Edinburgh International Conference Centre chief to step down after ten years leading EICC
“The value of business tourism to Edinburgh and Scotland is too important, so we must continue to invest in it” – Marshall Dallas
Marshall Dallas, the long-standing boss of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) is to step down, it has been confirmed.
Dallas, who took up the role of chief executive at the capital venue in October 2014, will step down from his role during the first half of next year. The decision was intimated to the EICC board earlier this week. It comes amid reports that there had been concerns over the stalling of a project to build a 350-bedroom hotel at Haymarket, close to the EICC.
In a statement, Dallas said: “Leading the EICC for the last decade has been the highlight of my career. The venue was loss-making when I took over the reins, we were able to rapidly turn that around with an absolute dedication to being one of the best and most sustainable conference centres on the planet, which translated to holding some of the world’s leading events while creating year-on-year increases to economic impact for Edinburgh.”
Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron, EICC board chair, said: “On behalf of all current and past EICC board members who have worked closely with Marshall and the incredible EICC team during these past ten years, I thank Marshall for his hard work, commitment and energy, which have been integral to the success which the EICC has achieved.”
Over the past ten years, the EICC has hosted major events like TEDGlobal, along with hundreds of other UK and international association conferences, hosted President Obama and Michelle Obama, Hollywood stars including Leo DiCaprio, George Clooney and Brad Pitt, and the Edinburgh Festival every August.
Dallas added: “Our overall vision, to create an environment which inspires ideas that change the world, helped to guide us through the good and the tough times. My hope now is that the future stewardship of the EICC will continue to have the best interests of the venue, our people and the city at its heart. The value of business tourism to Edinburgh and Scotland is too important, so we must continue to invest in it.”
In February, the EICC reported record revenues of £12.8 million and a profit of £2.6m for 2023.
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