ASVA Event

EVs are becoming a key part of everyday travel, and visitor expectations are changing fast. This webinar is an opportunity to understand how EV charging could fit seamlessly into your sites ecosystem—enhancing sustainability, and future readiness. Join us to explore what this shift means for visitor attractions and why now is the time to prepare.

Key Learnings:

• How EV Charging can boost customer satisfaction
• What % of all new UK vehicles sold in 2024 were electric.
• Revenue opportunities
• Simplify the new EV charging regulations by the UK Government
• Clear up EV myths you may have read
• Share RAW’s latest Case Study insights

This session will be delivered by Romy Wilkin-Brown, who is a commercial leader in sustainable infrastructure and Director of Sales at RAW Charging, a specialist in EV solutions for visitor attractions, hospitality, and leisure. With a strong focus on customer experience and commercial impact, she leads a team delivering tailored, future-proof charging solutions. RAW Charging’s commitment to excellence was recognised with a Gold award from Investors in Customers. Previously, Romy was Director of Sales at Jones Food Company, Europe’s largest vertical farming enterprise, where she drove commercial growth and helped position British agriculture and innovation on the global stage. She has spoken at Food Tank’s First London Climate Action Week Summit and addressed the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) cohort. At ASVA, Romy will explore Scotland’s evolving EV landscape, the transition from ChargePlace Scotland, and how attractions can integrate EV charging to enhance visitor experience, sustainability, and commercial success.

About RAW Charging:

RAW Charging is a leading UK Charge Point Operator (CPO) specialising in destination-focused EV charging solutions. We partner with some of the country’s leading leisure destinations, including the National Trust, English Heritage, and Merlin Entertainments, to provide reliable and accessible EV charging. As demand for EV infrastructure continues to grow, visitor attractions must offer convenient charging solutions to enhance the visitor experience and meet evolving expectations. For Scottish visitor attractions, EV charging is more than just a service—it’s an opportunity to improve guest satisfaction while unlocking new revenue streams. RAW Charging offers a fully funded solution, meaning we cover all costs for installation, maintenance, and operation while providing a guaranteed revenue share for your site. Whether in a rural setting or a high-traffic destination, the right EV charging infrastructure helps future-proof businesses and reinforces a commitment to sustainability. RAW Charging makes it easy for visitor attractions to embrace the future of electric mobility—at zero cost, with long-term benefits.

Join ASVA and VisitScotland for this Industry Insight webinar where we will explore essential insights to help you understand market trends, visitor behaviour, and sector performance.

The visitor landscape is constantly evolving, and keeping up with market trends and industry performance is essential for attractions aiming to adapt, grow, and make the most of opportunities in 2025.

In this webinar we will explore:

• Latest Market Intelligence & Travel Trade Tips – VisitScotland’s new Director of Marketing and Digital, Jill Walker, alongside colleagues, will share the latest domestic and international visitor insights and provide practical guidance on marketing strategies and working with the travel trade.
• ASVA Benchmarking Report – ASVA CEO, Michael Golding will present an overview of the latest benchmarking data, highlighting visitor trends, spend patterns, and sector performance to help attractions understand their position in the market.

This webinar will provide actionable insights to help attractions refine their marketing strategies, strengthen industry partnerships, and make data-driven decisions.

We’re delighted to once again be able to offer our acclaimed Exceeding Visitor Expectations training course, which is designed specifically for frontline staff at visitor attractions.

This result-driven, highly relevant one-day course has a proven record of success – many of Scotland’s leading attractions have already taken advantage of it to boost their business performance and competitive edge by enhancing the quality of their visitor offering.

Exceeding Visitor Expectations has been created and crafted to equip customer-facing staff with the specialist skills and insights they need to deliver the very highest standards of service – ensuring every visitor enjoys a truly outstanding experience. Key areas covered can be seen below:

• Identify what your attraction and the area where you work has to offer;
• Understand who your visitors are and what the need and expect;
• Meet, manage and, whenever possible, exceed visitor expectations;
• Welcome visitors from all sections of the community and provide an accessible service;
• Communicate successfully with visitors;
• Use product/ destination knowledge to provide information and advice in an inspiring way;
• Deal effectively with challenging situations;
• Act as an ambassador for your attraction and local area.

Renowned skills development expert Catherine Bowie of Communicate Consultants will lead the training. Catherine is highly experienced in coaching sector team members and providing tailored guidance to enable them to fulfil the potential of their roles, enhancing visitor engagement and satisfaction. This empowers staff, honing their communications skills and building their confidence to help them handle any situation and act as a great ambassador for your attraction.

