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Guests, including dignitaries, buyers, stakeholders and media from the events industry, enjoyed cocktails created specially by Glengoyne Whisky as part of a drinks reception, as well as the drinks brand hosting a tasting session. Individuals were then led into the main event space by a Scottish piper to enjoy an evening of traditional fare and hospitality.
The toast to the haggis was delivered by Stuart Hendry of Glengoyne Distillery, who directed nominated whisky champions to throw corks from 15-year-old whisky bottles into the crowd, and traditional fare, including a serving of haggis, neeps and tatties, was served to attendees on the night.
Tongue-in-cheek versions of the traditional ‘toast to the lassies’ and ‘lassies’ reply’ speeches were delivered by Michael Cavanagh, chairman of the Commonwealth Games Scotland, and Pauline Lafferty, HR director for the Weir Group.
To round off the evening attendees were encouraged to take part in a traditional Scottish ceilidh dance, with entertainment provided by Scottish rock ceilidh band Bahookie.
Kathleen Warden, director of conference sales at the SECC, said: "The SECC’s Burns Supper has become a staple in London’s events calendar and we really succeeded to add a unique, modern touch this year.
"It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to meet previous, existing and prospective clients in an informal way, tell them about Glasgow and the SECC, as well as enjoy some fantastic entertainment."
Dan Thurlow, SECC’s director of exhibition sales, added: "2014 was a fantastic year for the SECC with events such as Comic Con and BBC Good Food Show. 2015 is set to be a year of growth for the SECC with a number of high-profile events scheduled and significant planned investment in the building, so last night’s Burns Supper was a fantastic way to kick off the year and thank all our partners for their support in the past and for years to come."
The event was supported by Visit Scotland, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, Compass Group and Glengoyne Whisky.
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