Issue - meetings

(i)       Approves proposed international travel as detailed below, and subject to the maximum expenditure as detailed in paragraph 4.1. All approved travel will be reviewed when event schedules and programmes become available to ensure continued adherence to the criteria in paragraph 3.9 before bookings are made;

(a)    Two officers (one City Growth and one Invest Aberdeen) to attend WindEurope’s annual conference in Copenhagen, Denmark between 25 – 27 April 2023;

(b)    Up to two officers to attend the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, Netherlands between 9 - 11 May 2023; and

(c)    The Lord Provost plus one officer to attend the WECP Board Meeting at CERA Week conference in Houston, USA in early March 2024 (dates TBC);

(ii)       Delegates authority to the Chief Officer – City Growth to authorise necessary and appropriate travel documentation and associated expenditure for the travel noted in 2.1, provided the cost does not exceed the budget referred to in Section 4 of this report and that all arrangements are made in line with current Council travel policies;

(iii)      Notes the outcomes of overseas activity undertaken in 2022/23 as detailed in Appendix 1 of this report;

(iv)      Agrees that the outcomes of overseas activity proposed for 2023/24 will be provided to this Committee by way of an annual Service Update;

(v)      Instructs the Chief Officer – City Growth to circulate a breakdown of the 2022/23 financial costs for the Christmas Tree to all Committee members.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Commissioning which sought approval of proposed international travel and conference attendance by officers and elected members, required to support relevant City Growth activities in 2023/24.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve proposed international travel as detailed below, and subject to the maximum expenditure as detailed in paragraph 4.1. All approved travel will be reviewed when event schedules and programmes become available to ensure continued adherence to the criteria in paragraph 3.9 before bookings are made:-

(1)    Two officers (one City Growth and one Invest Aberdeen) to attend WindEurope’s annual conference in Copenhagen, Denmark between 25 – 27 April 2023;

(2)    Up to two officers to attend the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, Netherlands between 9 - 11 May 2023; and

(3)    The Lord Provost plus one officer to attend the WECP Board Meeting at CERA Week conference in Houston, USA in early March 2024 (dates TBC);

(b)      delegate authority to the Chief Officer – City Growth to authorise necessary and appropriate travel documentation and associated expenditure for the travel noted in 2.1, provided the cost does not exceed the budget referred to in Section 4 of this report and that all arrangements are made in line with current Council travel policies;

(c)      note the outcomes of overseas activity undertaken in 2022/23 as detailed in Appendix 1 of this report; and

(d)      agree that the outcomes of overseas activity proposed for 2023/24 will be provided to this Committee by way of an annual Service Update.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve the recommendations; and

(ii)       to instruct the Chief Officer – City Growth to circulate a breakdown of the 2022/23 financial costs for the Christmas Tree to all Committee members.