On re-launching the SoolNua website

by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua The SoolNua site has been in soft launch mode for the past couple of weeks but next week we’ll officially launch V2 of the website. The soft launch allowed us to iron out some wrinkles and get some really valuable feedback prior to formally signing our names to its release. Like all… Read more »

So what does SoolNua do?

by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua All’s changed… Regular readers of this blog will have noticed how its byline and biography have changed. They used to say that I was Vice President of Industry Relations at MCI and Managing Director at Ovation Global DMC. About 15 months ago this changed to Managing Partner at SoolNua. When… Read more »

The 3 Ingredients for a Great Event

by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Yesterday the SoolNua crew participated at Site Ireland’s annual summer event and came away inspired, energized and truly motivated. And it wasn’t just the unabated sunshine – temperatures were 25 degree +. Upon reflection this morning I realized the event involved the rather rare perfect alignment of 3 key… Read more »

Dublin for incentives – how to do a great site inspection

by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua I remember that Summer in Dublin … It was a warm 22 degrees and the mid morning streets of Dublin were bathed in bright July sunshine. Our pop-up café culture was already in full swing, the pavements crammed with  cool people drinking all sorts of coffees and coloured juices… Read more »

An ICCA Virgin in Shanghai

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC and Vice President, Industry Relations, MCI Distant Love For over 20 years I’ve had an arms length relationship with her. From afar, like a courtly lover, I could appreciate her unique appeal –  petite and svelte, friendly and smart – but I couldn’t quite find the time,… Read more »

IMEX13 – 5 reasons why IMEX is a great meetings industry exhibition

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC and Vice President, Industry Relations, MCI After 4 intense days of full-on immersion in meetings industry matters, IMEX13 has finally drawn to a conclusion. Reporting a 27% increase on IMEX12, the exhibition has certainly come of age taking an undisputed primary position in the global meetings and… Read more »

London Calling: M&IT Awards, CONFEX and the Irish back at ExCel

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President MCI and Vice President, Ovation Global DMC Ole, Ole, Ole London’s Convention and Exhibition Centre, ExCeL, is etched in the hearts of most Irish people. For a period last summer it often appeared that the entire facility had been colonised by the Irish such were the ubiquity of tri-colours and… Read more »

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered by Brussels (and Le Meridien re-visited)

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC Blushing Belgians As a teenager in the 1970s I was part of an Irish delegation that attended an international arts and performance festival in Rome. Attracting young people from all over the world this event fostered peace and universal brotherhood and was attended by over 10,000 people…. Read more »

MCI Academy and Madrid goes Mental

by Padraic Gilligan, VP, INdustry Relations MCI I’m NOT sitting at a railway station I’m sitting on a granite ledge. It’s about 30 degrees and I can feel the warmth of the sun on my face. Around me there’s a veritable babel of different languages and random sounds. The breeze is warm and bone dry…. Read more »