by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner at SoolNua In the field of destination marketing Venice is Coca Cola. It’s up there, profile-wise, with New York and London in the super-brand category, known and recognized all over the world for its utterly unique topology, its ubiquitous gondolas, Carnevale, cruise ships and crowds. Within MICE it’s the incentive… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua *I recently co-produced the Gala Dinner Entertainment at the Hofburg Palace, Vienna with a dear friend and client in the Finance and Insurance sector. Here’s an account of the evening from the perspective of a fictitious programme qualifier, Bob Newman. A kind of homecoming It was 5:05pm and his… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua For 50 years Avis, the car rental company, used “We try harder” as its tagline. It was a piece of brilliant disruptive marketing, fashioned under the leadership of CEO Robert Townsend, aimed at taking down Hertz, the dominant market player at the time. Instead of bland, vacuous hyperbole laying… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua You pause at the door but then decide on another trip to the restroom. You’ve been at the entrance to the ballroom twice before but, each time, found compelling reasons not to go in. First time, when you looked into the room, there was nobody there. Second time the room was too… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Since this blog began over two years ago I’ve posted a number of times on the evolving world of DMCs. These posts were then gathered together using the excellent Publicate and posted with the title “How important are DMC’s in today’s marketplace?” on the Site Global Linkedin Group. I’m… Read more »
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 »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Passion and Energy in Limerick The Association of Irish Professional Organisers (AIPCO) made its annual assembly into a pan-MICE gathering this year and attracted almost 200 meetings and events professionals to Limerick, City of Culture. The entire event was characterised by palpable passion and energy, evidenced by the great… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC Bodrum used to be called Halicarnassus, was the birthplace of Herodotus, the father of History and was home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. I learned this from classical scholar and teacher, Pádraic O’Sullivan, under an azure sky… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, MCI and Vice President, Ovation Global DMC I have always believed in “giving back”. One of the easiest ways to do this is to participate in industry associations. The meetings industry space is well populated with associations seeking your membership so it’s sometimes difficult to decide where to spend your… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC Snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, further westwards, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling too upon every part of the lonely churchyard where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on… Read more »