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23 Sep 2011 8:00 AM
  • Press Release

MOBO RETURNS TO GLASGOW
THREE YEAR DEAL SECURED FOR SCOTTISH CITY TO HOST
GLAMOROUS URBAN MUSIC EVENT IN 2011, 2013 & 2015

MOBO is delighted to announce that it will return to Glasgow in 2011 to host the star-studded MOBO Awards, in association with Lebara Mobile, on Wednesday 5th October at Glasgow’s Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC).

As part of a three year deal secured by EventScotland, the national events agency, and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB) it was announced today (Wednesday, March 16) that MOBO will return to host the annual Awards ceremony again in 2013 and 2015.

MOBO ambassador and previous co-host Alesha Dixon was in Glasgow today with emerging artist Yasmin to support the announcement, Alesha commented: “I am truly delighted to announce Glasgow as the host city for this year’s 16th MOBO Awards. I hosted the event last year with Reggie Yates, and back in 2002 with LL Cool J and it was a wonderful experience. The music scene here in Glasgow is very vibrant, no doubt because of the passionate audiences here in Scotland. I adore working with MOBO as they have such a valuable and pioneering ethos which translates into a powerful programme of events.”

Kanya King MBE, CEO and founder of the MOBO Awards, made the announcement with high praise for Scotland and Glasgow as a host for the Awards adding: “We had such a fantastic experience when we hosted the MOBO Awards here in 2009, that it felt very natural for us to want to return and build on our great relationship with the city. We have a wealth of fabulous artists performing and some great surprises up our sleeves, so the run up to October 5th is going to be a very exciting time for MOBO and for Glasgow.”

MOBO Awards tickets will be available as part of a ballot, MOBO fans can register at www.mobo.comfrom now onwards. Tickets are priced at £29, £49, £59 and £100 (golden circle.) Gold and Platinum tables can also be secured. For more information and to register your interest visit: www.mobo.com.

The MOBO Awards made music history in 2009 by moving out of London for the first time and staging the glamorous show at Glasgow’s Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC). Their return to the city as part of a three year agreement is testament to the event’s massive success in 2009, which was widely hailed as one of the best MOBO Awards ever. From 2013, the star-studded evening will be held in the new Scottish National Arena adjacent to the SECC.

The 2009 event was a sell-out success with performers entertaining a capacity audience of more than 7,000 and the city welcoming an entourage of A-list celebrities, urban music talent and industry leaders.

The MOBO Awards also delivered an impressive economic impact as well as very significant media exposure for Glasgow. Fiona Hyslop, Scottish Government Minister for Culture and External Affairs, said: “Securing this prestigious awards ceremony as part of a three year deal is testament to Scotland’s vibrant and diverse music scene and our ability to host major events.  Attracting talented artists and urban music fans from across the globe is great news for Scotland, which enhances our international reputation and significantly boosts our economy, both locally in Glasgow and across Scotland.  I’d like to congratulate all those involved in securing this event for Scotland.”

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “Glasgow City Marketing Bureau’s role, in partnership with EventScotland, has secured the return of the MOBO Awards in 2011, 2013 and 2015, which is a real coup for Glasgow and Scotland. The 2013 awards will be particularly special as they will be the first major music event to be held in Scotland’s new National Arena at the SECC. Today’s announcement reinforces Glasgow’s cutting edge style credentials and its reputation as Scotland’s leading music city. The audience reach of the MOBO Awards will continue to showcase Glasgow on the global stage through until 2015.”

Launched in 1996, The MOBO Awards have acknowledged and celebrated icons of the global music industry over the years, with past winners including Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Tina Turner, Dizzee Rascal, Jay- Z, LL Cool J, Amy Winehouse, Rihanna and Beyonce to name but a few.

The 2015 edition will mark the 20th anniversary of the MOBO organisation and they have picked up a number of awards for the Glasgow event in the past few months including the Events and Festivals (International) Award at the 2010 Scottish Thistle Awards. This followed on from their double success at the Scottish Event Awards where they were named winner of the Best Medium Event category in addition to taking home the overall Chairman’s Award.

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact House P

Liana Mellotte | liana@housepr.com

 

+44 (0)20 7291 3016 | +44 (0)7967 188549

 

Jennifer Tetteh | Jennifer@housepr.com

 

+44 (0)29 7291 3047 | +44 (0)7584 630448

 

Or

 

Moira Dyer

 

Senior Manager – Public Relations

 

Glasgow City Marketing Bureau

 

Tel : 0141 566 0831

 

Mobile : 07960 895 173

 

moira.dyer@seeglasgow.com

 

Lorna Campbell

 

PR and Media Relations Manager

 

EventScotland

 

Tel: 0131 472 2286 / 07966 002 009

 

lorna.campbell@eventscotland.org

Supportive comments:

Scott Taylor, Chief Executive of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “There are three things that define Glasgow; being the first, the only and the best. The MOBO Awards in 2013 represent the firstmajor music event booking for Scotland’s new National Arena and will be a foretaste of what music fans and visitors can expect from this terrific venue in years to come.

