Offshore Europe generates economic impact of £53.9m
Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) has released research findings that show the economic impact generated by Offshore Europe (OE), the venue’s largest event, is much higher than reported.
OE is the Eastern hemisphere’s largest oil production and exploration event and has been held in Aberdeen since 1973. In 2013 the biennial event celebrated its 40th birthday by staging the biggest and best conference and exhibition to date.
The event claimed a record attendance of 63,000 people over the four days in September 2013. It is organised by Reed Exhibitions and the Society of Petroleum Engineers. More than 1,500 organisations exhibited in the six halls, which covered an expanded floor space of 47,000sqm.
AECC’s managing director Brian Horsburgh commented: “We have historically calculated economic impact using national multipliers and spending patterns. In 2009 the survey conducted put the economic impact of OE 2009 at £35m.
“However, we felt that the results didn’t represent the current picture – and the visitor experience of Aberdeen today. Therefore, we have adopted a methodology developed by AIPC (the International Association of Convention Centres) which aims to standardise these calculations globally.”
During OE 2013 at AECC, a team of interviewers questioned nearly 900 delegates and exhibitors to establish their direct event-related expenditure. The survey covered: Personal expenditure, travel and accommodation costs, additional leisure spend plus the value of business won or expected to be secured as a result of the event.
The survey found that the total economic impact of OE 2013 was valued at £53.9m.
Reed Exhibitions senior exhibition director Vasyl Zhygalo added: “The Offshore Europe Partnership is delighted with these findings which confirm the positive impact of our event on Aberdeen and the region.”