by Pádraic Gilligan, Chief Marketing Officer, SITE & Founder, SoolNua Movies and Tourism When I worked as an Italian-speaking tour guide in Ireland in the late ’80s and early ’90s, one of my set-piece commentaries was on movies shot in Ireland. I would mention The Quiet Man (1952, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara), Un… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Destinations
Macao – Asia’s rising star for Business Events
by Pádraic Gilligan, Co-founder, SoolNua & Chief Marketing Officer, SITE Macao & Las Vegas Las Vegas casinos buzz with high-fives, loud cheers, and a steady pour of free-flowing adult beverages. In contrast, Macao’s casinos exude an air of quiet intensity, where focused patrons sip water in hushed concentration. What’s high-spirited entertainment in one destination is… Read more »
SITE at Fontainebleau, Miami Beach – where two classics collide
by Pádraic Gilligan, Founder of SoolNua & Chief Marketing Officer, SITE Since its triumphant debut in 1954, Fontainebleau Miami Beach has had more work done than your favourite Instagram influencer! We’re talking body contouring, tummy tucks, augmentations, Brazilians—you name it. Not to mention the countless facelifts. Yet, through it all, its original curves, as envisioned… Read more »
Incentives on the edge: St. John’s, Newfoundland
Pádraic Gilligan reflects on his visit to St. John’s, Canada’s easternmost provincial capital, where he attended the Incentive Summit Americas (ISA). Contrary to its “Stay Strange” motif, St. John’s is a warm, unpretentious city with unique, locally-owned shops and a vibrant community. The ISA event, hosted at the Alt Hotel, featured exceptional local activities such as hikes, heli-rides, and a memorable keynote by Justin Wren. The city’s genuine hospitality, slower pace, and unique traditions, such as the screech-in ceremony, left attendees with lasting memories. The summit successfully showcased St. John’s unconventional appeal and charm.
Is it still raining in Gleneagles? My first visit to Scotland’s incentive masterpiece
by Pádraic Gilligan, Founder SoolNua & Chief Marketing Officer, SITE Gleneagles – an incentive travel classic As July unfolds in Ireland and the weather gods continue to think it’s March, I’m left wondering whether it’s still raining in Gleneagles, that “glorious playground” that my son Colm and I visited earlier this year? Despite my decades… Read more »
Building & Bridging Cultures with SITE in Sydney
by Pádraic Gilligan, Chief Marketing Officer, SITE & Founder, SoolNua Marketing Sydney, a true destination Sydney is not a first-tier global hub like London, Dubai or Singapore. There’s simply not enough international traffic going in and out of the city. It’s an offline city, too physically far from London, Paris, or New York to have… Read more »
Back in Abu Dhabi to visit the Abrahamic Family House
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua & Chief Marketing Officer, SITE Returning to Abu Dhabi Returning to Abu Dhabi, I had the opportunity to visit the remarkable Abrahamic Family House, a testament to the city’s visionary development since my first visit in the early 2000s. Back then, the grand Sheikh Zayed Mosque was the primary… Read more »
On-time connections in Switzerland & SITE’s Incentive Summit Europe
Pádraic Gilligan, Chief Marketing Officer, SITE & Managing Partner, SoolNua 05:50 Andermatt to Göschenen It was graveyard still, and pitch dark. Amy, Marina and I left the Radisson Blu and made the short journey on foot to the train station at Andermatt. Despite the altitude and the season, there was no early morning chill, validating… Read more »
Naviva from Four Season: the future for luxury travel and high end incentives
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Marketing Ultra-lux travellers, high net worth individuals and incentive travel qualifiers now define luxury as authenticity and seek out travel experiences that evoke emotions, stir up stories and trigger personal transformation. Naviva in Punta Mita, Mexico is a brand new concept from Four Seasons that’s already delivering on all… Read more »
The Boca Raton – the total resort experience
by Pádraic Gilligan, Chief Marketing Officer, SITE & Managing Partner, SoolNua Marketing SITE Classic at Boca Raton – discover 1 The Boca Raton Museum of Art is a cultural treasure of human proportions, not at all intimidating, or full of its own self-importance, the way some galleries can be. It’s located in downtown Boca Raton,… Read more »