Glasgow has always been widely recognised as Scotland’s events city.
Playing host to the world’s biggest artists, sporting events and festivals, our Dear Green Place has shone under the spotlight on the global stage for decades.
And over the last ten years, there has been one venue in particular that has stood out from the rest – and that’s not just because of its spaceship-like appearance. The OVO Hydro has just celebrated its 10th birthday, and what a decade it has been.
As well as hosting the likes of COP26 and the MTV Europe Music Awards – not to mention transforming into a mass vaccination centre during the Covid pandemic – the Hydro provides a masterclass in what makes a world-class, multi-purpose events space.
It has done so from the moment it opened its doors in 2013.
A real standout for me was the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
For me it was the first time I’d stepped foot in the new arena following its launch, and I was immediately impressed by its grandeur. I was also struck by its versatility, and the speed at which it had managed to transform from a concert venue just weeks before into a fully functioning sports venue.
The operational staff ran it with a sleekness and professionalism that suggested years of experience, yet this was a venue that had not long opened its doors.
The impact the Hydro has had, not only on Glasgow but on the whole of Scotland, has been nothing short of extraordinary.
The venue alone attracts more than a million visitors and generates ticket sales in the region of seven seven figures every year. It was even named the second busiest venue in the whole world in 2019, behind behind Madison Square Garden in New York City, bringing with it an influx of visitors from h.
It attracts visitors not just from home but also overseas, and that international crowd brings with it plenty of spending money which has been pumped back into the Scottish economy. The tourism sector around the Finnieston area and along the Clyde is booming, with a number of big hotel names including Virgin, Radisson and Moxy opening venues within a stone’s throw from the Hydro.
What’s more, the ongoing regeneration of Finnieston and the nearby Tradeston has helped generate hundreds of new jobs in the hospitality and construction sectors, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the opening of the Hydro played a role in kick-starting it all.
I’d be interested to learn more about the impact other multi-purpose events spaces in Scotland have had compared to the Hydro. Aberdeen’s P&J Live arena opened its doors in August 2019 and despite hosting a handful of stars so far, I think it’s still too early to tell if Aberdonians are reaping the rewards of the new space just yet.
The Hydro has quickly become one of Glasgow’s best loved icons, and it’s hard to imagine the Clydeside without it. It has even cemented its own celebrity status, taking a starring role in the surprise hit Netflix film ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire and Saga’ in 2020.
Part of me is still bitter Glasgow wasn’t selected to host the real thing earlier this year – you can’t win ‘em all, but if it had been chosen I don’t doubt that the city would have had the facilities, the capacity and the know-how to make it a success.
I’m sure there will still be countless other opportunities to welcome the world onto the banks of the Clyde over the next decade and beyond.
The Hydro just gets it right and provides a blueprint for how events venues around the world should be run.
I’m excited to see what big names and world-class events we welcome in future.
Sick Days Surge
As the nights draw in and winter approaches it’s not uncommon for seasonal sickness bugs to hit, leading to days off work and bunged up in bed.
However, UK workers are taking more sick days than they have in the last decade, according to new research. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) says staff took an average 7.8 sick days over the last 12 months – up from 5.8 per cent before the pandemic.
The CIPD blamed the worrying rise on changes in working culture, coupled with the cost-of-living crisis, leaving some employees feeling disengaged and stressed.
The research analysed rates of absence in more than 900 organisations, representing 6.5 million employees.
The study found that minor illnesses like coughs and colds were the main reason for short-term absences. More than a third of organisations also reported ongoing Covid-19 related illness as a significant cause of sick days amongst staff.
The upwards trend mirrors findings from earlier this year that revealed Scottish workers took a massive 18 million days off sick during 2022.
Businesses all have their part to play in taking steps to address high rates of sick days, such as promoting wellbeing initiatives and encouraging a healthy work-life balance.
However, if the research points to a nationwide problem then it also falls to public health experts, the NHS and the government to work out how to promote a healthier society to better protect our economy.
It Made Me Laugh
Shrek’s Swamp Staycation
Scotland is well known for its burgeoning tourist trade. We even have our own mythical underwater monster to attract the tourists to the shores of our famous Loch Ness.
I had to laugh at news of a different monster tourist trap though, courtesy of AirBnB.
Shrek enthusiasts will be able to book a swamp-themed holiday home in the Scottish Highlands for Halloween this year. Up to three guests can spend two nights in the ogre’s fantasy hideaway.
The fairytale stay has an even more magical price tag in that it will cost you nothing. I’m not sure the overgrown landscaping, modest interiors and boulders would swing a stay from me, but I’m sure fans will lap this up.
It Made Me Weep
Ashes and Ayr
There are few towns that have managed to escape the economic downturn and that includes Ayr on Scotland’s southwest coast.
I’ve heard some locals say the state of its economy is embodied by the sorry sight of the scaffolded and shuttered Station Hotel which went up in flames last week.
The famous birthplace of Rabbie Burns has been on a downer for years. Its once-famous high street is now blighted with vacant shop units and derelict buildings.
However, could the loss of this architectural gem actually herald the dawn of a new era for the town? I hope the great entrepreneurial spirit of Ayrshire folk will endure and the jewel of the coast will rise from the ashes.
