Sponsors, Partners & Exhibitors

We’re the custodians of Scotland’s canals – a vital part of our nation’s rich heritage, contributing to Scottish life for 250 years.

Scottish Canals is responsible to the Scottish Government for the management and development of five Scottish canals as well as the surrounding estate and The Falkirk Wheel.

The Forth & Clyde, Union and  Monkland canals in the Lowlands, the Crinan Canal in Argyll and the Caledonian Canal in the Highlands, together extend over 137 miles from coast to coast, across country and into the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.

The Forth & Clyde, Union, Monkland, Caledonian and Crinan canals are recognised as Scheduled Monuments and attract 22 million visits each year.

www.scottishcanals.co.uk

Mackenzie Construction Ltd

Mackenzie Construction Ltd is a Civil Engineering, Structural Repairs and Refurbishment Contractor. We have a strong client focus and work collaboratively to provide solutions and achieve goals.  We strive to deliver a quality product within a safe working environment.

Mackenzie Construction Ltd

Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016

2016 has been designated as a year in which Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design will be showcased and celebrated with a programme of activity aimed at supporting  and driving the nation’s tourism and events sector.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016 is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland and supported by partners Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016

AECOM

AECOM is built to deliver a better world. We design, build, finance and operate infrastructure assets for governments, businesses and organisations in more than 150 countries. As a fully integrated firm, we connect knowledge and experience across our global network of experts to help clients solve their most complex challenges. From high-performance water and transportation infrastructure schemes, to resilient communities and environments, our work is transformative, differentiated and vital.

AECOM

igloo Regeneration

We are the UK’s leading responsible real estate business working with investors, communities, local authorities and landowners who want to make the world better one place at a time. igloo believes in doing well by doing good. We fund, deliver and animate great Places. Great for People and for the Planet.

igloo Regeneration

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is an ambitious organisation with a unique remit that integrates economic and community development. We work in a diverse region which extends from Shetland to Argyll, and from the Outer Hebrides to Moray, covering more than half of Scotland’s land mass. We are the Scottish Government’s economic and community development agency for the north and west of Scotland. Our purpose is to generate sustainable economic growth across the Highlands and Islands.

We want the Highlands and Islands to be a highly successful and competitive region in which increasing numbers of people choose to live, work, study and invest.

Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE)

Sustrans is the charity that’s enabling people to travel by foot, bike or public transport for more of the journeys we make every day.

We’re a leading UK charity enabling people to travel by foot, bike or public transport for more of the journeys we make every day. We work with families, communities, policy-makers and partner organisations so that people are able to choose healthier, cleaner and cheaper journeys, with better places and spaces to move through and live in.

It’s time we all began making smarter travel choices. Make your move and support Sustrans today.

www.sustrans.org.uk

Peter Brett Associates

Peter Brett Associates is an independent multi-disciplinary practice. Our advice creates value from the land, infrastructure and buildings owned or operated by our clients. We know the economic,  environmental and development opportunities canal improvement can bring to the areas they go through. Over the last 20 years and more, we have worked with Scottish Canals, the Canal & Rivers Trust, local authorities and the private sector. On projects like the Falkirk Helix, our economics, transport, civil engineering and environmental expertise has been applied in canal corridors across the UK to support restorations, tourism and housing development, business cases and strategy development.

Peter Brett Associates

Loch Ness by Jacobite

Loch Ness by Jacobite has won numerous awards for Excellence on a national stage including Quality Scotland Best Small Business and two VisitScotland Thistle Awards including one for customer service.

No tour of Scotland is complete without a visit to Loch Ness and no visit to Loch Ness is complete without Jacobite. Carrying over 200,000 visitors per annum we have given visitors the full Loch Ness experience for the past 30 years and nobody knows this place like we do. Our five-star cruises offer the highest standards of Highland hospitality. There simply is no better way to experience the landscape, the loch and the legends.

Explore Loch Ness by Jacobite

Historic Environment Scotland

Historic Environment Scotland is the lead public body established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment.

We lead and enable Scotland’s first historic environment strategy Our Place in Time, which sets out how our historic environment will be managed. It ensures our historic environment is cared for, valued and enhanced, both now and for future generations.

