Aberdeen and Grampian is a powerhouse of the Scottish and UK economies. Businesses in this area generated £15billion for the UK economy in 2012, and are second only to London for workforce productivity levels.

Our buoyant economy can be attributed to the oil and gas sector, with local businesses having expertise in subsea technology and offshore engineering which is in demand across the globe.

However, it’s not just in the oil and gas field that our local knowledge, skills and produce are exported all over the world. This region is also home to two leading universities, a renowned food and drink industry and vibrant business services sector.

In addition, the quality of life here is second to none and people visiting the region will experience world-class service in our hotels while taking a break from skiing, the golf course or our whisky trail.

Chamber members consider connections to key business locations in the rest of the UK and worldwide as crucial for their growth aspirations. Research conducted by the Chamber in 2014 found that more than half of our members consider air links to UK locations and international locations as critical or important to their business.

Air connections are likely to become even more important in the coming years for Aberdeen and Grampian as increasing numbers of businesses look to expand their exporting or enter a foreign market. Six out of ten members intend to do this over the coming years.

Likewise, with significant oil and gas reserves remaining in the North Sea, there remains significant opportunities for new businesses to locate in this region.

Over recent year, the number of routes available to people in the North-east of Scotland has grown considerably, but Chamber members hope that delegates attending the conference will see for themselves the opportunities in establishing new air routes to and from Aberdeen.