A Real Purpose

Jill Wadge, Team Manager – Event Management (Conferences & Exhibitions) at the SEC Glasgow, and Chair of the Association of Event Venues (AEV) Event Managers Working Group, discusses the value of multi-purpose venues.

parts of the cities and the cultures that support them. We have responsibilities to our visitors, our neighbours and the city. We need to be mindful of the effects of our choices and decisions on local businesses and supply chains. We also need to consider the strength of our industry and strive to ensure the UK remains a global leader in the event and exhibitions sector.

A multi-purpose venue must be greater than the sum of its parts.

When we say that the SEC is a multipurpose venue, it has many meanings. One of our core strengths is our ability to accommodate every kind of event, from conventions and exhibitions to international live acts, meetings, gala dinners, or televised entertainment, across our three facilities: OVO Hydro, SEC

Armadillo and SEC Centre. We believe in a purpose that goes beyond events, visitors, and shareholders, via local and regional collaboration and leadership on issues of sustainability, waste and energy: as a herald and flag carrier for the great city of Glasgow.

SEC works in all senses - because today’s large multi-purpose venues are more than just visitor attractions, they are integral

Further, we are proud of the positive impact our campus has in the wider community. We bring more than 1.75 million visitors and a net economic impact of £354 million to Glasgow every year. We provide a venue for our industry colleagues through the Association of Event Venues’ (AEV) working groups, including the Event Managers Working Group, which I am delighted to chair. Aev.org.uk