ABSOLUTELY ABERDEEN

September 2006, Volume I, Issue I

News from Aberdeen, Scotland

Welcome to the first issue of Absolutely Aberdeen, your complete guide to meeting in Aberdeen, Scotland, including all of the great things to do in Aberdeen and the surrounding Scottish countryside. Absolutely Aberdeen is brought to you by the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC).

We hope that you enjoy reading this newsletter and find it both inspiring and helpful in planning your next European meeting. Aberdeen is a thriving European capital for international business. With the AECC’s recent multi-million renovation, the Convention Center offers a state-of-the-art meeting space for events of all sizes.

In this issue, we’ll introduce you to Aberdeen, Scotland show you how easily accessible from the United States and visit some of the best accommodations in the area. We’ll take you on a journey along the Whisky Trail and introduce you to the AECC staff. We’ll let you know where you can find us next and tell you who’s coming to the AECC. We’ll even entertain you with fun facts from Scotland!

Please don’t hesitate to let us know if we can answer any questions for you. We look forward to having the opportunity to work with you in the future. To contact us immediately, please respond to this email and we will get right back to you.

·  About Aberdeen

Aberdeen is Scotland’s third largest city and is accessible by air from all major European cities, it also is just two hours north of Scotland’s Capital, Edinburgh, by car. Located on the North Sea, at the start of the Whisky and Castle trails of Scotland, it doesn’t get much better than Aberdeen!

Often referred to as “The Granite City” because of its glistening buildings and sophisticated architecture, Aberdeen offers a fantastic array of hotels as well as a variety of restaurants to chose from. Just outside of the city, you’ll find the rolling countryside of Royal Deeside and Grampian, which offers endless options for social program itineraries such as some of the best hill walking in Scotland, as well as more traditional pursuits like river salmon fishing and estate shooting.

Located in the Bridge of Don, on the outskirts of Aberdeen’s city center, is the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC). The AECC opened in 1985 and underwent a $30 million renovation which was completed in April, 2003. It is now one of Europe’s most modern venues and features 75,000 square feet of permanent exhibition space, expanded to 220,000 square feet including linked temporary structures. The largest hall can seat up to 2,000 delegates, there are two separate multi-purpose suites that can seat up to 700, with an additional auditorium that can hold up to 440, a state-of-the- art conference room for 240 delegates and 20 breakout rooms. One of the major advantages of the AECC is its flexibility – most of the rooms can be subdivided to suit a variety of meeting types and a number of the main meeting rooms have built in audio visual equipment.

Aberdeen is also known as Scotland’s castle and whisky country. Delegates can extend their stay by visiting Speyside, the whisky capital of the world. While there, they can also tour the dramatic coastal landscapes and historic castle country, visit the golden stretches of sandy beaches, and experience the fabulous ski slopes and golf that this region has to offer.

·  Transportation

As Aberdeen keeps growing as a popular business and leisure destination, transportation continues to expand to keep up with the high demand. The city is seeing an increase in transportation options into and out of the city. The fastest growing of Scotland’s three airports, Aberdeen saw an increase of 9.5% in passenger traffic over 2005, for a total of 2.95 million passengers.

American visitors have a number of options for arriving in Aberdeen. There are direct flights from Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago, Newark, and Philadelphia via Edinburgh and Glasgow and there are several non- stop flights a day from London’s Heathrow Airport, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, and Manchester, England.

And if you arrive in the UK and don’t want to take another flight, the Aberdeen railway station provides regular train services from many parts of the country, including daily services from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and London, as well as regular sleeper service from central London.

And once in Aberdeen, traveling to the AECC couldn’t get any easier. In fact, the AECC is only a hop, skip, and a jump from the Aberdeen International Airport – just 6 miles to be exact!

·  Focus: Accommodations

Whether your meeting is for 30 or 2,000, Aberdeen offers something for everyone. Aberdeen offers extraordinary castle lodging as well as the comfort and familiarity of inns and fine hotels.

Only 10 minutes from the city center and railway station, the 120 room Hilton Aberdeen Treetops Hotel is located in a quiet part of the Granite City. Complete with a spa, LivingWell Health Club, and 2 outdoor tennis courts, this hotel is perfect for an active delegate!

The 150 room Aberdeen Marriott Hotel is a luxury hotel, just 5 minutes from the Aberdeen Airport and only 6 miles from the city center. Voted the UK Marriott Hotel of the year in 2005, the guestrooms are luxurious and offer spacious working areas for the business traveler. For those VIP delegates, the Aberdeen Marriott Hotel offers Executive King Rooms, with exclusive access to their Executive Lounge.