Please note: Cancellation of a booking (by emailing info@asva.co.uk ) must be received at least 7 days prior to the event to be eligible for a refund. Bookings cancelled less than 7 days before the event, and non-attendance, will be non-refundable.

Join us on Tuesday 4th March from 10:30am – 11:30am for the next Quality Assurance Engagement Session, open to everyone interested in learning more about ASVA’s Quality Assurance journey – including non-members.

This session will provide an opportunity to hear directly from ASVA CEO, Michael Golding, as he shares further updates in the latest developments around Quality Assurance within ASVA.

Whether you’re a member or simply interested in the future of QA in Scottish visitor attractions, this is a chance to engage, ask questions, and contribute your thoughts.

This session marks the continuation of our regular updates on this important journey. By opening this session to everyone, we aim to ensure that Quality Assurance in Scottish visitor attractions reflects the collective needs and ambitions of the sector.

Join us on 12th February at 10.30am for the next in our Industry Insights webinar series, delivered by catering consultant and industry expert, Sandra Reid. This is the first of 2 sessions supporting members in maximising the opportunities and secondary revenue that catering can generate. Many ASVA members operate catering in house and this session will focus specifically on ensuring operational and commercial success in in-house operations.

Content

• The hospitality landscape; challenges and opportunities
• Costs – managing food costs; managing labour costs
• Meeting customer expectations on price
• Stand out from the crowd – differentiating your offer and aligning with the core business
• Case study – Andy Pollexfen, Operations Manager, The Great Tapestry of Scotland
• Top tips
• Q&A

This session will be essential for any ASVA members considering introducing a catering offer, those who already operate in house, those who are considering changing the operating model.

About Sandra Reid and Fare Consulting – Fare Consulting Limited is an independent food and hospitality consultancy. Fare’s Managing Director Sandra Reid has over thirty-five years operational and consultancy experience in the hospitality industry. Over that time, she has ‘cheffed’ in her own restaurant in Edinburgh, taught practical cookery skills, supported social enterprise food projects and client managed catering contractors. Sandra has been a consultant for over twenty years, and launched Fare Consulting in 2014.

With specific expertise in foodservice in leisure, visitor attractions and cultural destinations, Fare Consulting has worked with many iconic attractions across Scotland and the rest of the UK, supporting them with their catering strategy, tendering and contract management. Fare also assists inhouse operations with staff and systems development, menu planning and cost controls.

Join us for this Industry Insight webinar delivered in partnership with trade members ATS on 19th March, where we will be looking at practical strategies for making your attraction accessible and inclusive. At ATS, they believe in breaking down barriers and creating truly accessible spaces where everyone can explore and engage with the fascinating stories you have to tell.

This ideal may seem daunting, especially with limited resources. But what if ATS told you there are simple, cost-effective ways to make your visitor attraction more inclusive?

This is exactly what they will be exploring in this webinar, which will be led by ATS MD, Spencer Clark. The session will equip attendees with actionable steps to create a welcoming environment for all their visitors.

Here are just a few reasons why you should reserve your spot:

• Hear from the experts: They will be joined by representatives from visitor attractions who are already providing audio-described tours and British Sign Language options. These representatives will share their experiences and insights, offering valuable advice and inspiration.
• No budget left behind: They understand that resources are often limited. This webinar focuses on solutions for any budget, no matter the starting point, and will help attendees create the right strategy and plan for their venue.
• Welcome everyone: Understand the value of welcome videos for your website. ATS will cover how a simple video showcasing your accessibility features can put visitors at ease and demonstrate your commitment to inclusion.

Don’t miss this opportunity to take a step towards creating a more inclusive and welcoming space for all.

For 30 years, ATS have been at the forefront of creating unforgettable visitor experiences, blending storytelling and technology. As the MD of ATS, Spencer Clark feels privileged to work alongside an exceptionally talented and experienced team of interpreters, consultants, audio and visual producers, designers, digital developers and technologists. From castles to palaces, museums to galleries, perhaps you are one of the 10 million people who enjoy an ATS multimedia tour ever year?

We’re delighted to once again be able to offer our acclaimed Exceeding Visitor Expectations training course, which is designed specifically for frontline staff at visitor attractions.

This result-driven, highly relevant one-day course has a proven record of success – many of Scotland’s leading attractions have already taken advantage of it to boost their business performance and competitive edge by enhancing the quality of their visitor offering.

