Meet the team

Jo Conway joins the Assembly Rooms as events co-ordinator. Get to know a little more about Jo in our Q and A

People may be interested to know a bit more about your background. Would you briefly share some of that with us?

During the pandemic I worked for The City of Edinburgh Council associated with Asymptomatic Testing Sites. However, my background is wide and varied and for over 20 years I‘ve been managing private sector venues, restaurants and bars in the capital. It’s great to be back to normal after the many disruptions after recent years.

What exactly does your new role involve?

Collaboration and communications will be significant in my new role, liaising with clients, stakeholders and staff to continue delivering events in this wonderful venue. I’m looking forward to helping with the vast programme of events for example we might have a rock and pop event one night, followed by conference, dinner or workshop the next. I will be aiming to continue a long tradition of satisfied customers and happy visitors.  

Edinburgh is known to be a very vibrant city that attracts a great deal of interest at home and abroad. What are your thoughts on Edinburgh as a conference destination?

Edinburgh is a unique destination and I love it for its visible attractiveness, for its history and for the many vibrant communities that live here. It’s a small city with all points of interest, and there are many, within walking distance of each other and the Assembly Rooms. The city is definitely a memorable and beautiful destination for visitors, moreover, it has a rich history of innovation and creativity.

Like many businesses, during the last few years, we transformed our offering to include virtual and hybrid formats. Do you believe hybrid events will continue to be popular?  

It will certainly be interesting to see what the demand for virtual and hybrid events will be like moving forward. There is a lot in favour of the hybrid model as it increases attendance beyond the venue capacity and allows for interaction between the in-person and virtual attendees. The hybrid conference model is definitely here to stay as it allows more flexibility for those with busy schedules not always able to travel to event locations.

What sort of conferences and events are you particularly looking forward to at the Assembly Rooms?

All of them really, both the large and the small makes for an interesting and creative mix.