A top north-east travel agent has been given a record-breaking £1million boost from Offshore Europe – after lining up more than 1,500 rooms for the conference.
Aberdeen-based Munro’s – which has been looking after delegates since 1987 – says there has been “unprecedented demand” for beds this year.
The long-established group handles exhibitor and visitor hotel accommodation for the biennial event, which brings tens of thousands of visitors from the worldwide energy industry to the Granite City.
Managing partner Murray Burnett said of the conference: “It attracts international interest and seems to get bigger every time it comes around, and this year is no exception. When the show was last held in 2011, there was a total attendance of more than 48,000 people from around the globe and nearly 1,500 exhibiting companies.
“The number of firms exhibiting has risen again and the attendance for this week is also expected to be huge. We have seen bookings for rooms from all corners of the world, including the US, the Middle East, China and Taiwan.
“The 1,500-plus rooms we have lined up equates to 7,500 room nights during Offshore Europe week – a remarkable figure.”
Mr Burnett said that, even though new hotels in the Aberdeen area means the city can now offer hundreds more rooms since the last Offshore Europe in 2011, there is still scarcely a bed to be had in the city this week. We have a team of six people working on accommodation for the show,” he said.
“And, even though Offshore Europe only happens every other year, work on the project never stops at our firm. We are already working on bookings for the 2015 event.”
Munro’s has been a dominant player in the travel industry in Aberdeen for more than 100 years, and travel management services to the energy sector now makes up around 95% of its business.
The firm, together with the Press and Journal, organises a trip for hundreds of Scottish delegates to the world’s biggest oil show – the Offshore Technology Conference – held in Houston every spring.
Munro’s workforce has expanded to 120 and annual turnover has grown to more than £50million.