It was the beginning of a process that would, among other achievements, create 600 jobs, plant 29,000 trees and shrubs, raise £15K for children’s charity Charlie House and create the largest hydrogen fuel cell installation in the UK.

Attracting life to Aberdeen through regeneration

Aberdeen City Council, aware that the city’s energy based economy was suffering due to the reduction of oil prices, was seeking additional ways to generate income and attract more cultural gatherings to the city.

The Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) had always been an economic contributor. It had been bringing in around £80m a year, and up to £140m during years when it was host to Offshore Europe, the leading European event in the oil and gas industry.

Built in 1985, however, the AECC was no longer considered fit for purpose. Faced with competition from venues like the SSE Hydro and the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, it was falling behind in attracting the large-scale conferences, concerts and events so vital to the city’s economy. The city needed a new venue that could compete on a national and international level, and one that would attract more activity and life to the Highlands region.