MTV Europe music awards Edinburgh 03: a final report to City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian and EventScotland

The hosting of the 2003 MTV music awards (an annual event in the music industry calendar) and associated events and functions in Leith aimed to provide Edinburgh with economic benefits, as well as boosting the city’s profile and the prospects for hosting future events. The evaluation aimed to provide an economic impact assessment of the Awards, by looking at the impact in the Edinburgh economy and considering the direct economic and wider marketing benefits generated by a successful staging of the Awards.

The methodology consisted of desk research and a programme of consultations among both attendees and Edinburgh businesses, using telephone interviews.

The event provided a total net economic benefit to the local Edinburgh economy of £6.5m, with benefit of £6.7m in Edinburgh and the Lothians, and £8.9m in Scotland. The Awards also created a great deal of potential impact as a result of the heightened profile of the city. Indications suggest that the Awards were a success, both in terms of the direct impact results and anecdotal feedback.

Suggests that the increased profile of Edinburgh can act as a platform from which the city and its businesses can benefit in the future. Advises that there are opportunities for tourism, city-led international events, businesses associated with the Awards, and the raised profile of creative businesses. Notes that it is important that momentum is maintained and that the agencies involved look seriously at how this can be built upon to support future economic growth.