Culture and heritage abound in Aberdeen. With its sweeping seascapes, vibrant arts scene and award-winning attractions, the city itself is a must-see. With many of our team proud Aberdonians, bursting to showcase the city to visitors, we caught up with Steve Daun, Business Development Manager – Associations at P&J Live who, in his own words, told us exactly why he’s so proud to be an ambassador of the city.

“I’m an Aberdonian, born and bred. I love the city and I love showcasing our amazing region to new and existing clients.

“Working in a modern, state-of-the-art venue makes my job so much easier. It’s a gift and has meant we are now a real competitor to other large venues across UK when submitting bids to bring conferences to the region. As the most sustainable venue of its kind in the UK, with our very own on-site energy centre, it’s something we are immensely proud of.

“When it comes to selling Aberdeen, we work with some brilliant strategic partners. Knowing we have a fantastic team waiting to provide first class service to clients and their delegates adds to our strengths considerably.”

“When delegates ask about Aberdeen, they can often ask about travel and connectivity. Some perceptions seem to remain that the city is difficult to get to, but our transport links are really quite excellent.

“I get asked daily, ‘how easy it is to get to Aberdeen? Can you fly to the region? Do you have an airport? What are the rail connections like? What can you do when you get to the city?’, and my favourite question is, ‘can you see or visit an oil rig?’ Sadly not.

‘I do, however, love to see the reaction when I explain we have one of the best regionally connected airports in the UK, flying to a range of cities and to major key hubs in global locations. In fact, we are lucky to have a great relationship with LoganAir, allowing delegates attending a conference at our venue to receive discounted flights - it’s simple. This allows us to work with the UK’s biggest regional airline, who are flying into key cities across the UK into Aberdeen on a daily basis. This really helps us to connect with delegates and exhibitors, but of course it has also bolstered connectivity with international locations. Providing this additional service to clients is something I am really proud of.

“It is great to have travel choices. Many clients take the Caledonian Sleep Service from London Euston up to Aberdeen. It’s an overnight service where you get the chance to experience the incredible food and drink Scotland has to offer, all while travelling in style. I’ve experienced this and I think it’s an amazing way to travel. Waking up to the beautiful east coast of Scotland, with picturesque views of our amazing coastline – BREATH-TAKING. And, of course, our delegates receive discounted rates when attending an event at the venue – say no more.

“Let’s not forget, the regular train service to Aberdeen provides fantastic direct routes to key locations across the UK. Yes, we are slightly further north than other locations, but we are accessible, and connected, with regular services, 7 days a week. Trust me, delegates will love it.

“So, let’s take a minute to reassess. We have an international airport (tick), a bustling train station with regular services (tick) and we have a venue which is literally connected to them. Visitors can reach our venue within minutes of landing. It really is from plane to P&J Live within 20 minutes. Our airport is literally a stone throw away from the actual runway. We also have a train station which is a 5-minute drive from the venue, allowing visitors to connect to the main station within 8 minutes. And last but not least, we have a bus service that runs from the airport, to the station, via the venue every 10 minutes. So, when I get asked if the venue is connected and accessible to key travel partners, I’m delighted to say YES.

“I’d love to tell you more. With fantastic travel partners and an amazing team of staff who are available to make your next event MEMORABLE in Aberdeen – there’s nothing not to love.

“Get in touch and I’ll tell you all about it.”

Steve Daun - Business Development Manager - Associations