Business representatives from North East of England and Glasgow travel to Edinburgh courtesy of Lumo for networking event

Business representatives from the North East of England and Glasgow have travelled to Edinburgh courtesy of train operator Lumo for a major networking event.

In a first for organisers Chamber of Commerce, more than 100 delegates from a diverse range of sectors met at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in the city.

Businesses from across the North East of England and Scotland have travelled to Edinburgh courtesy of train operator Lumo for a major networking event. In a first for organisers Chamber of Commerce, more than 100 representatives from a diverse range of sectors met at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in the city, with members from the North East, Edinburgh and Glasgow coming together for a morning of structured knowledge sharing and partnership building.

placeholder image — Businesses from across the North East of England and Scotland have travelled to Edinburgh courtesy of train operator Lumo for a major networking event. In a first for organisers Chamber of Commerce, more than 100 representatives from a diverse range of sectors met at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in the city, with members from the North East, Edinburgh and Glasgow coming together for a morning of structured knowledge sharing and partnership building.

The cross border event saw members from the North East of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow come together for a morning of structured knowledge sharing and partnership building.

It was an opportunity for representatives to collaborate and expand their networks beyond their home regions, and to travel free of charge on Lumo's high speed state of the art trains.

Businesses from across the North East of England and Scotland travelled to Edinburgh courtesy of train operator Lumo for a major networking event.

As part of the experience, attendees also enjoyed an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Scotland's national rugby stadium, as well as a visit to the five-star Fingal Hotel.

The floating hotel and event venue is permanently berthed in Leith, Edinburgh, owned by the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Tim Marsden, knowledge manager at the North East Chamber of Commerce, said: “This first-of-its-kind Chamber Connect event was a fantastic opportunity to bring together businesses from across the North East of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

“Events like this help members make valuable new connections, share ideas and open doors to future partnerships.

In a first for organisers Chamber of Commerce, more than 100 representatives from a diverse range of sectors met at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium for a morning of structured knowledge sharing and partnership building.

“We were delighted to work alongside our Chamber colleagues in Scotland to deliver this event and very many thanks to our official travel partner Lumo for providing complimentary return train travel. “We look forward to building on the success of this Chamber Connect through future collaborations that create even more opportunities as we continue to champion our members, strengthen business networks and support economic growth across our regions.”

Emma Reid, commercial director at Edinburgh chamber of Commerce, added: “This event is a great example of the strength we can unlock by working together across our Chamber network.

"We know that making connections is the number one reason businesses engage with us, so bringing our Edinburgh, Glasgow and North East communities together creates even more opportunities - locally, nationally, and across the UK.

“This is just the beginning of a collaborative approach that will help our members build meaningful relationships, access new markets, and grow together.”

The Chamber Connect event highlighted the value of collaboration across regional boundaries and demonstrated the strength of the wider chamber network in creating opportunities for businesses to connect, learn and grow.

North East Chamber members travelled to Edinburgh with complimentary return rail travel provided by Lumo, helping to make the event accessible and supporting sustainable business travel.

Lumo has topped the league table for value for money after a recent national rail survey of all operators.

It is also one of the best three long distance operators for overall customer satisfaction and the first in the country to eradicate plastic bottles on board.

According to an economic impacts study by ARUP, the budget transport operator is estimated to deliver benefits of between £340m and 375m from launch up to the end of its track access agreement in 2033.

Richard Salkeld, director of communications and partnerships at Lumo, said: “As an operator that proudly connects communities, businesses and opportunities across the UK, it was natural for Lumo to suggest bringing together the North East, Edinburgh and Glasgow Chambers for a cross-border networking event.

“Every day, our trains help connect people, places and ideas, and we wanted to extend that thinking beyond the railway by helping create new opportunities for collaboration between businesses on both sides of the border.

“Stronger connections lead to stronger economies, and there is enormous potential for organisations in Scotland and the North East of England to learn from one another, develop new partnerships and unlock future growth.

“We are proud to have supported this first-of-its-kind event and to work alongside organisations such as the North East Chamber, Edinburgh Chamber and Glasgow Chamber, whose commitment to collaboration mirrors our own.

“We look forward to seeing the relationships and opportunities that emerge from the connections made in Edinburgh.” Chamber Connect Edinburgh Murrayfield forms part of the North East Chamber's ongoing programme of events designed to support business growth, strengthen connections and help members access new markets and opportunities.