Club to cash in on Scots events

Alex Salmond was in Stirling to launch the initiative

A scheme designed to help Scottish firms capitalise on major events such as the Year of Homecoming and the 2014 Commonwealth Games has been launched.

First Minister Alex Salmond said BusinessClub Scotland would enable companies to benefit from the economic opportunities of the events.

The initiative, funded by the Scottish Government, is part of a six-point recovery plan for the Scottish economy.

Mr Salmond was speaking to business representatives in Stirling.

He said the scheme, led by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, carried the support of all of the major business organisations in Scotland.

Mr Salmond said the key objectives of BusinessClub Scotland would be to improve business competitiveness, build supply chain networks, facilitate procurement around events and extend the reach of existing networks.

'Evolving portfolio'

He said it would also provide direct business engagement and targeted networking at events and help develop expertise in event management and delivery.

Speaking in Stirling he said: "There are great opportunities for businesses to supply services to events, to showcase their products and to make national and international contacts through targeted networking opportunities.

"Glasgow 2014 alone will be spending up to �200m on goods and services in the run up to the Games, and we want businesses based here in Scotland, and employing local people, to be in as strong a position as possible to be successful in winning these contracts."

Mr Salmond said BusinessClub Scotland was modelled on a similar initiative in Australia which had helped local companies secure more than 70 contracts for the Beijing Olympics.

Dr Lesley Sawers, chief executive of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, who will chair BusinessClub Scotland, said: "BusinessClub Scotland aims to create a 'Team Scotland' approach - ensuring that our companies are fully supported to take advantage of the commercial opportunities generated by Scotland's world-class events programme.

"There is a huge prize for Scotland's economy if we can seize the opportunity to deliver a real and lasting legacy from our events calendar."

Paul Bush, chief operating officer of EventScotland said: "Scotland has a world leading events industry and over the past six years EventScotland has worked with partners to secure an impressive and evolving portfolio of events.

"BusinessClub Scotland will allow us to further capitalise on this success."