Can you tell us about the ESA's Living Planet Symposium?

Once every three years, ESA brings together scientists from all over the world for the Living Planet Symposium. This year’s event was our biggest yet. Organised with the help of the UK Space Agency, there were 1,700 participants in attendance.

What were the aims of the Symposium?

The Symposium was set up to give scientists an opportunity to present their research and findings from working with ESA satellite data. At this event we also discussed future ESA satellite missions and the preparation of our new programmes, ranging from scientific research to Earth’s environment and climate monitoring.

Were there any challenges that the EICC helped you to overcome during the planning or delivery of the event?

The number of participants for our event was more than anticipated and the EICC was really helpful in accommodating the extra attendees. The overall management of the event was excellent and we were really impressed by the level of technical support we received.

Why did you choose to bring the Living Planet Symposium to Edinburgh?

Edinburgh is a great city in terms of how easy everything is to reach. The airport is close to the city centre and the train station is well located. Travelling to Edinburgh was easy for our delegates, and this was something that was very important to us.

How did you find the facilities at the EICC?

They were excellent. Considering the size of our Symposium, the technical aspect was excellent and we were particularly impressed by the new exhibition space. Also, the staff and level of service we received throughout the event was faultless.

What were the highlights of the Symposium?

The plenary session was, without a doubt, the highlight and we live webstreamed this part of the Symposium, which went perfectly well thanks to the EICC's excellent IT capacities.

Would you recommend the EICC to others?

The feedback we received from delegates was excellent, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the EICC.