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• 29 April 2010

  LAMPKIN AND MACASKILL LAUNCH THE 2010 SPEA FIM TRIAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AT FORT WILLIAM

  

  Red Bull two wheel athletes (twelve times motorcycle Trials World Champion) Dougie Lampkin and (You Tube Street Trials phenomenon) Danny MacAskill joined forces today (Thursday 29 April 2010), in Edinburgh, to mark the final count down to the UK leg of the 2010 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship; to be staged at Nevis Range, Fort William, in the Outdoor Capital of the UK, from 25 - 27 June 2010.

  The FIM Trial World Championship is the most important and the best motorcycle trial competition series on the international calendar.  It is the first year since 1992 that Scotland has hosted a stage of this prestigious World Championship series; and will see seven other Grand Prix events being hosted in Spain, Portugal, Japan, France, San Marino, Italy and the Czech Republic. 

  Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency, said:  'Nevis Range is one of Scotland's most iconic landscapes and will, without doubt, provide a sensational backdrop for the SPEA FIM Trials World Championship.  This is the absolute pinnacle of motorcycle trials competition and the event will attract thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to the Scottish Highlands as well as competitors from around the world and their supporters.  The Trials will also enjoy massive global broadcast which will showcase Scotland's unrivalled scenery, enthusiastic supporters and fantastic terrain for adrenalin sports to millions.'

  Category: Motorsport
• 28 April 2010

  Glasgow Smiles better than ever before

  

  More acts, more tickets, more comedy fans and much more laughter – the Magners Glasgow International Comedy Festival has had its most successful year ever.

  Bucking the trend of the economic downturn and proving that people love to laugh, festival organisers have reported a bumper year for the city’s much loved event.

  2010 marked the eighth year of the festival, with a record 379 events over 19 days (11-29 March). This year’s event had more tickets available than ever before – a whopping 111,500 – and sales were up 8% year-on-year.

  So popular was this year’s festival that a host of extra shows were added to the programme to meet demand, with eager comedy lovers snapping up tickets to bonus performances from the likes of Lee Mack, Jimmy Carr and Frankie Boyle.

  Tommy Sheppard, Director of the Scottish Comedy Agency, the company behind the festival, said: “Each year the festival just keeps getting bigger and better and these results underline its status as not only the biggest all-round entertainment event in Glasgow covering all forms of comedy including stand-up, sketch, music, theatre, puppetry, poetry, films, animation and workshops, but also the biggest festival solely dedicated to comedy in Europe.”

  Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency, said: “Magners Glasgow International Comedy Festival has grown significantly over the past eight years to become one of the most well attended and highly acclaimed comedy festivals in the UK.  EventScotland has supported the Comedy Festival since 2007 and these fantastic results reinforce the festival’s standing as a world-class cultural event.”  

  With advance ‘taster’ showcases for the festival held in both London and New York, the international aspect of the event continued to go from strength to strength in 2010 with acts from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Ireland journeying to Glasgow to take part.

  The festival also continued its strong commitment to help nurture local and emerging talents, with a host of both up-and-coming and well established Scottish and UK talent stepping up to the mic.  

  With a fellow Glaswegian (Billy Connolly) being named at the top of two recent polls to find the public’s favourite stand-up comedian, the news of another successful year for the Magners Glasgow International Comedy Festival proves that Glasgow really is ‘smiles better’!

  Category: International Events
• 28 April 2010

  Whisky Festival launches to news of record exports and growing visitor numbers

  

  Scotland’s whisky distilleries have tasted a ‘golden era’ of success in the build up to one of Europe’s largest whisky festivals.  And the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is set to bring an international flavour to the area as it gets ready to host thousands of visitors from around the world from Thursday, 29th April for a five day ‘dramfest’.

  As it enters its 11th year, the Festival is celebrating the news that global exports of Scotch whisky reached record levels in 2009, despite the economic downturn, and that visitor numbers to Scotland’s whisky distilleries also increased.

  Figures published recently by the Scotch Whisky Association reveal exports rose by 3% in value to £3.13billion, contributing £99 every second to the UK trade balance.  The equivalent of 1.1billion 70cl bottles of whisky is being shipped abroad, and Scotch whisky is enjoying success in France and the United States, with Brazil and South Africa both significant emerging markets in 2009.

  Advance bookings for over 270 events to be staged during the Festival have proved particularly attractive to visitors form UK, Norway, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, United States and Denmark.  And Festival organisers report interest from as far afield as Singapore, Czech Republic, Japan, Russia, UAE and India.

  Festival Chairman Jim Royan said: “Whisky is the cornerstone of the Moray economy and local tourism, and the Festival celebrates the importance of the Speyside whisky industry not just economically, but also socially and culturally to Moray and to Scotland. 

  “The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has gone from strength to strength since its inception 11 years ago, and this year looks set to be another major success, offering our visitors a great opportunity to celebrate – and sample – Scotland’s national drink.”

  Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer of EventScotland, the national events agency said: “Spirit of Speyside is the biggest whisky festival in Scotland and a key event for promoting the country as the home of whisky, which is even more apt this year as Scotland celebrates the Year of Food and Drink.

  “Whisky was one of the key themes of Homecoming Scotland 2009, and as a result brought the focus back on one of Scotland’s greatest exports which is evident from the record sales last year.  EventScotland is delighted to be supporting the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival for the sixth consecutive year and looks forward to yet another fantastic festival.”

  Category: International Events