We’re a non-departmental public body with charitable status. We’re governed by a Board of Trustees, who were appointed by Scottish Ministers.

We’re responsible for more than 300 properties of national importance. Buildings and monuments in our care include Edinburgh Castle, Skara Brae, Fort George and numerous smaller sites, which together draw more than 3 million visitors per year.

We’re also responsible for internationally significant collections including more than 5 million drawings, photographs, negatives and manuscripts, along with 20 million aerial images of locations across the world.

We invest about £14 million a year in national and local organisations, supporting building repairs, ancient monuments, archaeological work, the Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme and the voluntary sector.

Our conservation experts provide guidance, training and technical research into Scotland’s built environment. Through our outreach programme, we promote community and individual learning engagement with Scotland’s heritage. We contribute to the Scottish Government’s strategy to tackle climate change and reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint.

Historic Environment Scotland

VisitInvernessLochNess

VisitInvernessLochNess is the first Tourism Business Improvement District (BID) in the UK. Established in March 2013 and with over 450 member businesses, the goals of the organisation are to increase visitor numbers to the Inverness and Loch Ness area, increase the level of spend and length of stay, improve the visitor experience and in doing so create a more sustainable local tourism industry.

To achieve the goals VisitInvernessLochNess has six objectives 1) to better market and promote the area, particularly in the shoulder months 2) to attract more conferences and business tourism all year round 3) to promote and support existing and new sustainable events and festivals 4) to work with partners to improve the local tourism infrastructure 5) to provide business development opportunities for members 6) to act as a strong voice on local and national matters of concern to members

www.visitinvernesslochness.com

Inverness Common Good Fund

The World Canals Conference 2016 has been supported by the Inverness Common Good Fund.

Millions of pounds in rent payments collected from businesses on Common Good Land throughout the historic burghs of Scotland make up the Common Good Funds which are used for projects that benefit communities. The Inverness Common Good Fund is administered by The Highland Council.

Inverness Common Good Fund

Inverness Business Improvement District Ltd

Inverness BID Ltd has been established to work with all the stakeholders in the Inverness City Centre in developing a strong and successful trading environment to enable all businesses within the BID area to maximise their potential.

Inverness BID is a ‘not for profit‘ company representing retailers, pubs and clubs, hotels, offices and property owners in the Inverness City Centre BID (Business Improvement District) area.  Our remit is to develop a strong, successful environment in the BID area which enables all businesses within the City Centre to maximise their trading potential.

www.invernessbid.co.uk

Air France and KLM

Air France and KLM, together with partner airlines, offer one of the largest worldwide networks.

Visit www.airfranceklm-globalmeetings.com to access attractive discounts on a wide range of fares on all Air France and KLM flights to help ensure your journey to the event is a seamless, comfortable and enjoyable experience. Book now using Event ID: 27428AF.

www.airfranceklm-globalmeetings.com

IWI brings together people and organisations who support the conservation, use, development and proper management of inland waterways worldwide. It aims to raise public awareness of the benefits of using waterways for a wide range of activities, from inland water transport to cruising, towpath walking and other recreational uses, as well as appreciating their architectural and landscape values as heritage. It also promotes restoration, where appropriate, of waterways which have become derelict.

Its membership includes leading navigation authorities, as well as voluntary bodies, museums and commercial companies. Individual members include both users and experts in the various disciplines.

All have a keen interest in both the history and the modern significance of inland waterways for commercial carrying and recreational use. Today the membership covers 20 countries from around the world.

Inland Waterways International

Inverness College UHI

Inverness College UHI is one of the largest partners of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).  Through a partnership with 12 other colleges and internationally renowned research centres, we are making it easier for people to study high quality further and higher education across the region. Our vast selection of courses, from national certificates to post graduate degrees, are taught to over 6,500 full-time and part-time students.

Inverness College UHI

Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition

The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition is a 5-star visitor attraction, and proud winners and finalists of the Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards Best Visitor Experience 2011-15.  The Exhibition has been developed into seven themed areas that tell the story, its mystery and everything about Loch Ness that you can’t see by looking at it – all in 11 languages & 17 translations.