Tucked away among 30 acres of rolling countryside is the Ardoe House Hotel. The 105 room hotel is a divine blend of Victorian and contemporary architecture, designed with little regard for moderation. The intricately carved staircases, giant fireplaces, four post beds, and wood detail are just a few of the reasons to stay at the Ardoe House Hotel, a true Scottish experience.

If you are looking for the ultimate in luxury and sophistication, check out the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa. A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and recognized as Aberdeen’s only 5-star hotel, the Marcliffe is set in the breathtaking landscape just on the outskirts of the city. Priding themselves on their cuisine, the Marcliffe offers guests access to their culinary delights 24 hours a day.

With such a diverse set of hotel options, delegates will find an accommodation to suit their varied needs. Offer your delegates a fantastic retreat in one of Scotland’s most beautiful and scenic areas – Aberdeen.

·  Destination: Whisky Trail

When meetings head to Scotland, the first thing that comes to mind is having the opportunity to visit the famous whisky distilleries scattered throughout Northeastern Scotland. And Aberdeen, located in the heart of Scotland’s Whisky Country, is the perfect home base. Spend half a day (or a full one) on the Whisky Trail, the world famous route that includes beautiful scenery and several malt whisky distilleries and one cooperage.

Begin your journey on the Glenfiddich Distillery, a world famous working distillery. On Christmas day, 1887 William Grant looked on as the first drop was produced from the stills at Glenfiddich Distillery. Now, five generations later, the distillery is still owned and operated by the Grant family. It’s also the only Highland Single Malt that is distilled, matured, and bottled in one location.

Heading just 4 miles north, visit the Speyside Cooperage and discover the ins and outs of ancient coopering. Look on as the skilled coopers and apprentices are at work, repairing over 100,000 oak casks yearly that are used to house and mature several different whiskies, an integral part to the distillery process.

Next is the Glenlivet Distillery, 16 miles south from Speyside, a place revered by whiskey lovers and connoisseurs. Glenlivet can only be cultivated in one spot in a single glen at this distillery. Delve into the history of the whisky smugglers and the intriguing mysteries of distilling and try for yourself the acclaimed taste of Glenlivet.

Driving just 12 miles north you will find the Cardhu Distillery, a landmark of the only malt distillery founded by a woman. The malt whisky produced at this distillery has a subtle flavor, primarily due to the deliberately slow rate of distillation in combination with the special properties of the spring water. After maturing for twelve years, the whisky has been described as “silky.”

Still looking for more distilleries in the area? Head just 9 miles further north to the Glen Grant Distillery at Rothes. Tour the distillery that houses traditional wooden vats and large copper stills and then stroll along a woodland path that takes you through the property’s beautiful Victorian garden to the heather thatched dram pavilion and cascading waterfall.

Last on the list is the Strathisla Distillery— regarded by some as the most beautiful distillery in all of Scotland. With its pagodas, cobbled courtyard, and charming buildings, this distillery is a walk through nature and history. Founded in 1786, it is the oldest operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands, a perfect place to end your whisky journey.

If you have a little extra time on your hands to explore the rest of the wonderful whisky trail, make sure you check out the following three distilleries as well.

Benromach Distillery, is located just on the outskirts of the Royal Burch and town of Forres, an ancient market town. The Benromach is the smallest working distillery in Morey, marked by the quaint white distillery buildings, topped by 100 foot red brick chimneys above. A guided nosing and tasting is included in each tour.

Just 2 miles from the Benromach Distillery is the Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery, a place that takes you back in time of true distiller art. Built in 1898 to produce malt whisky for Wright and Greig’s ‘Roderick Dhu’ blend, take part in their free audio guide and hear how whisky was made and sample a free dram.

Last, but not least is Glen Moray, located 14 miles northeast of Dallas Dhu. Since 1897, Glen Moray has been distilled on River Lossie in Elgin by a few dedicated craftsmen. Although a few things have been modernized in the last 100 years, the ingredients, processes and skills of the Glen Moray creators has remained the same.

The distilleries are part of Scotland’s signature quaint and historic character. Aberdeen’s convenient location makes it the closest meeting destination in all of Scotland to the trail—allowing delegates to partake in outings on their own. Distilleries are also available to host events, so celebrate your arrival to Aberdeen in traditional Scottish fashion!

