ArbFest2024
The Centre is proud to announce that the next Edinburgh International Arbitration Festival (ArbFest2024) will be taking place on 5 and 6 of September 2024, following the success of the inaugural ArbFest2023. We are excited to bring back the international community to Edinburgh and provide another series of fascinating topics, panels and panelists, and festival entertainment.
The Early Bird Rate for the Edinburgh International Arbitration Festival (ArbFest2024), which the Centre will host on 5 and 6 September 2024, has been extended to close on 28 June 2024. This is the second edition of Scotland’s international arbitration days and ArbFest is again supported by the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA). To get your festival pass, click here.
See below for our Snapshot programme.
Thursday (5th September)
Book Festival
We are happy to announce that Lady Hale will be a Headliner at the Book Festival part of the Edinburgh International Arbitration Festival (ArbFest2024), where she will discuss her book, Spider Woman: A Life.
As President of the Supreme Court, Lady Hale won global attention in finding the 2019 prorogation of Parliament to be unlawful. Yet that dramatic moment was merely the pinnacle of a career throughout which she was hailed as a pioneering reformer.
Lady Hale will take part in a Q&A session about her book, allowing our Festivalgoers to her ask questions.
Food and Drink Festival
The Thursday will comprise of the Food and Drink Festival, which will include the sampling of some of Scotland’s finest food. More details on venues and events will follow soon.
See below some moments from last year’s Food and Drink Festival.
Friday (6th September)
Main Festival
The Friday will be the Main Festival with Lise Bosman and Brandon Malone as co-chairs. The themes this year are confidentiality v transparency and psychology in arbitration, which will be explored by our Performers.
Headliners
Dr Ula Cartwright-Finch, Managing Director of Cortex Capital Limited, and Craig Tevendale, Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, will be Headliners at the Main Festival. Ula will have a focus on arbitration and psychology and Craig will discuss confidentiality v transparency in arbitration.
Performers
In addition to our Headliners, we have a fantastic line up of Performers:
Friday (6th September)
Food, Drink, Music and Dance Festival
The Main Festival will conclude with the Food, Drink, Music and Dance Festival, where Festivalgoers will enjoy a second dinner sampling a range of further dishes.
The music and dance festival will include bagpiping, poetry and song, followed by a traditional Scottish ceilidh dance with a live band.
See below some images from ArbFest2023:
Make sure you take advantage of the Early Bird Rate Festival Passes before close on 28 June 2024. Remember, passes include two receptions, two dinners, the main conference and a ceilidh dance. Purchase your pass here.
Recommended Hotels
Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Princes Street): 121-123 Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2 4AD, United Kingdom. https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/scotland/lothian/edinburgh/edinburgh-city-centre-princes-street.html
YOTEL Edinburgh: 68-73 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 4NA, United Kingdom. https://www.yotel.com/en/hotels/yotel-edinburgh
The Caledonian Edinburgh, Curio Collection by Hilton: Princes Street, Edinburgh EH1 2AB, United Kingdom. https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/ednchci-the-caledonian-edinburgh/
Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh: 1 Festival Square, Edinburgh EH3 9SR, United Kingdom.https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/edisi-sheraton-grand-hotel-and-spa-edinburgh/
Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel: 38 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4HQ, United Kingdom. https://www.kimptoncharlottesquare.com/
Sponsors
CMS is the Venue Host Sponsor, Ankura is a Silver Sponsor and Herbert Smith Freehills, FTI Consulting and Burness Paull are Bronze Sponsors. Ampersand Advocates is a Morning Coffee Break Sponsor.
We are grateful to our sponsors. If you wish to partner with the Centre as a sponsor of ArbFest2024 please see here for details.
Resolugin - The Spirit of Arbitration
Festivalgoers get an unique opportunity to sample Resolugin, the Centre’s own Scottish gin.
Resolugin is the Spirit of Arbitration with ingredients for Alliances, Wisdom, Sincerity, Prosperity, Inspiration, Protection, Openness, Luck, Success and Passion. Handcrafted in Scotland, our gin is bright and citrus forward with contrasting piney notes of juniper.
Our Festivalgoers will be able to sample Resolugin at our Food and Drink Festival on Thursday 5 September and on Friday 6 September too. You will also receive your own special dram of Resolugin to take home with you.
Check out some footage from last year
Festival Passes Prices
|
Super Early Bird Festival Pass Rates 15 December – 29 February |
Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard | £495.00 |
| Centre Named Member | £440.00 |
| Public Lawyers | £440.00 |
| in-house Counsel | £440.00 |
|
Early Bird Festival Pass Rates 1 March – 16 August |
Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard | £595.00 |
| Centre Named Member | £530.00 |
| Public Lawyers | £530.00 |
| in-house Counsel | £530.00 |
|
Standard Festival Pass Rates 16 August – 23 August |
Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard | £650.00 |
| Centre Named Member | £580.00 |
| Public Lawyers | £580.00 |
| in-house Counsel | £580.00 |
|
Late Festival Pass Rates 24 August – 5 September |
Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard | £695.00 |
| Centre Named Member | £620.00 |
| Public Lawyers | £620.00 |
| in-house Counsel | £620.00 |
Venue Locations
Thursday events will take place at The National Galleries of Scotland: National – The Mound, Edinburgh EH2 2EL. It is situated in Princes Street Gardens. You access the Gardens and Galleries from Princes Street, where you take the steps down into the Gardens to find the main entrance to the Galleries and its Scottish Café and Restaurant.
The Main Festival event on Friday will take place at CMS Scotland Offices – Saltire Court, 20 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2EN. It is situated just off Lothian Road, behind the Usher Hall.
We will return to the National Galleries of Scotland: National for the evening events on the Friday.
Hotels
Edinburgh has a wide range of accommodation but you may wish to consider the following hotels as they are in close proximity to the venues.
See below a list of hotels to consider:
- Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Princes Street): 121-123 Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2 4AD, United Kingdom.
- YOTEL Edinburgh: 68-73 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 4NA, United Kingdom.
https://www.yotel.com/en/hotels/yotel-edinburgh
- The Caledonian Edinburgh, Curio Collection by Hilton: Princes Street, Edinburgh EH1 2AB, United Kingdom.
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/ednchci-the-caledonian-edinburgh/
- Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh: 1 Festival Square, Edinburgh EH3 9SR, United Kingdom.
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/edisi-sheraton-grand-hotel-and-spa-edinburgh/
- Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel: 38 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4HQ, United Kingdom.