by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Often, when social media is being discussed at MICE industry events I’ll get the nod or the shout-out as the bloke with the blog or the twat on Twitter. There’s usually an underlying implication that I’m some kind of expert, the “go-to” guru for all things social in the meetings industry…. Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Last night I debated with my son whether players who “draw” fouls on themselves in soccer are skillful tacticians or cynical charlatans. You see the defender approach, flick the ball to one side and allow the momentum of the defender knock you to the ground. The referee immediately blows for a… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Back again in Frankfurt We were back in Frankfurt again for IMEX16, the 14th edition of an exhibition that constantly pushes itself outside of its comfort zone while remaining rooted to the understanding that it’s all about connecting real people in real places in real time. This year I… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua The world of the Destination Management Company or DMC has been under-going a radical change over the past 10 years. I wanted to say “kaleidoscopic” change but, on reflection, much of this change has not been pretty, muddying rather than clarifying the value proposition at the heart of the DMC offer. Accordingly, there’s… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua 1966 I was five years old in April 1966 when Ireland celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. I can still see in the entrance hall of my school the framed copy of Poblacht na hEireann, the famous proclamation of independence read out by schoolmaster, poet and rebel leader Pádraic… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua I recently received a beautiful gift. It’s a turntable or what used to be called a record player. It allows me, now and again, to dust down my precious vinyl from the 70s. I get to listen to well-worn, scratched and cracked records like Carole King’s Tapestry, Jackson Browne’s… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Sharing Economy? I think the term “Sharing Economy” to categorise the activity of the likes of Uber and Airbnb is actually a misnomer. If I “share” something the implication is that I do so without expectation of financial or other reward and this type of activity has been on-going for… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua A week in Europe’s Green Capital 2016 @Supergreybeard and I have just reached the end of a deeply satisfying week in Slovenia. Over the past 5 days we attended the SITE Incentive Summit and participated at Conventa, the boutique meetings industry trade show that highlights the benefits of Central… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua “Those we can, do …” Throughout Delaney Marketing and Ovation Group years it never occurred to @Supergreybeard or me to hire a consultant. I think we saw consultants as confidence tricksters or shysters, failed entrepreneurs, business versions of the teachers in Shaw’s oft quoted dictum “Those who can, do; those… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Spotify continues to impact hugely on how we access music these days. This year I found it massively difficult to select the albums that might merit a spot on my Top 10 for 2015 as, in most cases, I listened to playlists and individual tracks and therefore missed the overall… Read more »