Exceeding Visitor Expectations has been created and crafted to equip customer-facing staff with the specialist skills and insights they need to deliver the very highest standards of service – ensuring every visitor enjoys a truly outstanding experience. Key areas covered can be seen below:

• Identify what your attraction and the area where you work has to offer;
• Understand who your visitors are and what the need and expect;
• Meet, manage and, whenever possible, exceed visitor expectations;
• Welcome visitors from all sections of the community and provide an accessible service;
• Communicate successfully with visitors;
• Use product/ destination knowledge to provide information and advice in an inspiring way;
• Deal effectively with challenging situations;
• Act as an ambassador for your attraction and local area.

Renowned skills development expert Catherine Bowie of Communicate Consultants will lead the training. Catherine is highly experienced in coaching sector team members and providing tailored guidance to enable them to fulfil the potential of their roles, enhancing visitor engagement and satisfaction. This empowers staff, honing their communications skills and building their confidence to help them handle any situation and act as a great ambassador for your attraction.

Please note: Cancellation of a booking (by emailing info@asva.co.uk ) must be received at least 7 days prior to the event to be eligible for a refund. Bookings cancelled less than 7 days before the event, and non-attendance, will be non-refundable.

Join us on Wednesday 29th January from 10:30am – 11:30am for the next Quality Assurance Engagement Session, open to everyone interested in learning more about ASVA’s Quality Assurance journey – including non-members.

This session will provide an opportunity to hear directly from ASVA CEO, Michael Golding, as he shares further updates in the latest developments around Quality Assurance within ASVA.

Whether you’re a member or simply interested in the future of QA in Scottish visitor attractions, this is a chance to engage, ask questions, and contribute your thoughts.

This session marks the continuation of our regular updates on this important journey. By opening this session to everyone, we aim to ensure that Quality Assurance in Scottish visitor attractions reflects the collective needs and ambitions of the sector.

*** Please note that this event was originally scheduled for 15th January ***

Join us on Wednesday 18th December from 10:30am – 11:30am for the next Quality Assurance Engagement Session, open to everyone interested in learning more about ASVA’s Quality Assurance journey – including non-members!

This session will provide an opportunity to hear directly from ASVA CEO, Michael Golding, as he shares further updates in the latest developments around Quality Assurance within ASVA.

Whether you’re a member or simply interested in the future of QA in Scottish visitor attractions, this is a chance to engage, ask questions, and contribute your thoughts.

This session marks the continuation of what we anticipate to be regular updates on this important journey. By opening this session to everyone, we aim to ensure that Quality Assurance in Scottish visitor attractions reflects the collective needs and ambitions of the sector.

The ASVA General Meeting will take place on Monday 2nd December at 10:30am, to which all ASVA members are invited.

The AGM will be held virtually, via Zoom. Members can register by clicking on this link.

The agenda for the meeting can be found here.

To access the minutes from the previous AGM, please visit the ASVA Members Area and click on ‘ASVA Management Information’, followed by ‘ASVA Organisational Information’.

At the conclusion of the formal AGM business, our CEO Michael Golding will reflect on the last year of ASVA’s activity, and present on the vision of ASVA for the future.

We’re delighted to once again be able to offer our acclaimed Exceeding Visitor Expectations training course, which is designed specifically for frontline staff at visitor attractions.

This result-driven, highly relevant one-day course has a proven record of success – many of Scotland’s leading attractions have already taken advantage of it to boost their business performance and competitive edge by enhancing the quality of their visitor offering.

Exceeding Visitor Expectations has been created and crafted to equip customer-facing staff with the specialist skills and insights they need to deliver the very highest standards of service – ensuring every visitor enjoys a truly outstanding experience. Key areas covered can be seen below:

• Identify what your attraction and the area where you work has to offer;
• Understand who your visitors are and what the need and expect;
• Meet, manage and, whenever possible, exceed visitor expectations;
• Welcome visitors from all sections of the community and provide an accessible service;
• Communicate successfully with visitors;
• Use product/ destination knowledge to provide information and advice in an inspiring way;
• Deal effectively with challenging situations;
• Act as an ambassador for your attraction and local area.

Renowned skills development expert Catherine Bowie of Communicate Consultants will lead the training. Catherine is highly experienced in coaching sector team members and providing tailored guidance to enable them to fulfil the potential of their roles, enhancing visitor engagement and satisfaction. This empowers staff, honing their communications skills and building their confidence to help them handle any situation and act as a great ambassador for your attraction.

Please note: Cancellation of a booking (by emailing info@asva.co.uk ) must be received at least 7 days prior to the event to be eligible for a refund. Bookings cancelled less than 7 days before the event, and non-attendance, will be non-refundable.