Over 300 experts from around the globe have arrived in Scotland as the prestigious World Canals Conference gets underway in Inverness, the gateway to the majestic Caledonian Canal. Hosted by Scottish Canals and opened on September 19 by Fergus Ewing MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity.
The four-day conference will see business leaders and professionals from more than a dozen nations celebrate innovative thinking and cutting-edge delivery in a range of disciplines including sustainable tourism development, regeneration, heritage management, climate change, and engineering within the iconic landscape of the Scottish Highlands.
Returning to Scotland for the first time in over a decade, the conference will also showcase the many attractions of Scotland’s rejuvenated 137-mile canal network to a global audience, from the incredible Kelpies – the largest equine sculptures on the planet – and The Falkirk Wheel, to innovative projects underway in surface water management, asset monitoring and placemaking.
Featuring more than 50 presentations and plenary sessions, the conference will offer attendees the chance to hear from world-renowned speakers such as Roland Lewis, President and CEO of the New York Waterfront Alliance; Pete Grannis, former Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; and Daniel Fabrega, Panama’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
