Supplier FAQs
If your question cannot be answered by this FAQ document, please contact the VisitScotland Connect 2023 Team and a member of the team will be happy to assist.
This FAQ document is divided into the following categories:
Event Registration
Event Days & Appointment Schedules
Top Tips - How to make the most of VisitScotland Connect 2023
When does the event take place?
VisitScotland Connect 2023 will be taking place at the P&J Live Aberdeen on April 19 and 20.
Wednesday, April 19 from 09:00-17:00 BST
Thursday, April 20 from 09:00-16:00 BST
Who can take part in this event?
Scottish tourism businesses that are offering a tourism product that can be contracted at trade rates. Eligible businesses must either be based in Scotland or have a Scottish office. They will also need to have staff at hand that is experienced in working with UK and international trade Buyers, and have a listing on www.visitscotlandtraveltrade.com
DMOs and local authorities interested in registering will need to have staff that are experienced in working with UK and international travel trade and can fully represent the destination. Eligible DMOs will need to up to date with their region and businesses who are trade-ready and be fully prepared to engage with Buyers to help develop relevant programmes for the Buyers' clients for the regions.
Spaces for Scottish Suppliers are limited and we anticipate a high level of interest so please note your interest now.
All Buyers are subject to approval by our market teams. Criteria for Buyer attendance is that they are a contractor or product developer.
How much does it cost to attend?
The attendance fee for Scottish Suppliers to join VisitScotland Connect 2023 with up to two representatives is £1,800 +VAT, payable in full prior to the event commencing.
What if I don't qualify to attend?
You can schedule a 1:1 online meeting through your Industry Relationship Manager.
How do I register?
Are you running a waiting list?
Yes. To qualify for the waiting list, you will need to have a listing on our travel trade site and have attended VisitScotland Expo or Discover Scotland before. You will also need to have staff at hand that are experienced in working with UK and international trade Buyers. Please note that, due to high demand, we are not expecting many spaces to become available for businesses on our waiting list.
Event Days & Appointment Schedules
My event registration was approved. What do I do next?
We will be in touch shortly with further information on how to update your Supplier profile on the Supplier Portal.
Your meeting diary is open for you to request 1:1 meetings with Buyers. Suppliers must keep up to date with e-mails you receive from EventsAir or VisitScotland Connect 2023 to ensure you are aware of all reminders and actions required for Scottish Suppliers.
How do I make an appointment?
Both Buyers and Scottish Suppliers can request appointments. Meeting diaries are now open and instructions on how to request and accept meetings with Buyers shared.
How many meeting diaries are there?
There is one meeting diary per Scottish Supplier.
How many staff members can attend from one business?
Up to two staff members can attend from one business. If you are wanting to register a second staff member, this can be managed via the Supplier Portal.
How long is an appointment?
Every appointment is scheduled to last 15 minutes. The event programme will be available in due course.
How many appointments can I expect to receive?
Please get in touch with the VisitScotland Connect 2023 Event Team if you need support in finding the right contacts.
Can I show videos in my appointment?
For those that are meeting new contacts, you may find it helpful to bring a laptop or mobile device with you to support your pitch to the Buyer. Focusing on a personal 1:1 conversation will allow you to find out more about what the Buyer is looking for and answer any questions you or the Buyer may have. The event venue might also be quite noisy, which can impact video quality.
Can Suppliers meet with other Scottish-based businesses?
Yes, Scottish Suppliers can request an appointment with another Supplier.
However, we recommend that Suppliers use appointment slots to meet with Buyers and catch up with other Scottish-based businesses during coffee and lunch breaks.
Can Suppliers meet someone from a market team?
Yes, Scottish Suppliers can request to speak to a Market Manger if need be.
However, we recommend that Suppliers use their time to meet with Buyers. If you want to meet with someone from our Market Team, please reach out to the VisitScotland Connect 2023 Event Team and we can arrange this for you out with the live event.
Can Suppliers bring pop-up banners with them?
No, due to space and logistics of the workshop format there is no room for Scottish Suppliers to bring pop-ups with them. If you do bring a pop-up our events team will remove it.
What additional content will be available as part of this event?
You will be able to access digital presentations on key themes, such as global travel trends, responsible travel, market updates and online bookability.
How do I access the additional content?
More information on the full event programme will be shared shortly.
Will you offer fam trips to Buyers and how can I take part in this?
Yes, as part of VisitScotland Connect 2023 a fam trip programme will be offered to eligible Buyers. We will be in touch with attending Scottish Suppliers in due course to see in what way you might be able to showcase your product as fam trip host. Please note that due to the expected volume of businesses requesting to support a fam trip, unfortunately due to logistics and timings we are not able to guarantee that all businesses will be able to be visited by Buyers.
Will I be able to charge my electronic devices at the event venue?
Access to electric charging points needs to be contracted directly with the P&J Live Aberdeen and is charged at a rate of approx. £100 per day. More information on this will be shared in due course.
Will there be any networking dinners I can take part in?
Yes, as part of VisitScotland Connect 2023 there will be market networking dinners offered (Short Haul and Long Haul) for which tickets can be obtained at extra charge. More information on this will be shared in due course.
Top Tips - How to make the most of VisitScotland Connect 2023
- Bring your own water bottle - as with all travel trade events, we know there will be a lot of talking. Tea and Coffee will be supplied at break times.
- The appointments are business meetings so prepare thoroughly and dress accordingly.
- Research the Buyers, who is the best fit for the consumer that is right for your business.
- Be prepared and put time aside as soon as the meeting diary becomes available to ensure you are maximising the opportunity this event offers, and you head into the event with plenty of pre-arranged appointments. There will be opportunity to meet Buyers at breaks and lunch, however, arranged appointments are vital for a successful event.
- Please remember to mute your mobile phone during appointments.
- Use the first couple of minutes of your appointment as your introduction, and start summarising at the end, giving yourself 3-4 minutes before the 15-minute cut off. Prepare an “Elevator Pitch” about your product or service and, after the event, make time for prompt personal follow-ups.
- Prepare to answer questions around how you specifically are recovering following the Covid-19 pandemic but try to stay focused and bring any wider discussion around Covid-19, EU Exit or other global challenges back to speaking about your own product or service offering.
- Remember Buyers are looking for reassurance that your product is of a high quality. You will be looking after their clients, so they will be looking for quality and reassurance that you can deliver this. It is vital that you deliver on those reassurances to build the relationship with the Buyers for continued future business.
- Do not be disappointed if the Buyer you are speaking to is not ready to contract your product in 2023 or 2024. They are facing the same challenges as you and will be carefully managing their recovery. Do not underestimate the opportunity of “touching base” conversations – relationship building is the core of future collaboration.