by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC “LAs fine and the sun shines most of the time …” The approach by air into Los Angeles takes you over miles and miles of urban sprawl leaving you wondering whether there’s a heart in this city at all. And when you process in your mind decades… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations MCI and Vice President, Ovation Global DMC On Saturday I leave for Los Angeles where I’ll be attending – and blogging from – the annual conference of FICP, the Financial and Insurance Corporate Planners Association. This will be my 7th FICP conference and I am looking forward to… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations, MCI and Vice President Ovation Global DMC In the euphoric after-glow of IMEX America Lindsay Fultz’s provocative piece on why she doesn’t attend, exhibit or sponsor trade shows and events provides a nice counter-point [access here]. Now Marketing Manager for LoveIt, an LA based technology start up (looks… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations MCI and Vice President, Ovation Global DMC Remembering the Days of the Old Schoolyard I was always good at rote learning. I found it easy in school to memorise quotations from Shakespeare, formulae for maths class or lyrics to songs. I can still remember chunks of Julius Caesar… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President of Industry Relations, MCI and Vice President Ovation Global DMC The Venetian, Las Vegas Last Thursday I over-nighted at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Built in the mid 90s and opened in 1999 it broke new ground in Vegas as a fully integrated luxury MICE resort with extensive gaming, retail… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, VP, Industry Relations and VP, Ovation Global DMC Redemption on the Streets of Las Vegas 4am is around the time the big clean up starts. In Las Vegas it’s also the time I rise. The Strip goes into twilight mode as night time revelers gradually de-materialise leaving space for jet-lagged Irish and the cleaners…. Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations, MCI and Vice President, Ovation Global DMC I start getting into the mood for Las Vegas when I see archive footage on BBC4 of The Steve Gibbons Band performing their one-hit-wonder “Tulane”. Neither the band nor the title of the song has any connection with Las Vegas so… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, VP, Ovation Global DMC and VP, Industry Relations, MCI How do you create demand? Previously on this blog I’ve stated that you need to know weird and wonderful people to be truly successful as a destination management company. DMC legends like Laurie Sprouse in Dallas/Fort Worth or Patrick Sullivan in NYC are… Read more »
By Padraic Gilligan, VP, Industry Relations MCI It started with Rhonda Marko. Pretty quickly Joan Eisenstodt joined in and, more recently, Andrea Michaels. All strong and powerful women. All true icons of the meetings industry. I’m unsure whether they know each other personally but I’m certain they know of each other as all have carved… Read more »
by Padraic Gilligan, VP, Industry Relations MCI How things change in 1000 years The Danes have come a long way. From marauding, cultureless philistines who raped and pillaged all over Northern Europe to laid back, uber-cool independent types with an eye for razor-sharp design and a sincere commitment to sustainability. It may have taken a… Read more »