by Pádraic Gilligan, Co-founder, SoolNua & Research | Consultancy, SITE The mood music The mood music around global trade, and by extension, around business events, now sounds like Shostakovich’s or Rachmaninoff’s darkest, most tormented pieces. Or, to use a biblical reference, it’s the Book of Job. When it seems that things can’t get any worse,… Read more »
Pádraic Gilligan, Chief Marketing Officer, SITE & Managing Partner, SoolNua AI is not new on the Wild Atlantic Way AI is not at all new in Ireland, at least not along the Wild Atlantic Way or in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. Since the 1940s, it has been a thing in rural Ireland where I have deep… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua I felt sorry for our hosts. Two years working on an event to bring some of the most powerful Professional Conference Organisers in the world to your city and there’s a deluge that wouldn’t look out of place in the recent Hollywood blockbuster, Noah. What’s generally an idyllic alpine… Read more »
by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua For 50 years Avis, the car rental company, used “We try harder” as its tagline. It was a piece of brilliant disruptive marketing, fashioned under the leadership of CEO Robert Townsend, aimed at taking down Hertz, the dominant market player at the time. Instead of bland, vacuous hyperbole laying… Read more »
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 »
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 »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua The Challenge I gave Lyndsi Armenio of Destination DC half a day to prove for the purposes of this blog that Washington DC kicked ass as a conventions and incentives destination. “Show me a great hotel, an unusual location for a welcome function, a wow venue for a Gala,… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Passion and Energy in Limerick The Association of Irish Professional Organisers (AIPCO) made its annual assembly into a pan-MICE gathering this year and attracted almost 200 meetings and events professionals to Limerick, City of Culture. The entire event was characterised by palpable passion and energy, evidenced by the great… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua That I couldn’t locate a pub in downtown Malaga showing either Arsenal v Everton or Ireland v Italy was intensely frustrating. The first match was a quarter final cup clash against strong opposition and Arsenal were to score 4 glorious goals to progress to the FA cup semi-final. Ireland… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Destination MICE Despite changing demographics and new generational preferences the filter for destination selection still pivots around crucial infrastructural categories like hotel, formal and informal venues and unique destination experiences. I recently re-visited Belfast and was hugely impressed by how far it has come as a MICE destination in… Read more »