2016 saw the introduction of an immersive theatrically interactive style throughout the Exhibition, and newer exhibits include a Pliosaur skull, the John Cobb Crusader, a Loch Ness Wellington Bomber plane and many new special effects.  We have a wide range of shops, a café , hotel and bistro, lots of on-site parking and we can also offer cruises on the Loch.

www.lochness.com

Pickering’s Gin

Pickering’s gin is based on an original Bombay recipe, handwritten on a fragment of paper dated 17 July 1947.  Kept as a family secret for over 66 years, it only resurfaced in 2013 when we (Matt and Marcus) began distilling at Summerhall.

We have now fine-tuned the recipe, perfecting its balance of botanicals and tweaking it to the contemporary palate.  The result is a spectacularly smooth, refreshing and flavoursome gin.

www.pickeringsgin.com

Award Winning Small Group Tours

Rabbie’s multi-award winning small group tour offers an extensive programme around Scotland. With departures from Edinburgh and Glasgow, our tours visit the very best of Scotland, including the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Loch Ness, Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Oban, Isle of Skye, Islay, Mull, Inverness, Iona, Orkney, Scottish Borders, Rosslyn Chapel, Stirling and the Outer Hebrides.

Small groups mean you can discover the real country, get off the beaten track and onto the back roads where other tours cannot go. Touring with no more than 16 passengers gives you more – more personal attention, more time with the locals, more time off the bus, more time on the back-roads and just more of an all-round memorable experience!

Rabbies Trail Burners Ltd

Red Bull Neptune Steps comes to Glasgow’s canal

The toughest open-water swimming race in the UK will return to Glasgow in April, featuring 200 open water swimmers all set to take on the challenge of swimming uphill.

Red Bull Neptune Steps challenges elite endurance athletes in an adventure race like no other, swimming through 420 metres of cold water, climbing 18 metres over eight canal lock gates, and pushing participants to their limits in a true test of speed, strength, and resolve.

The event launched last year as the first ever fully supervised swimming event to take place in a Scottish canal featuring some of the toughest and most experienced swimmers brave enough to take on the challenging course and water temperatures.

www.redbull.co.uk/neptunesteps

Scottish Segway Centre

The Scottish Segway Centre provides off – road guided tours to the top of the Falkirk Wheel and beyond! Our expert guides will lead you through the basic skills you’ll need to explore winding woodland paths and hidden tracks so you can discover some of the breathtaking views and historic scenery around our majestic site.

Segway is a wonderful family activity and something that all generations can enjoy together. There are few other things to do that give delight to children, parents and grandparents – all at the same time!

Our guides are friendly, relaxed and skilled.  They also know the best routes and the secret paths, so you will get the most out of your Segway experience!

Scottish Segway Centre

Creating brighter futures for the people, communities and wildlife of Scotland

From the water to the banks and beyond, we undertake innovative canal-based projects that create a brighter future for the people, communities and wildlife of Scotland.

We help young people gain the skills and confidence to find work; bring vibrancy, life and opportunities to some of the nation’s most disadvantaged communities; encourage people to get active and improve their health and mental wellbeing; and safeguard and improve the rich heritage and environments of Scotland’s canals.

Since the Trust was established over a decade ago, we’ve raised and invested more than £10 million in hundreds of pioneering projects and inspired over 120,000 people to create a brighter future for themselves, their community and Scotland’s waterways.

www.scottishwaterwaystrust.org.uk

Tomatin Distillery

Established in 1897, Tomatin Distillery is a producer and blender of Highland Single Malt Whisky. The smooth rounded hills sheltering the distillery reflect the softer side of nature in a quiet corner of the Highlands.  Bubbling pure spring water, tender barley and gentle patience all go into creating a deliciously light and fruity malt. Recently voted Distiller of the Year 2016, the company has worked hard over the years to build the brand and now exports to over 50 markets worldwide.

Legacy Single Malt

Time in Bourbon barrels and Virgin Oak casks brings a light sweetness to The Tomatin Legacy, which boasts aromas of vanilla, marshmallow, pineapple and lemon. On the palate gentle flavours of candy, pine, lemon sherbet, apples and sponge cake emerge ahead of a light, clean finish.

www.tomatin.com