Scotland in 2014: A year like no other

Playing host to the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup would be enough for any year. But it won’t just be sport that provides some of the year’s most iconic stories and images.

The 50th anniversary of the Forth Road Bridge, the unveiling of a 130-mile national pathway to honour conservationist John Muir and the centenary of the start of the First World War will all take centre-stage.

Then there is the extra political spice provided by the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn and a certain independence referendum.

With multiple marketing campaigns and PR strategies already up and running, Visit-Scotland is attempting to co-
ordinate promotional efforts.

The £6 million Homecoming 2014 campaign already includes more than 430 events, with hundreds still to be confirmed as part of a year-long cultural programme for the Commonwealth Games.

Even lower-profile signature events look enticing – Scotland’s biggest ever celebration of visual art, which will be staged the length and breadth of the country, the most significant national celebration of whisky ever and a two-month showcase of Highland culture.

After the Ryder Cup roadshow packs up from Perthshire, the countdown will well and truly be on to arguably the most star-studded event of them all, the MTV Europe Music Awards, which are being staged in Glasgow for the first time. There is also speculation the year will be rounded off with the BBC Sports Personality of the Year being held at the Hydro in Glasgow in December.

Paul Bush, chief executive at EventScotland, said: “From our key assets such as Celtic Connections and the Edinburgh Festivals and Hogmanay to the major one-off events including the MTV Europe Music Award, the John Muir Festival and the Commonwealth Games cultural programme, 2014 really is set to be the biggest year so far for Scotland’s events industry.”

Pete Irvine, who has been involved in staging major events in Scotland since its first outdoor music festival in 1979, said the country will never again host another year like 2014.

Mr Irvine, who is masterminding the main Bannockburn 700 celebrations, said: “It is amazing how many events are on in 2014. It really is the peak. We were using the phrase ‘Scotland’s big year starts here’ in our Hogmanay marketing, as never again will there by a year like it. It is a very rare occurrence for any country.

“It is the combination of circumstances, the climate and also to do with the politics. The Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup are globally broadcast and the referendum is of huge interest around world.”

The Homecoming campaign is aimed at generating extra revenue for the tourism industry, over and above what would be achieved anyway through the Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games.

A three-day Bannockburn festival and the MTV awards have both won substantial public funding, to the tune of £400,000 and £1m respectively. Separately, the new SSE Hydro in Glasgow, which will host MTV’s event, will be staging a gala opening concert for the Ryder Cup, which has been awarded at least £1.2m.

However at the time of writing, the entire Homecoming programme already features more than 430 events at the time of writing, 21 more than ended up in the last campaign.

Caroline Packman, the director of Homecoming 2014 at VisitScotland, said: “The key thing about Homecoming is it is not just about the Central Belt or Perthshire or one peak of activity from the end of July to the end of September.

“First and foremost, we are trying to bring additional tourism revenue to Scotland, we are not really including events like the Commonwealth Games or Ryder Cup, which would be happening anyway this year.

“All our funding assessments are based on the best return on investment for the money we are putting in. But we also want Homecoming to held build events capacity in Scotland and looking to the longer term. We don’t just want a flash in the pan and then a decline in future years.”

Ms Packman and her team have a target of generating £44 million in extra tourism revenue from the tourism campaign - compared to the £54 million said to have been delivered in 2009, with £10 million alone claimed to have come from a controversial clan gathering in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park.

She said: “When we surveyed event organisers after 2009, around 90 per cent said they would be keen to be involved in something similar and 71 per cent of tourism businesses said they saw a direct business from Homecoming.”

Mr Irvine, whose company Unique Events won the contract to run the three-day Bannockburn Live festival, is wary of commenting on the previous Year of Homecoming.

Then, the centrepiece clan gathering in Edinburgh failed to attract its expected overseas audience and suffered a financial collapse, leaving a trail of debt.

He said: “It depends how you measure success. The Gathering was very controversial and it was the main event of that year, but there were lots of events around it. Whenever you spread stuff around a lot, it is in danger of being diluted.

“The Year of Homecoming is throughout Scotland, so it’s important to focus on certain things and fund them properly so they make an impact and from what I can see that is happening this year. It’s also a question of how it’s all marketed and how the public see that.”

As with the London Olympics, there is already plenty of discussion and debate about what the legacy of major events being held this year will be.

For Ms Packman, the 12-month programme represents a huge opportunity to “enhance Scotland’s image on the international stage”. She added: “While clearly we want to boost tourism in 2014, it’s about looking beyond that as well. We think the whole year will help to get across that Scotland is a vibrant, happening, contemporary place.”

Paul Bush added: “It is important for us to continue to look forward and to ensure that there is a legacy from 2014.

“We have worked hard over the past 12 months to ensure that come 2015, we continue to have a world-class events portfolio, which will include the Turner Prize alongside three World Championship and two European Championship level sports events.

“While we continue to deliver throughout 2014 we will continue our work to ensure that in 2015 and beyond we retain our position as the perfect stage for events.”

Events programme ‘will complement Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games’

ORGANISERS of the Commonwealth Games and Creative Scotland are masterminding a nationwide programme of events which will complement the sporting spectacle in Glasgow next summer.

They have pledged that the nine-month programme of events will reach ever corner of the country, with theatre, dance, live music, visual arts, storytelling, film and comedy events being staged in theatres, community centres, parks, gardens, art galleries and previously derelict buildings.

Poet Liz Lochhead, actor Tam Dean Burn, singer-songwriter Aidan Moffat, actress and theatre director Cora Bissett, playwright Kieran Hurley, author Louise Welsh and violinist Nicola Benedetti are among the artists working on ambitious one-off projects.

A major strand of the programme, Festival 2014, will be focused on Glasgow itself while the sporting events are taking place, with entertainment expected to be laid on at three “live sites” at Glasgow Green, the Merchant City and the revamped Kelvingrove Bandstand. The BBC is creating a pop-up venue on the Clyde Waterfront.

Highlights in Glasgow include Perch, which will see spectacular shows will unfold above and among the crowds in the Merchant City as aerial artists, choirs, orchestras and street performers deploy some of the area’s most historic buildings.

The Tin Forest, an eight-month National Theatre of Scotland project, will culminate in the transformation of a forgotten industrial landmark on the banks of the Clyde, the South Rotunda, into a pop-up arts venue which will play host to shows inspired by Glasgow’s industrial heritage.

Eileen Gallagher, chair of the Glasgow 2014 Ceremonies, Culture and Queen’s Baton Relay Committee, said: “The Commonwealth Games cultural programme is bringing together performers and organisations in a once in a lifetime celebration of culture taking place across Scotland.

“The breadth and depth of the programme is extraordinary, its scale is unprecedented for this country. It sees new creative partnerships being formed in Scotland and internationally and provides fantastic opportunities for people from communities throughout Scotland to access events and performances and be part of the Commonwealth Games.”

Scottish culture secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “2014 is set to be an exciting and historic year-long celebration of Scotland’s culture and heritage.

“Not only will the eyes of the world be focused upon this country for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup, our Homecoming activities will showcase our fantastic food and drink, our great outdoors and our unique culture and heritage.

“Add to that the huge variety of cultural events and exhibitions that will form the cultural programme for the Commonwealth Games and which will take place all around Scotland – I expect there to be something for everyone to be part of and enjoy.

“We look forward to people from across the world joining us to spectate, celebrate and participate in what will definitely be a year to remember.”

2014 - A full guide

JANUARY