·  About the AECC: Meet the Staff

Brian Horsburgh, AECC’s Director of Sales & Marketing, leads a team of ten and has extensive experience promoting UK venues to the USA market.

As a graduate in Geography and Economics from the University of Dundee (his home town) in Scotland, he started his career in airport and transport planning with the British Airports Authority before moving to Inverness in the North of Scotland.

After several years of traveling all of Scotland, Brian moved to Aberdeen as Marketing Manager of a bus and coach company. This led on to his first job in the exhibition and venue industry as Marketing Manager for the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh.

In 2000, the AECC offered Brian the role as Director of Sales and the opportunity to be involved in the project for the redevelopment of the venue to position it as a world class convention center. The redeveloped center opened in April 2003 and since then has grown its business and reputation as a world class venue with many awards to its credit.

Brian also serves as the chairperson of ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter since 2004, and enjoys meeting and developing new business with clients in the USA. Frequently visiting the USA, Brian participates in events organized by HSMAI, MPI and PCMA.

As AECC’s Association Sales Manager, Fiona MacLaurin is responsible for developing the international association market to AECC and Aberdeen, regularly making sales calls in the United States.

Fiona has 25 years experience in the conference sales and marketing, tour guiding and retail travel industries. As a graduate in languages from St. Andrews University she started her career in the Foreign Office but soon left to explore South Africa where she worked in the University of Cape Town. Returning to London she developed a PCO conference business for a couple of tour operators concentrating in Europe before getting homesick for Scotland where she was born and brought up.

Fiona has had extensive experience in conference sales and marketing. Beginning her journey in the Highlands of Scotland, she then went on to work at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre for over five years. Just prior to joining the AECC, Fiona was Conference Manager at the University of Edinburgh.

In addition to her conference experience, Fiona has had extensive involvement in the Association market and working with non-profit organizations, having been Director of several branches of the Red Cross.

·  The Truth Behind the Tartan: Royal Stewart Family

Tartans, more commonly known as “kilts,” date back to the Middle Ages and are worn in association to familial clans. In order to wear a specific tartan, one must belong to the clan.

Perhaps the most recognizable print is the Royal Stewart Family Tartan, the personal tartan of the former Scottish royalty. Descendants of this family line include those with surnames Cook, Cruickshanks, Duilach, France, Francis, Garrow, Jameson, Jamieson, Lombard, Lorne, MacCamie, MacCloy, MacCombich, MacGlashan, MacKirdy, MacLae, MacLea, MacLeay, MacMichael, MacMunn, MacMutrie, Moodie, Munn, and Sharp.

·  Great Scots!

Did you know that Scotland is the home to a number of great inventors? The 19th century Scottish inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, has now become a household name thanks to his contribution to the communication industry: the telephone. Scotland also claims a number of other inventions such as the television, by John Logie Baird, the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming, and insulin by two scientists at the University of Aberdeen. Scotland was also placed on the map for its contribution to science in 1996 with the cloning of Dolly the sheep. July 5, 2006 marked the 10th year anniversary of the first cloned animal’s birth.

·  What Does That Mean?

Scotland is known for its strong culture and customs imbedded in the past as many of the country’s phrases and sayings have been passed down for centuries—creating a distinct dialect unique to the region and people. To this day, fellow English speakers from surrounding countries have trouble deciphering the meaning of Scots jovial expressions and good natured humor. Here’s a short list of some colloquial sayings to incorporate into your everyday conversation:

That’s barrie! That’s great!
Ahem spewin’/spittin’ feathers! I’m thirsty. Bolt ya rocket: Get lost.
Ah’ve done he-haw the day: I’ve got nothing done today.
It’s Baltic, by the way: It’s freezing cold.

·  Who’s Meeting Here?

Aberdeen is a great destination for meetings of all sizes and industries – especially because of the versatility of the AECC!

Instrumentation Scotland and Offshore Systems Exhibition: September 6-7, 2006

The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain & Ireland: September 19-22, 2006

UKOOA Oil & Gas for Britain: November 7-8, 2006

Society of Petroleum Engineers, ICoTA (Intervention and Coiled Tubing Association), The 12th Annual European Well Intervention Round Table: November 14-15, 2006

·  Where You Can Find Us Next

EIBTM 2006: November 28 – 30, 2006, Barcelona, Spain

PCMA Toronto 2007: January 7 - 10, Totonto, Canada

International Confex 2007: February 20 - 22, Earls Court, London, UK

Or contact us in the USA at Open the Door, Inc., 1- 617-536-0590 or info@openthedoor.biz.