Tales about Sales and Riding on a Smile and a Shoeshine

by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Over the past year or two my heavily laden book shelves have been augmented with great publications by family and friends. My niece Shauna Gilligan released her wonderful debut novel Happiness comes from nowhere while Paul Lyng, my late Mother’s youngest brother, added a third volume to his great… Read more »

IMEX Frankfurt – what happens before the doors opens

by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua From zero to hero When I departed Salzburg late on Saturday afternoon rain was general all over the city. It was also raining in my heart. I felt gouged by the €4.20 I was charged at the airport there for a crappy cappuccino and devastated that Arsenal was down… Read more »

6 Networking Tips for IMEX Success

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 »

Excellence in Destination Marketing – Lessons from Iceland and Ireland

by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Iceland and Ireland have a whole lot more in common than the 6 vowels and consonants they share. They’re both islands in the northern hemisphere. They both have reputations as great places to party. They have both experienced recent economic meltdowns and recovered, or are recovering. They both produce… Read more »

DMCs – New Models for the Future?

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 »

Social Media, Hotels and how Crowne Plaza Copenhagen does it

by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua I posted a couple of weeks ago on my personal experiences with travel and hospitality brands and how they use social media channels to connect with their customers. You see their avatars on your Twitter feed and notice their ads on Facebook but, I asked, are airlines and hotels… Read more »

Are airlines and hotels really listening on Social Media?

by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua For those of us who travel for a living, access to Social Media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Trip Advisor has become almost as essential as carrying multiple credit cards. If you’re in the meetings and events industry then social media become even more crucial because the content… 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 »

Give a dog a bad name – the MICE conundrum

by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolElla Give a dog a bad name My late mother was a great one for the pithy sayings. She had wise words at will to sum up any situation and would frequently quote the proverb “Give a dog a bad name and it’ll stick to him” whenever I’d report negative… Read more »

Albums of the Year 2013 – Let’s Change the World with Music!

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC As a man gets older … As a man gets older he cares less and less that his albums of the year tend not to feature among those chosen and celebrated by the major on and off line publications. With age comes sagging chins, expanding waistlines, night… Read more »