DC tres cool – Washington DC for Conventions and Incentives

by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua The Challenge I gave Lyndsi Armenio of Destination DC half a day to prove for the purposes of this blog that Washington DC kicked ass as a conventions and incentives destination. “Show me a great hotel, an unusual location for a welcome function, a wow venue for a Gala,… Read more »

Malaga – authentic Andalucian charm for Meetings and Events

by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua That I couldn’t locate a pub in downtown Malaga showing either Arsenal v Everton or Ireland v Italy was intensely frustrating. The first match was a quarter final cup clash against strong opposition and Arsenal were to score 4 glorious goals to progress to the FA cup semi-final. Ireland… Read more »

48 hours in London – beyond the tourist trails

by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua An unusual trip This was an unusual trip. 2 nights R&R at an iconic hotel in Knightsbridge, the delectable delights of London available on your doorstep, followed by a night with your daughter in remote suburbia, several tube stops, a commuter train and a car journey from the excitement. In… Read more »

Can DMCs protect their intellectual property? ADMEI14

by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolElla The best laid plans of MICE and men… I should be writing this blog post from Washington DC where the Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI) is holding its annual conference. However, severe weather on East Coast USA caused my plans to be abandoned – having reached Boston… Read more »

Milestones, Highlights and Lessons Learned: 20 years as a DMC

by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolElla Fiche bliain ag fas 20 years ago this year Patrick Delaney and I started Delaney Marketing Consultants and launched ourselves as “Ireland’s leading DMC” to the understandable annoyance of our long established competitors. Some competitors even took their chagrin to higher authorities and lodged official complaints about our promotional… Read more »

Live Events: Inspiration, Insight and Loud Laughs

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC Measuring what matters Tangible measures such as financial return can never properly calculate the total benefit you get from attending a well organised meetings industry event. This thought was already in my mind as I tried to assess the positive impact for me and, crucially, for those… Read more »

The Power of Live Events – 5 things that Web Summit did for Dublin

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations, MCI Nasty attack of FOMO At a certain point yesterday that dreaded FOMO syndrome took hold and I embarked on a mad dash around the various stages and pitching areas in a frenzy of fear. Maybe this is what looters feel like. There was simply too much good… Read more »

5 Tips for Success at IMEX13, Las Vegas

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations, MCI In a recent post I recalled, with some nostalgia, the halycon days of IT&ME a.k.a. The Motivation Show when the entire meetings and events industry decamped to Chicago every year in September or October. Sometimes we froze and sometimes we were roasted to a crisp depending on… Read more »

5 steps to success for Destination Management Companies

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC The debate about the future of Destination Management Companies has crossed the Atlantic and has generated good commentary on the pages at MeetPie, the  excellent on-line platform of CAT Publications, publishers of Meetings and Incentive Travel magazine amongst others. In his comment there my good friend David… Read more »

Athens, Greece: open for business meetings and events

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President of Industry Relations, MCI and Vice President of Ovation Global DMC Athens Greece – wide open for business meetings Do a Google search for Athens and you’ll get more results for the town in Georgia, that spawned REM (the thinking person’s rock group) than the city in Europe that gave… Read more »