SEC Centre

The SEC Centre (oreeginally kent as the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre until 2017) is Scotland's maist muckle exhibition centre, fund in Glesga, Scotland. It is ae o the three main venues ben the Scottish Event Campus. The biggins sit oan the steid o the nou infilled Queen's Dock on the River Clyde. Fae the appenin o the oreeginal biggins in 1985, the complex has unnergaun twa major stendin; the first bein the SEC Armadillo in 1997, an than the OVO Hydro in 2013. The venue's haudin company SEC Limited, is 91% awnt bi Glesga Ceety Cooncil an 9% awnt bi private investors. It is probably best kent for haudin concerts, parteecularly in Haw 4 and Haw 3, wi five million fans attendin events ower five years. Development history The Scottish Development Agency first uphaud the construction o an exhibition centre in Glesga in 1979. A site at the umwhile Queen's Dock on the north bank o the Clyde at Finnieston, thit haed closed tae navigation in 1969, was chysen. Land reclamation wirks stairtit in 1982 uisin rubble frae the malafousert St Enoch railway station. The biggin o the SEC Centre biggins stairtit on the site in 1983. In 2023, SEC appointit a new preses, Morag McNeill thit taks up her role in Januar 2024. Main Biggin The Main Building was completit an appent in 1985, wi a concert bi the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Haw 1. It later on haudit the Grand International Show in Hall 4 as pairt of the 1988 Glasgow Gairden Festival. In 1990, the SEC Centre wis ae o the hubs for Glesga's year as European Ceety o Cultur. Shortly efter it's appenin, the Centre gotten its eikname swift frae the local press an efterhins became general uise, "The Muckle Reid Shed", acause o its ootwird appearance, as it leuked like a giant reid pentit warehoose. The eikname became redundant efter the Main Biggin was stendit an pentit grey in 1997. The SEC Centre taks up 64 acre (260,000 m2) o land – maist o't is surface caur parkin space – an hauds a fair feck o muisic concerts, exheebeetions an perfaisional confeerances. The SEC Centre haes its ain railway station an aw, cried the Exhibition Centre, on the Argyle Line at Glesga's suburban railwey netwark. The 16 storey Forum Hotel (nou pairt o the Crowne Plaza chain) was appent on the site in 1989. It haes parkin forby fur 2700 vehicles. In September 1996, a new 5,095 square metre (54,840 sq ft) exhibition haw, Haw 3, was appent. SEC Armadillo In September 1995, construction stairtit on a new biggin – the Clyde Auditorium – tae become pairt o the SECC complex. Designt bi awaird-winnin airchitect Sir Norman Foster an is aften cawed "the armadillo" bi Glesga fowk, this new 3,000 capacity biggin wis feenishit in August 1997. Queens Dock 2 stendin In Apryle 2004, the awners SEC Ltd again commeessioned Foster and Partners tae design a £562 million regeneration o the Queen's Dock area, unner the name QD2 – cawed as sic acause this is the seicont regeneration o the umwhile Queen's Dock area fae the centre's inception. This project incorporatit OVO Hydro, a 12,500 seat, £50 million concert arena for the SECC, thit appent as "SSE Hydro" in September 2013. Shaws an events The venue haudit the Eurovision Dance Contest 2008. The SECC haudit the Girls' Day Oot Shaw in 2009, 2010 an 2012. It staged The Scots Golf Shaw in 2009 an 2010. The venue stages the weel kent BBC Good Food Show ivery year. On 15 November 2015, it played host tae Insane Championship Wrestling's biggest shaw o the year, Fear & Loathing VIII. The SEC Centre haudit the World Science Fiction convention twice, as Intersection, the 53rd World Science Fiction convention in 1995, an Interaction, the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention in 2005 (includin the SEC Armadillo). In Juin 2012, Irish pop band Westlife war honoured wi fower specially commeessioned bar stuils (tae be a permanent fixtur at the venue) tae merk 49 performances at the SEC Centre whaur they entertained ower 380,000 fan ower the years, sellin mair tickets nor ony ither act. NHS Louisa Jordan The SEC Centre haudit the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Oreeginally scheduled tae be haudit in 2020, the conference wid pit back due tae the COVID-19 pandemic. Due tae the same pandemic, the SEC Centre wis turnt intae a COVID-19 critical care hospital unner the name NHS Louisa Jordan, an rin bi NHS Scotland. At the stairt (in Apryle 8, 2020), it haed capacity for 300 bed, wi an stent, tae ower 1,000 gin needit. The venue wis never uised for COVID-19 critical care an wis insteid uised for medical appyntments, bluid donations, staff trainin an COVID-19 vaccinations. Wirk stairtit in July 2021 tae red it for hostin the rescheduled Climate Change Conference in October an November 2021. References See an aw SEC Armadillo SEC Centre Freemit Airtins Official website (in Inglis)