by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua If life is a vicissitudinous roller coaster (that word again, Garry!), then the older you get, the more rapid the journey because by then it’s all downhill! That’s certainly how it seems to me as we face into IMEX15 when IMEX14 was only 2 weeks ago! And while it’s… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua The inaugural North America Meetings Industry Day (NAMID) on Thursday 16 April was an opportunity to put our industry in the spotlight and, in particular, to underline the considerable economic benefit that we bring to the venues, locations and destinations where meetings and events take place. The NAMID initiative… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua You could write a book about it! How often have meetings professionals said this to each other? We’re an industry with amazing stories that you couldn’t make up and we share them orally with each other all the time. However, we don’t often write them down. We haven’t yet… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Scale The sheer scale of London as a destination makes it the perfect crucible for trying out new ideas and concepts in hospitality and MICE. Consequently it’s a rich source of inspiration for those of us, like Patrick and me, whose livelihood is derived from dispensing advice to destinations,… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua An oldie but goldie … Most of us in the industry know the site inspection joke about the meeting planner who, due to over-crowding in heaven, is given the chance to check out hell too. When she visits hell it’s party time – all designer bling, adult beverages, hot… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua The proliferation of content The extraordinary proliferation of easily accessible content for meetings professionals makes it harder, rather than easier, to keep up to date with news and trends. You’re so overwhelmed by the sheer breath and depth of available data that you’re often caught, motionless, like a deer… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua From hands-on execution to hands-off strategy Following decades as a DMC and MICE agency, Patrick Delaney and I are now working as consultants / advisors on meetings, incentives, conferences and events under our new brand, SoolNua. In a short time we’ve moved from hands-on execution to hands-off strategy. We’ve… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua The Sharing Economy The advent of the sharing economy has been game-changing for the hospitality industry with legions of global travellers abandoning what they consider the bland consistency of hotels for the bright “welcome home” of Airbnb. But this denizen of the sharing economy hasn’t been the only game-changer… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Back in Hawai’i This year’s conference of the Finance and Insurance Conference Planners (FICP) took place at the magnificent 62 acre Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island, Hawai’i. It was FICP’s first time back on the islands since ICPA did Maui in 2004. Selecting an off shore location… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Busy Times We’re heading into a really busy time for MICE professionals. Site’s annual conference in Rotherdam kicks off today leading straight into EIBTM in Barcelona on Tuesday next. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, over 600 members of the Financial and Insurance Conference Planners (FICP) are gathering at the… Read more »