THE organisation responsible for bringing conferences to Glasgow has been named the best in the UK for a record breaking ninth year in a row.

Glasgow City Marketing Bureau was named the UK's Best Convention Bureau ahead of London, Liverpool, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

The record breaking accolade means Glasgow is the first UK city to collect the top prize over nine consecutive years.

The annual Meetings and Incentive Travel poll collects votes from more than 4500 industry professionals through an independent audit with more than 13,000 votes cast across its award categories.

City council leader Gordon Matheson, who is also chairman of the marketing bureau, said: "Winning this prestigious award for the eighth time last year was unprecedented but to be named as the Best UK Convention Bureau over nine consecutive years is nothing short of incredible.

"Last year was undoubtedly Glasgow's showcase as we proved our capacity, credibility and capability to the world.

"However 2014 was not the summit of our ambition - it is our new base camp from which we will continue to compete with other world leading cities in bidding and winning major conferences in a fiercely competitive market place.

"This year we will welcome 140 UK, European and international conferences which will bring some 350,000 delegates from across the world to Glasgow and boost the local economy by approximately £120million.

"This award, which is recognised as the industry gold standard, is another major win for Glasgow.

"It is testament to the excellent team approach that exists as part of the city's partnership between our venues, especially the SECC, hotels, universities, the NHS, local ambassadors, restaurants, transport providers and all the other conference service providers who consistently strive for excellence in making Glasgow one of Europe's premier business tourism destinations.

"With business confirmed on the books through to 2022 and bids in progress as far out as 2024, one thing is clear - the best is yet to come for this city."

Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said the GCMB convention bureau had rightly been recognised as the best in the UK for many years.

He added: "The number, scope and scale of conferences it has brought to the city is remarkable and has made a significant contribution to Glasgow's economy with huge benefits for businesses throughout the supply chain, including food suppliers, the hospitality trade, distribution companies and transport providers."

Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport said the award was "richly deserved".

She added: "The economic benefits they bring to Glasgow are incredibly significant and have undoubtedly supported the airport's growth in recent years."