“Glasgow is the only city in the UK that has established a multi-year, three-event deal with MOBO, which will send shockwaves around the music industry and our competitors. And thirdly, we’ve got the best audiences for music events in the UK, which makes the city a must play destination for any global act.”

Mike Cantlay, Chairman of EventScotland and VisitScotland, said: “The return of the MOBO Awards for three years underscores Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for music events. It is also testament to the power of partnership, with EventScotland and Glasgow partners working together to secure the Awards.

“Scotland is an exciting country and every year visitors come to experience cutting edge music at our festivals and top-class venues. I am sure the profile the MOBOs will give to our music scene will encourage more people to visit Scotland.

“Today’s announcement also highlights Glasgow’s status as one of the world’s leading music cities – a fact recognised with its status as a UNESCO City of Music. The MOBO Awards are set to be a jewel in this crown and a great accolade for Glasgow.”

Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, said: “Scotland surprised everyone in 2009: firstly by enticing Europe’s biggest urban music brand north of the border and secondly by delivering the best MOBO Awards the world had ever seen. Not only was the show a sell out success on the night, it also achieved record BBC viewing figures of nearly five million. 

“The 2011, 2013 and 2015 MOBO Awards will further establish Scotland and Glasgow as a vibrant and modern destination with great people, great music and a hugely ambitious events industry.”

John Sharkey, Chief Executive of the Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre, said: “The people of Glasgow and Scotland love their music and see the SECC as the place to go and watch live music on a large scale, so we’re delighted the awards are coming back here to Scotland’s music capital.  We had a great time at the last MOBO Awards back in 2009 and we look forward to the whole city getting behind the Awards again to ensure its continued success.

“It is exciting that the MOBO Awards will be amongst the first live music events to take to the stage at the Scottish National Arena during its opening year in 2013 and further cements the future of this iconic building, which is set to create a lasting legacy for the City, positioning both Glasgow and Scotland at the forefront of the global event and entertainment industry.”

Lena Wilson, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, said: “Scottish Enterprise is delighted to be among the partners involved in helping to secure the MOBO Awards for Scotland once again, along with EventScotland and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau. The return of this major international event to the city brings another fantastic opportunity to showcase Glasgow on the world stage, and is possible only as a result of the success of the 2009 Glasgow event.”

“We recognise the importance of major events in driving tourism growth and continue to work with our partners to deliver such events in the city as part of the Tourism Action Plan for Glasgow. Scottish Enterprise will work closely with the wider tourism and business community to ensure that Glasgow and Scotland maximise the economic potential associated with the return of the awards.”

 

Notes to editors:

1. About MOBO

Founded by Kanya King MBE in 1996, MOBO has grown to become Europe’s leading music brand – celebrating genres such as hip hop, R’n'B, reggae and soul by honouring established as well as up-and-coming MOBO artists. The MOBO Awards Show also holds the distinction of being one of the most televised urban music awards shows in the world today, reaching in excess of 250 million viewers across five continents and 75 countries.

Over the past 15 years the MOBO Awards Show has attracted the biggest names within the genres of ’MOBO Music’, who have given stunning virtuoso live performances before a global audience. Recent awards show performers include Rihanna, Jay Z and Amy Winehouse and 2011 promises to be even more dazzling and momentous, as you would expect from an organisation that is continually making innovative and impressive efforts to bring MOBO music to the world stage.

Blythswood Square Hotel in Glasgow is the official VIP hotel of the MOBO Awards.

2. Glasgow City Marketing Bureau

Glasgow City Marketing Bureau is the official destination marketing organisation (DMO) for metropolitan Glasgow.  It is engaged in national and international activity comprising: development and implementation of the city branding campaign Glasgow: Scotland with style; inward investment; event creation, attraction, management and marketing; conventions, incentives, meetings and exhibition sales; conference and event accommodation bookings; public relations and optimisation of the website: www.seeglasgow.com

3. EventScotland is the national events agency

EventScotland is working to make Scotland one of the world’s leading event destinations. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news, visit www.EventScotland.org.  

 

4. About the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre 

The SECC is situated in the heart of Glasgow, Scotland’s cultural and commercial capital, and is one of the UK’s largest integrated venues, purpose-built to provide exhibition, conference and concert space. Capable of delivering events to well over 10,000 delegates, the SECC has space with flexibility; from the iconic Clyde Auditorium to the Loch Suite of meeting rooms, all joined to 22, 355m2of exhibition space. For more information about the SECC, visit www.secc.co.uk.

5. About Scottish Enterprise

Scottish Enterprise is Scotland’s main economic development agency. Working in partnership with industry, academia and the public sector, SE aims to help make Scotland a place where business can thrive and key industries can be competitive. Its focus is to help businesses grow, encourage greater innovation and create the right conditions for companies to access property, markets and finance to increase productivity and increase Scotland’s ability to compete internationally. Further information can be found at www.scottish-enterprise.com.

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