This result is up from profits of £699,000 profit and revenues of £11.8m in 2022.

EICC CEO Marshall Dallas attributes the business’ successful financial performance to the decision of retaining the sales team throughout the pandemic. He explained that the move “was integral to our revenue performance” as it allowed “the centre to swiftly resume operations post-pandemic”.

The economic impact figure, which relates to the direct benefit of conferences and events taking place at the EICC to Edinburgh and the surrounding region, totalled £58m (2022: £51.9m). Total economic impact since the EICC opened its doors in 1995 is now at approximately £850m.

The venue hosted over 132,000 delegates and visitors during the year (2022: 72,000), with eighteen international associations holding major conferences at the EICC. Global Equity Organisation’s 24th annual conference in April, the 15th World Congress on Endometriosis in May, and HYDRO 2023 in October were among international association conferences held at the venue last year.

Mr Dallas added: “Holding large international association conferences is a significant part of our raison d’être, and in the current year we already have twenty-one international conferences confirmed to take place, so that’s a really encouraging number for us and for business tourism in general in Edinburgh and Scotland.”

Two of the major international association conferences taking place this year at the EICC are the World Congress on Controversies in Breast Cancer in September, and the 36th International Papillomavirus Conference in November.

Having been Edinburgh’s main vaccination centre throughout 2021, in partnership with NHS Lothian, the EICC recently hosted the 3-week Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, which Mr Dallas says is a sign of how the venue has come full circle since the onset of the pandemic.

He said: “After closing our doors in March 2020, we pivoted to become the city’s main vaccination centre the following year, and it felt fitting to have the recent Covid inquiry here in the same building.

“In addition to being a commercial enterprise, hosting events of this nature fulfils our triple bottom line objectives of having a strong economic value, leading the way in sustainability, and positively impacting societal matters.”

In December, the EICC announced a string of major conference wins over the next three years that will equate to its strongest ever pipeline of events business. The 40 conferences and events will bring around 20,000 delegates to Edinburgh and the EICC and translate to around £32m of economic impact.

The EICC opened its doors to the Edinburgh Festival for the 20th time in 2023.