Aberdeen Convention Bureau (ACB), part of VisitAberdeenshire, has honoured the city’s academic community for their role in attracting almost 74,000 delegates to the North-east through 49 conferences in 2025. The achievements were recognised at the annual Ambassador Awards ceremony held on Thursday 5 February.
The top accolade of the evening, the James Clerk Maxwell Ambassador of Excellence Award, was presented to Dr Jenna Ross OBE for her outstanding work in bringing the Nuffield Farming Scholarship Conference to P&J Live in November 2025 – the furthest north the event has ever been held in its 78-year history.
Dr Ross’s vision to celebrate the region’s excellence in food and farming, while inspiring the next generation of agricultural leaders in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, was central to her success. Working in collaboration with regional partners, she helped secure sponsorship for young people, coordinated travel arrangements, and gained significant in-kind support from local food and drink producers.
Beyond the conference itself, she also spearheaded an accompanying expo showcasing local agribusinesses and charities, particularly those focused on mental health, wellbeing, and community support within the rural sector.
Laura Wilson, Head of Aberdeen Convention Bureau, said: “Business events are a high-value, high-volume and highly measurable form of tourism that also raise the profile of the North East’s academic and business credentials. The Ambassador Awards was a night of celebration and recognition of those who are core to confirming conferences and events in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
“The James Clerk Maxwell Award was inspired by Maxwell’s pioneering role in bringing the British Association for the Advancement of Science to Aberdeen in 1859 and his part in developing the venue we now know as the Music Hall. We believe he could well have been the city’s original academic ambassador, and we’re proud to honour that legacy in partnership with the University of Aberdeen and the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation.”
Wilson added that 2025 had been “a highly successful year” for business events in the region, crediting the dedicated ambassadors “willing to go above and beyond their usual day-to-day roles” to promote Aberdeen as a leading conference destination.
Other winners on the night included:
- Best Event Under 200 Delegates: Scottish School Psychology Conference
- Best Event Between 200 and 500 Delegates: Society for East Asian Archaeology
- Best Event Over 500 Delegates: Public Communication of Science and Technology Conference
- Collaboration Award: 10th Annual Grampian Research Conference
- Impact Award: Nuffield Farming Scholarship
- Developing Ambassador Award: Kamo Sende, SLSS International Research Conference
The event was supported by Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen City & Shire Hotels Association, Scottish Citylink Coaches, Appetite for Business, Hilton Aberdeen TECA & Aloft Aberdeen TECA, NorthLink Ferries, and Premier Coaches.
