Behind the scenes of the British Irish Council Summit - Scotland

When you receive a brief saying, "Could you please help us organise the British Irish Council Summit in Edinburgh for all heads of the UK and Ireland administrations," what’s the first thing you do??

You say, “Yes, of course!”?

This year, Black Vanilla’s events team, Natalie, Krista and Lucie, worked tirelessly alongside the Scottish Government to organise the bi-annual British Irish Council (BIC) event, held in early December. Our team has previously managed the Summits in Guernsey and Jersey, so we were experienced, however, the nature of the event and working from a distance added some complexities.?

So, what goes into running an event of this scale and calibre??

Security and Policing?

The presence of government Principals including the Taoiseach and Tánaiste (Irish Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister), First Ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister means the event always requires robust security measures and the need for close protection teams. But when the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, confirmed his attendance two weeks before the event, the security had to step up even further. ?

We worked closely with Police Scotland, the Metropolitan Police Specialist Protection Team and G4S to ensure security across two venues and the safety of all attending Principals and officials, as well as the general public who were at the hotel. Whilst much of the operation was handled by security experts, our team were fully involved in the planning discussions, so they were able to assist attending officials with any questions and changes.?

Travel and Logistics?

Government plans are often not made until close to the date and, even then, will often change unexpectedly. We experienced this at the BIC Guernsey Summit in 2022 when Boris Johnson resigned on the morning BIC started, which lead to significant changes. For the Scotland Summit, the finer details weren’t finalised until the week of the event so for some time Natalie and Krista didn’t know exactly who would be attending, which made organising travel plans, hotel rooming lists and table plans challenging.?

With the nature of the attendees, travel arrangements involve so more than just booking a coach. Depending on governmental status there were requirements for airside pick-ups, landside meet and greets, executive cars, taxis, minibuses and coaches and working with the close protection teams for the protected individuals. Add in flight delays, changes in plans and the odd AWOL official, it was quite a juggle. ?

As always with events, it’s about building relationships. The hotel, Edinburgh Castle, transport companies and the AV supplier were all briefed on the reality of the late nature of this event so that all were prepared to adapt quickly when we had the final information.?

Venues?

The Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club provided an excellent location for the Summit. Having hosted President Biden when he attended COP26 and managing a busy programme of events, they were not fazed by the nature of the Summit. Together with the hotel’s experienced team, Black Vanilla managed all aspects of the event, from accommodation and technical requirements to movements through the hotel and all food and beverage. With the challenge of not being disruptive to other guests in the hotel.?

Around the main Summit meeting runs a programme of bilateral meetings between the administrations which took place across eight meeting rooms. Black Vanilla managed these rooms as well as the countless cups of tea and coffee.?

No event in Edinburgh would be complete without a nod to the city’s history, which is why Edinburgh Castle was chosen as the venue for the Summit dinner.? While the setting added considerably to the occasion, it posed additional logistical challenges transporting Principals and officials between the two venues, but the outcome was well worth the effort.?

Government Bodies and Communications?

Black Vanilla’s primary role was to manage the logistics and liaising with the seven other administrations regarding the various aspects of the attendance of their delegations. The Scottish Government handled the content and messaging for the Summit. From selecting menus to signing welcome cards for Principals and Ministers, every decision required approval from the Scottish Government and, in some cases, the First Minister, John Swinney. Constant communication was critical!?

Creative Contributions?

Black Vanilla also took charge of creative elements to bring the Summit to life. Working alongside the BIC Secretariat, we designed and printed everything from table numbers and name cards to lanyards and luggage tags, ensuring everything looked cohesive.?

This year, to mark the celebration of BIC’s 25th anniversary, we helped the Scottish Government create a nostalgia booklet showcasing photographs from all 42 previous Summits. Some images were also displayed at Edinburgh Castle, adding a memorable touch to the dinner.?

The 2024 BIC Summit is an event we at Black Vanilla are immensely proud to have been part of. Despite the challenges, we learnt so much from the experience.??

An event of this scale truly is a team effort. From caterers at the Castle to the Metropolitan Police and transport providers, everyone played a vital role in delivering a smooth and successful Summit.?

A special thank you goes to Dave Scott and Lotti Lancaster from the Scottish Government, who we worked alongside from start to finish and were an absolute pleasure to work with.?

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