Ice little earner
Braehead curling event brings in a cool £750k
A welcome boost of almost £ 750,000 to Renfrewshire’s e conomy came thanks to the European Curling Championships, it has been revealed.
The event, which was staged at Braehead Arena in Renfrew, in November last year was a n-ice earner for the area.
Research commissioned by UK Sport set out an impressive benefit to Renfrewshire achieved through an increase in the collective spend of visitors on accommodation, transport, food and drink, shopping and other things for the duration of the tournament.
Retailers, hotel bosses and restaurant owners saw a direct benefit to their business thanks to an increased number of visitor.
The event saw 222 curlers from 27 nations take part in one of the top events in the curling calendar and it attracted 4,000 spectators across the eight- day competition.
The Championships were brought to the area with the aim of maximising the economic impact of the event locally and also profiling Renfrewshire to international audiences which will support Paisley’s bid for UK City of Culture 2021, which is due to be lodged within weeks.
The event was hosted in Renfrewshire with support from a number of funding partners including: the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, which is the national governing body for Scottish Curling; UK Sport through National Lottery Funding; EventScotland and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.
Bruce Crawford, CEO of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, said: “Scottish Curling were delighted to bring this prestigious World Curling event to Renfrewshire.
“It was a pleasure to host Europe’s top curlers in a region with such historical significance for the sport and a growing pedigree in event hosting.”
The European Curling Championships formed part of an exciting calendar of events last year, including the British Pipe Band Championships, the Scottish Album of the Year Awards and Paisley’s annual music and comedy festival The Spree.
This year will see those events return to Paisley along with many more, including the 30th Paisley Beer and Food Festival, and Weave - a festival running alongside the traditional Sma’ Shot Day, which is aimed at reconnecting Paisley with its weaving heritage as part of Scotland’s year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.
Jean Cameron, Paisley 2021 bid director, added: “As part our bid for UK City of Culture 2021, it is critical we showcase our ability to host large scale events in the area and the European Curling Championships are a key example of our capabilities.
“It proves that Paisley has the infrastructure to handle the size and scale of a significant European event.
“The Championships provided the Renfrewshire economy with a boost of almost three quarters of a million pounds, which is indicative of what winning the UK City of Culture could achieve by hosting a series of high-profile events during 2021.”
“The prestigious title would act as a catalyst for economic and social regeneration and we’re determined to ensure there is a lasting impact for Paisley and Renfrewshire as a whole.”
Paisley’s bid is due to be submitted to organisers at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport by April 28.
Further information on Paisley’s bid and how to support it can be found on www.Paisley2021.co.uk