allin, who was headhunted specifically for his impressive track record in the nondomestic market, will become Business Stream’s new Head of Solutions following his notable success at Severn Trent. During his 23-year career with Severn Trent.

Dave will report directly to Business Stream’s Commercial Director James Cardwell-Moore.

He said: “Dave brings solid knowledge and invaluable experience to help drive forward our ambitions to compete in the English water market ahead of its opening in 2017.

His extensive knowledge of the UK market, alongside his excellent management and service delivery track record, will help us to further strengthen our position in both Scotland and England.”

Edinburgh Marriott Hotel appointed a new Sales Manager Earlier in the year Leila was appointed as the new Sales Manager at the Edinburgh Marriott Hotel, adopting the important role of securing new business for the hotel as well as maintaining excellent customer relations with an existing account portfolio. This is Leila’s first proactive sales role following many years in the hospitality industry, having been previously responsible for managing various different groups and events.

Leila said of her appointment: ‘I’m absolutely delighted to be working for the Edinburgh Marriott Hotel. It’s very exciting to be part of a team working for an international brand that’s recognised as a market leader in the hospitality industry and I’m looking forward to utilising my skills in the sales sector.”

BUSINESS COMMENT IS AN EDINBURGH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PUBLICATION. Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, Business Centre, 2nd Floor, 40 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2LE www.edinburghchamber.co.uk President: Scott Black Chief Executive: Dave Birrell E D I TO R: Mayan Grace, Tel: 0131 221 2999 Email: mayan.grace@edinburghchamber.co.uk F E ATU RES ED ITO R David Forsyth, Tel: 07887 955778 Email: david@benchmarkpr.co.uk PRO D U CTIO N & D ES IG N Distinctive Publishing, Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2383 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk A DVERTIS ING Distinctive Publishing, Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1LE John Neilson, Tel: 0845 884 2343 john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk

DI S C L A IM E R

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.

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West End Design have recruited a new Designer Emily recently graduated from Edinburgh College, with a HND in Visual Communication: Graphic Design. She gained initial experience from a role at an Edinburgh printing company whilst studying. Emily is now delighted to be working full time for West End Design as a Designer. “I am always learning, but I am also getting the opportunity to use the skills I learned over my time in college to its full advantage in my design work for our clients. Trying to give them the best solution I can with each brief.”

Creative Director, Iain Bunt, explained “Emily has hit the ground running, she has come in with a knowledge of the industry, and is progressing well. It’s great to have her on the team.”

Tanami appoints new Account Manager Video production, social media and PR agency, Tanami welcomes Craig Dorrall into the role of Account Manager. Craig joins the team having successfully spent three years running the New Zealand franchise of a global video production and photography network. Jemma Caldwell, Managing Director of Tanami, explains: “We are really excited about Craig joining the team and have already put his well-honed filming skills to good use. Craig is enthusiastic, ambitious and ready for a challenge – exactly what Team Tanami is all about!” Craig adds: “This is an incredibly exciting time to join Tanami. With an ever-expanding portfolio of high profile international clients, I’m thrilled to contribute to the company’s development and growth.”

Tel: 0131 654 0088

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Email: events@melvillecastle.com

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www.melvillecastle.com

Melville Castle, Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh, EH18 1AP
www.melvillecastle.com

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SQA JOURNEYS FOR SCOTLAND’S FUTURE Scotland’s future is our young people – the workforce of tomorrow. SQA qualifications prepare them for work, and give them the skills employers like you are looking for.

Find out where SQA Journeys can take your business.

www.sqa.org.uk/journeys

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Business Development T: 0303 333 0330 E: mycentre@sqa.org.uk W: www.sqa.org.uk/journeys