Held with the aim of fostering collaboration and understanding among stakeholders invested in the city's Business Events, the gathering provided a platform for attendees to explore how best to work together to deliver impact from conferences taking place in Glasgow in 2026.

With a commitment to enhancing the city's standing as a leading destination for academic association meetings, the Glasgow Convention Bureau's Impact Network promises to grow social impact from future conferences.

In 2025, the Glasgow Conference Impact Network successfully delivered 9 impact events across a wide range of subject areas; from Allergy to Engineering, from Mental Health to Digestive Health, engaging over 4000 locals.

Aileen Crawford, Head of Glasgow Convention Bureau said: “In 2024 we launched the Glasgow Conference Impact Network that brought Team Glasgow together to maximise the positive long-term impacts of academic conferences taking place in our city. Today, the Impact Network are the Convention Bureau’s go-to experts to help and advise the future delivery of social impact aligned to conferences being held in Glasgow in 2026.”

Attendees included representatives from across the academic community, charities, professional conference organisers and conference venues, all keen to find out how they can support conference impact and legacy activities linked to academic meetings taking place in Glasgow.

The group of over 40 members of the Conference Impact Network heard from the Director of the Glasgow Science Festival, Dr Deborah McNeill and William McGowan-Smith, Head of Partnerships & Business Development at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. Both speakers shared how they worked with association meetings to support their ‘good work’ in the city.

Dr Deborah McNeill said: “The Glasgow Conference Impact Network brings together people with a variety of diverse ideas and approaches from an incredible range of organisations. We are here to ensure that community needs are at the heart of any social impact delivered in our city. We are proud to help associations who meet in Glasgow to deliver positive outcomes”

The Network look forward to working together on future conferences to leave a lasting and positive impact in the city.