Visit the Gathering
On this page, you'll find information about coming to the Gathering.
The Gathering took place on 4th and 5th February 2025 and was free to attend - everyone is welcome! To make the most of the buzz on the day and all our networking opportunities, we hope that you'll be able to join us in person.
We'll be offering free online access to our most popular events and sessions again this year at the Gathering Extra to make sure that as many people as possible can access our event content and insights. The Gathering Extra will take place on 5th March 2025.
Book your place at the Gathering Extra on 5th March 2025 now!
Alex Thomson,We hope you had a fantastic time at the Gathering on 4 and 5 February.
Are you joining us for the Gathering Extra on 5 March? We'd love to see you there!
Events & training manager, SCVO
About the venue and getting to the Gathering
The Gathering is being held at the EICC in Edinburgh on 4th and 5th February 2025. The address is 150 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EE. View location on Google Maps.
We’ve chosen the EICC as our venue because it has good transport links. Please use public transport, walking, cycling or wheeling to get to the venue if you can - use our You.Smart.Thing link to help plan your route to the EICC. If you’re travelling from out with Edinburgh and public transport is not an option for you perhaps consider car sharing with other organisations from your local area.
Visit the EICC website where you can find lots of helpful information including how to get there and on-site facilities, including free WiFi for all visitors, helping you stay connected throughout your visit to the Gathering.
If travel to Edinburgh is not an option for you, you can catch up on the most popular sessions from the comfort of your own home online with the Gathering Extra. The Gathering Extra will take place on 5th March 2025.
Once you arrive and attending events
Please head to the registration desk at the main doors of the EICC when you arrive where our friendly team will be there to welcome you.
Registration will be open from 7.30am on Tuesday 4th February and 8.15am on Wednesday 5th February.
Once you've signed in you're welcome to make use of our name badges to share your name, pronouns and organisation with other delegates.
You’ll find signage and maps near the registration desks to help you familiarise yourself with where your sessions will be taking place. You can also view the venue layout maps and take a virtual tour ahead of your visit.
We’re looking forward to welcoming over 3,000 delegates over both days. To avoid queues when attending sessions, we recommend arriving at your event space early.
To prevent congestion around the venue between sessions, we encourage you to use the stairs if you can. This will help keep lifts free for those who need them. The venue also has escalators that switch directions in between sessions to take you quickly to and from your events.
Venue accessibility
The EICC is a fully-accessible events venue, designed to be inclusive to all people.
You can find all of the EICC’s accessibility information here, including information about:
- Accessible travel options
- Accessible parking
- Access to lifts
- Toilet facilities
- Autism Friendly Visitors' Guide.
You can also view venue layout maps and take a virtual tour ahead of your visit.
An accessible and inclusive Gathering
We want the Gathering 2025 to be accessible, inclusive and enjoyable for everyone. We are applying a range of accessibility measures as standard. And we warmly invite you to tell us about your needs so we can address those too wherever possible.
You can tell us about your accessibility needs when you book to attend the Gathering, or by emailing our Gathering team.
Catering at the venue
Catering is available throughout the venue and will be exclusively vegetarian, with vegan and non-gluten containing options available. Please note that catering stations will only accept card payments. You are also welcome to bring your own food. At the Gathering 2025, we've introduced more catering stations and more places to sit while you grab a bite to eat or a drink.
Don't forget to bring along your own reusable cups and water bottles too to help us make it a Greener Gathering!
Staying in Edinburgh
There are lots of accommodation options to choose from in Edinburgh, so we’ve teamed up with Conference Care to help you with your search!
Browse hotels with the best availability and rates for attending the Gathering and find accommodation that suits your needs.
Planning your time at the Gathering
Before the Gathering, head to your My SCVO account to:
- View your bookings, check event timings and event details
- Sign up for more events if you fancy squeezing even more into your day(s)
- Cancel a booking for any sessions you won't be able to attend
When you arrive at the Gathering, please make your way to the main registration desk where you’ll be given a copy of the Gathering guide with everything you need to know, and a name badge.
If you're planning on heading along to our exhibition, the opening times are as follows:
Tuesday 7 November - 9am to 4pm
Wednesday 8 November - 9am to 3pm
Get in touch
Got a question about the Gathering? Contact our team, we'd love to hear from you!
