Mark Currie highlights the success of the Royal Highland Centre – home to the Royal Highland Show for more than 60 years – in hosting some of the UK’s biggest live music acts.
He says: “Standing in front of a sold-out crowd at Chappell Roan and seeing and hearing the venue operating at that scale was incredibly rewarding.”
Mr Currie notes that, earlier in his career, he had an extended period with the “amazing team delivering T in the Park at Balado in Kinross”. He describes this as a “real career highlight” and says that this operational grounding has given him “a real appreciation of what it takes to deliver large-scale events safely and successfully”.
Among his ambitions, he wants to see the Royal Highland Centre “become one of the leading event campuses in the UK and a recognised destination for live entertainment”.
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Name: Mark Currie
Job title: Managing director
What is your business called? Royal Highland Centre
Where is it based? Edinburgh
What does it produce/ do? The Royal Highland Centre is Scotland’s largest indoor and outdoor events venue. We host everything from major concerts, exhibitions and conferences through to cultural events, festivals, and have been home to the Royal Highland Show for over 60 years. The venue operates year-round and welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
To whom does it sell?
We work with a broad range of clients including event organisers, promoters, corporate businesses, trade associations, exhibitors, public sector organisations and members of the public attending events.
What is its turnover?
The group turns over circa £15 million and the business has ambitious long-term growth targets and continues to see strong year-on-year commercial growth as the venue expands its event portfolio and market position.
How many employees?
We have just short of 40 full-time employees, with a dedicated year-round team across operations, events, commercial, marketing, estates, health and safety, and administration, supported by a significant temporary workforce during major events including the Royal Highland Show.
What attracted you to your current role?
I’ve always loved live events and the ability they have to bring people together. What attracted me most to this role was the opportunity to help shape the future of one of Scotland’s most iconic venues and events businesses. The Royal Highland Centre has enormous potential, not just commercially, but culturally and economically for Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole.
What were you doing before?
I’ve worked in the events and venue industry for most of my career, predominantly in operational and leadership roles across major events, festivals and live entertainment. Core to my earlier career was an extended period with the amazing team delivering T in the Park at Balado in Kinross which was a real career highlight and that operational grounding has given me a real appreciation of what it takes to deliver large-scale events safely and successfully.
What do you least enjoy?
Like most people in leadership positions, the difficult conversations never become enjoyable, particularly when decisions impact good people. But transparency and clear communication are incredibly important parts of leadership.
What do you consider to be the main successes of the business?
Over the last few years, we’ve significantly broadened both the scale and diversity of events at the venue. We’ve hosted some of the UK’s biggest live music acts, expanded our conference and exhibition offering and modernised many aspects of the business operationally and commercially.
One of the biggest achievements has been repositioning the venue as a major year-round destination while still protecting and enhancing the heritage and importance of the Royal Highland Show. We’ve also worked hard to improve standards, infrastructure and partnership working across the board.
What are your ambitions for the firm?
Our ambitions are significant. We want the Royal Highland Centre to become one of the leading event campuses in the UK and a recognised destination for live entertainment, conferences and major cultural events.
There is huge opportunity for Edinburgh to strengthen its position internationally as an events city, and we believe the venue can play a major role in that. We’re focused on long-term sustainable growth, continued investment in infrastructure and improving the overall visitor experience.
What are the challenges facing the sector and market, and what could be done to overcome or address these?
The events industry continues to face challenges around rising operational costs, infrastructure pressures and increasing regulation. Public safety expectations are rightly higher than ever, but that also creates significant financial and operational demands for venues and organisers.
There’s also strong competition nationally and internationally for major events. Continued investment in transport, infrastructure and a supportive operating environment for live events will be essential if Scotland wants to remain competitive.
What single thing would most help?
Greater long-term investment and strategic support for Scotland’s events and cultural infrastructure would make a huge difference. The economic and social impact of major events is enormous, but venues need confidence and support to continue investing at scale.
What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?
Relationships and reputation matter enormously. The events industry is ultimately built on trust. Whether it’s clients, staff, partners, emergency services or stakeholders, people remember how you operate under pressure and how you treat them when they visit us.
What was your best moment?
There have been a few, but standing in front of a sold-out crowd at Chappell Roan and seeing and hearing the venue operating at that scale was incredibly rewarding. That represented years of teamwork, commitment and dedication all culminating in an incredible moment. Thirty thousand people singing ‘Pink Pony Club’ at the top of their lungs was a sight to behold!
What has been your most challenging moment in life or business?
Like many businesses, navigating the uncertainty following the pandemic was extremely challenging. The events industry was one of the hardest-hit sectors, and there were periods where the future was genuinely uncertain. It reinforced the importance of resilience, adaptability and strong teams.
How do you relax?
Spending time with family and friends is the main thing. I also enjoy football, travelling and getting to live events as a customer rather than as the person responsible for running them.
What phrase or quotation has inspired you the most?
“Is the juice worth the squeeze.” I employ this in just about every business and life decision I make.
What is the best book (fiction or non-fiction) you have ever read? Why is it the best?
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight stands out. It’s a brilliant reminder that even globally recognised businesses are often built through persistence, risk-taking and resilience rather than overnight success.
Where do you find yourself most at ease?
Professionally, onsite during live events. It’s a fast-paced environment with constant problem-solving, but it’s also where I feel most comfortable. Personally, at the side of a pool with a beer in my hand.
If you weren’t in your current role, what job would you most fancy?
Probably something connected to sport or live music. I’ve always been fascinated by the atmosphere and psychology behind major live experiences and how they bring people together.
What countries have you most enjoyed travelling to, for business or leisure, and why?
For work I travelled to Mexico City and Santiago, Chile, and found it fascinating how different the expectations of customers and the standards of safety and delivery were. It was a great experience but gave me a great perspective on how incredible some of our suppliers and staff are at their jobs. For leisure, I have two young kids, so anywhere with a pool, the sun and sand is where you will find us!
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