Joy as Forres secures another three-year pipe band championship deal

Piping at Forres – new three year deal is clinched.

The company behind Moray’s hosting of the European Pipe Band Championships were celebrating last night when it was revealed they had secured another three year deal on hosting the event.

As exclusively revealed by insideMoray last summer, Forres Events Ltd had moved to secure a further three years of hosting the event that has attracted thousands of people to the region.

Now the not-for-profit company has announced that bid as a success and the championships will be hosted at Grant Park in Forres until 2018.

The family friendly event was first held in 2013 under a three year deal that comes to an end this summer. It has proven a phenomenal success, with audiences of around 18,000 in 2014 making it the biggest single ticketed day event in Moray, bringing in an estimated £1 million of revenue to the area.

Now the championship organisers, the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA), has reacted positively to a bid put forward earlier this month by Forres Events.

Chairman of Forres Events Ltd is Ian Widdowson, who said: “When we first looked at the idea of hosting the championships we had no idea that they would be such an incredible success.

“The figures speak for themselves – £1million incremental spend in the local area creating a benefit worth the equivalent of 20 full time jobs. The success of the event is based on a lot of hard work from a large number of volunteers and the support of the community.

“It is gratifying that their effort not only makes Piping At Forres a great day out for thousands of people but translates into significant economic benefit for Forres and the local area. We are delighted that we have been given the opportunity to continue to bring this kind of economic boost to the area for another three years!”

Ian Embelton, Chief Executive of the RSPBA, added: “This is one of the most successful championships in recent years and the Board of Directors was unanimous in awarding this to Forres Events Ltd.

“I look forward to being in Forres for the long term and am delighted to be continuing our relationship with the team at Forres Events Ltd.”

Moray’s MSP, Richard Lochhead, welcomed the news last night, saying: “It’s fantastic news that the European Pipe Band Championships will be returning to Forres for another three years. The event has been a great success story, attracting a huge number of visitors to the area and bringing in significant revenue for local businesses.

“Those involved have worked really hard to make past events such a success and to secure the Championships until 2018. I’m delighted to see their hard work pay off and I’m sure that Piping At Forres will just keep getting bigger and better.”

Piping At Forres 2015, sponsored by Benromach Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, will be held on Saturday 27 June.

The organisers are seeking stall holders and sponsors, both of whom are crucial to the success of the event.

Tickets for the 2015 event will be go on sale from April 2. For further information see visit the Piping at Forres website.

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