Your invitation to the Scotland's Towns Conference 2011: Think Local - Act Local!

 

The only conference and exhibition in the UK to focus on the national and local issues faced by Scotland's towns. Scotland’s Towns Conference, is a once-a-year chance to connect with those responsible for managing, influencing, developing and promoting Scotland’s towns and town centres.  Our audience includes Business Improvement Districts, Development Trusts, Council economic development, planning and regeneration departments, Community councils and representatives, Scottish Government, Councillors, MSPs, Town Centre Management Companies, FSB, Scottish Small Towns Group, Centre for Scottish Public Policy, Economic Development Association Scotland, civil engineering companies, property developers, consultants, academics, Urban Regeneration Companies, architects, events and markets promoters...

 

From the impact of the big economic challenges, to communities doing it for themselves -  this year's conference addresses local issues and local solutions. 

 

The whole day is filled with first class speakers and engaging activities designed to bring you lots of opportunities for networking and ideas-exchange.

 

If you live, work and play in a town, or if it's your job to improve Scotland's towns and make them better, then you need to be at Scotland's Towns Conference.

 

Programme

0845 - 0915 Optional Pre-conference walkabout

0900 Scotland’s Town Square Exhibition
Visit our bustling Town Square – a hive of activity, information & innovation for your town.

Welcome & Introduction
0950 Conference Chair: Ross Martin, Director, Centre for Scottish Public Policy 

Ministerial Address
1000 Aileen Campbell MSP, Minister for Local Government and Planning

The Big Picture: State of the Economy
1015 George Kerevan, Economist, Journalist & Politician

The Local Picture: Meeting the Challenges and Delivering Change in the Local Economy
1035 Councillor Tony Martin, Fife Council, followed by George Pye, Associate Director, Thinking Place

Ross Martin, In Conversation with...

1105 Chair, Ross Martin, in conversation with George Kerevan, Councillor Tony Martin & George Pye, on town current affairs. [questions will be accepted ahead of the conference or by the audience on the day]

Scotland's Town Square Exhibition

1125 Visit our bustling Town Square - a hive of activity, information & innovation for your town.

Coffee & Muffins will be served

Fresh Thinking for Local Partnerships & Community Engagement
1200 1. Development Trusts
Overview: Wendy Reid, Development Officer (South), DTA Scotland                        Case Study - Neilston: Wendy Reid, Development Officer (South), DTA Scotland

1230 2. Business Improvement Districts
Overview: Ian Davison Porter, Director,  Business Improvement Districts Scotland
Case Study - Embrace Elgin: Embrace Elgin Chair, David Urquhart, Joint Managing Director, Gordon & MacPhail, The World's Leading Malt Whisky Specialist

Scotland's Town Square Exhibition

1300 Visit our bustling Town Square - a hive of activity, information & innovation for your town.

Lunch will be served

1340 Town Square Speakers Corner [in exhibition area]
“O Yeah, O Yeah…Calling all Towns Innovators, Thinkers & Experts” - Our Town Crier, Alastair Mitchell, Falkirk BID Manager, looks forward to hearing your top town ideas and priorities for surviving & thriving. All ideas will go onto our Top Town Ideas Board. Audience favourites will be announced at the end of the day.

How to Survive & Thrive!

1400 Scotland’s Towns Have Got Talent
Talent show host, Ross Martin , introduces Scotland’s town innovators.  Each ‘act’ has 3 minutes to pitch an idea or priority for surviving & thriving.  You get to cross examine and vote on each act.  These will go onto our Top Town Ideas Board. Audience favourites will be announced at the end of the day.

Featuring:

Sam Crawford, BID Consultant, Enterprising Bathgate

Mary Goodman, Senior Policy Adviser, FSB Scotland

Fionna Kell, Strategic Investment Zone Manager, EDI Group/City of Edinburgh Council

Diarmaid Lawlor, Head of Urbanism, Architecture + Design Scotland

Aidan Murphy, Director Dublin, iGuide Mobile Applications Ltd

Scotland's Town Square Exhibition

1440 Visit our bustling Town Square - a hive of activity, information & innovation for your town.

Coffee & Biscuits will be served

Think Local – Act Local!
1500 Keeping it Local –  Supply & Demand
Arthur Potts Dawson, Co- Founder, The People's Supermarket - as seen on Channel 4

1520 Addressing the Effects of Out of Town on 'Downtown'

Heather Fargo, Executive Policy Officer for the State of California's Strategic Growth Council, and former Mayor of Sacramento, California.

1550 Question Time

1600 Scotland's Towns Partnership - supporting you to act local

Ian Lindley, Chair of Scotland's Towns Partnership

1615 Scotland's Towns Partnership Announces your Top 5 Town Ideas
Ross Martin with Ian Lindley, Chair of Scotland's Towns Partnership

1625 Closing Summary - Ross Martin

1630 Close

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