by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Too much choice … This blog started in January 2011 and each year since then I’ve indulged myself by posting my own personal “Best of …” albums from the previous year. Accessing good music today is actually much harder than it was in the early 70s when I first… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua A new business model? My industry friend Dries Jacobus, Managing Director Borealis Incentives, Belgium posed the following question recently on the ADMEI Linkedin Group As a DMC in Belgium (where taxes on labour are high, so staff is expensive) clients very often re-negotiate the staff cost. Sometimes down to… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua The awesome power of brands Volumes have been written about the emotional power of brands but brands connected with national identity can often go deeper, insinuating themselves, almost, into our very DNA. These brands can become powerful symbols and signifiers across the full spectrum of our humanity, connecting us… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner at SoolNua Downtown San Francisco “You want to take the Cable Car?” he asked with breezy friendliness. We welcomed his intervention having struggled to understand how the iconic San Francisco system worked. He explained what to do, genuinely delighting us with his helpfulness. But then the hand went out: “We… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua I have had occasion already to engage in on-line debate with James Lancaster, a member of the team at CAT publications and editor of their magazine, Association Meetings International. He’s relatively new to our industry but brings us a fresh perspective and some great writing. Last week James posted a… Read more »
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 »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” Peter Drucker I’ve been thinking a lot recently about workplace culture. In fact it’s been the leitmotif recurring in all our projects since SoolNua launched 6 months ago, back in January. The entry point for these projects may have been strategic direction or product development… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua James Lancaster of CAT Publications’ Association Meetings International (AMI) hates “annoying inconsistency” and “an excess of meaningless verbiage” (see his excellent recent article here). I’m with him on both counts although now I’m second guessing whether hating an “excess” of meaningless verbiage means that we both actually tolerate small amounts… Read more »
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 »
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 »