"Let's talk about Ireland"

Our first full interview is with Dermod Dwyer, Chairman of the Convention Centre Dublin – the amazing new convention facility scheduled to open in September of this year. The CCD will be the first carbon neutral convention centre in the world, and has already booked in 29 major events.

As promised, here’s part two of our introductory Ireland Means Business video series. Here we find out a bit more about the new developments such as the Aviva Stadium and Convention Centre Dublin and hear about the environmentally aware approach the business tourism industry is taking.

Please come back next Tuesday for the first of several [...]

We recently visited Dublin to speak to some of the key influencers in the MICE industry for both the city and Ireland as a whole. Over the coming weeks we’ll be posting a series video interviews here, covering topics including Ireland’s developments such as the Convention Centre Dublin and Aviva Stadium, Ireland’s green credentials as a business destination, the overall perception of the country as a business destination and how that is changing. Here’s part one:

The third Northern Ireland Business Tourism Expo got underway today, taking place in Belfast’s Odyssey Arena. Around 55 conference and corporate meeting buyers are attending the Expo, which comprises of not just a conference, but a gala dinner and familirisation trips around and out of the city, to discover what’s really great about Northern Ireland. [...]

If this week was a colour, it would be green.
With the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Copenhagen the word ‘sustainability’ is on everybody’s lips, and it’s no different in the conference and events industry – in fact Conference and Incentive Travel are running a special ‘Green Week’.
Of course everyone wants to [...]

We’ve seen quite a few pieces in the press about the developments in Ireland’s business tourism offering recently, so thought we would share them here.

This year GUINNESS celebrates its 250 anniversary, marking the birthday of one of our most famous and enduring brands. Today the site brews more than 3 million pints daily and still remains the world’s largest export breweries, even as the global demand for beer wanes.
The event space at the Guinness Storehouse [...]

A shift is taking place in what Ireland’s meetings and conference suppliers are offering. Ireland has long been known as a place to come for ‘the craic’ (noun: meaning fun or enjoyment, specifically within a social environment) but perhaps less so for business. This is changing, world class conference facilities are being built, access is improving and awareness of the existing facilities is growing. If you plan your event in Ireland now it’s going to be professionally and efficiently run.

The current economic climate seems to be challenging more than budgets. It’s challenging people’s perceptions too. What’s the best destination for a conference or event which isn’t perceived as over-indulgent? Are there value alternatives close to home which fit with current times?
The theme of perception was the hot topic on our recent ‘FAM’ (familiarisation) trip [...]

Following our annual workshop and FAM trip which this year was in and around Dublin, we stayed in the magnificent Carton House where the first team of Real Madrid, including Cristiano Ronaldo, were staying just a couple of weeks later.
Real Madrid selected Carton House as the base for their first team pre-season training camp, July [...]