Picture from left to right: Neil Mackay – Oban Live Event Director; Martin Gillespie – Oban Live Finance Director; Pauline Clifford – Oban Live Head of Communications; Andrew Spence – BID4Oban Chief Executive; Yvonne MacLean – BID4Oban Administrator; Daniel Gillespie – Oban Live Managing Director.
Oban’s Business Improvement District, BID4Oban has announced it will return as Oban Live’s primary local 2018 event partner. The two organisationsare set to work together on a new hands-on partnership that will bring benefits to the local economy.
Not only is BID4Oban’s investment and commitment to Oban Live bringing a generous financial grant for the 2018 event, but also a whole range of supporting activities: resources and administration, joint communication campaigns and collaborative working with the town’s business community, use of office facilities and forward-thinking plans for a new and improved Fringe programme.
Held at Oban’s famous shinty ground, Mossfield Stadium, Oban Live is the biggest live music event in the region of Argyll & Bute. Their 2018 event will take place on June 8 and 9. 2017 was the event’s 2nd year running. It attracted 8,000 attendees, bringing people to Oban from all over Scotland, the UK and the world and injecting an estimated £1.1million economic boost for the town and businesses.
Andrew Spence, who was recently appointed as the new Chief Executive for BID4Oban, said: “In anticipation of a successful BID4Oban ballot on October 5, we are delighted to return as key partners of Oban Live 2018. We have worked closely with Oban Live since the very beginning and so we understand the event’s popularity and what’s involved in staging such a major concert in the town.”
He added: “Improving economic opportunities for businesses in the town, promoting business to business relationships and increasing local and visitor footfall is high on the list of our objectives. It therefore makes perfect sense to continue our support for Oban Live 2018, an event that not only brings thousands of customers through the doors of our local businesses, but also has such a positive social impact on the community.”
Daniel Gillespie, Managing Director for Oban Live said: “We are incredibly grateful to BID4Oban and Oban’s business community for awarding Oban Live this financial grant and resource package. Oban Live is a spectacular two-day event with a worldwide audience. This award will help us to promote the event globally with the aim of attracting more visitors to Oban as well as supporting the role of our locally based Head of Communications. To ensure the event’s successful delivery, working collaboratively and gaining financial and in-kind support as great as this from BID4Oban is critical.”
He added: “We look forward to working closely with BID4Oban to ensure that Oban businesses can maximise the economic and social opportunities available from the thousands of attendees visiting the town for the event.”
Dates and details for early bird Oban Live 2018 tickets will be announced soon on Oban Live’s social media channels.