The European Pipe Band Championships, to be held in Grant Park, Forres, on Saturday 27 June 2015, are being renamed ‘Piping At Forres’. The new website is www.pipingatforres.com and will have all the details of the 2015 championships including how to buy tickets, apply to be a Stallholder or become a Sponsor.   The new Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/PipingAtForres

Previous events have been known as Piping Hot Forres, but Forres Events Ltd has voluntarily opted to make the change after a recent ruling prevented them from registering PIPING HOT FORRES as a trademark. An objection had been raised by the owner of a trademark which includes the words ‘piping’ and ‘ hot’.  Forres Events Limited, which runs the event together with the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (www.rspba.org), is a not-for-profit enterprise, and the Directors have decided to change the title to avoid potentially costly legal actions.

The championships in 2014 attracted 119 bands, including 11 grade 1 bands and the current World Champions, who played in Grant Park in 4 arenas offering an opportunity to see world class piping in Moray.   The 2014 event scored 9.2 out of a possible 10 for overall enjoyment in a visitor survey for the second year running.

The planning for 2015 is well under way and promises to deliver another wonderful day of piping and fun. Forres will be the place to be “at” on 27 June 2015 – for Piping At Forres.

Congratulations to David Urquhart on winning the Ambassador Award at the Highland and Islands Tourism Awards 2014.

David is a Director of Forres Events Ltd, which organises the European Pipe Band Championships in Forres; in particular David focuses on Marketing and Sponsorship. David is also responsible for bringing things such as the Tattie Scone Championship and the Education Centre, for people to give piping a go, to the event.

On winning the Ambassador Award at the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards David Urquhart said: “I am extremely touched and humbled to be the winner of this prestigious award. I took forward an idea put to me by the Forres Communities Activities Association to make a bid for the European Pipe Band Championships and from that seed of an idea to have it the success it is is a huge reward but to be awarded this Ambassador Award is a truly great honour. Of course it’s not just me, there is a whole team behind Piping Hot Forres who work extremely hard behind the scenes from the Directors to the contractors and the volunteers without whom we would not have an event.”

On David winning the Ambassador Award at the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards, Ian Widdowson, Chairman of Forres Events Ltd said: “A truly deserving winner. As anyone connected with the event will know David has been a strong advocate for the championships and for Forres and has channelled his business skills into Piping Hot Forres over the last 2 years enlisting sponsors and ensuring that there is always a new event to keep ideas fresh, despite having had his own personal battles with his health. I congratulate him thoroughly.”
David was Chieftain at the Championships in 2014.