FICP Day 1 by Padraic Gilligan, Ovation Global DMC On Sunday 13 November the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio dispatched its share of the 30000 participants at the city marathon and prepared for the arrival of 800 demanding, discerning FICPers. It’s the meeting from hell – you’re simultaneously playing host to your competitors and your… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Incentive Travel
FICP in San Antonio – Arrival Day
by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Director, Ovation Global DMC I’m 51 and I’ve never done it. There. I’ve said it. I talked to Dan Young and I know he’s done it. A good few times, it seems. So has Darlene Catan but not, I think, with Dan Young. And I’m unclear as to whether either of… Read more »
Hero or Villain? The true identity of the DMC!
At an industry function recently I found myself seated between two agency executives. I spent a fascinating and frightening evening listening to war stories about their experiences with DMCs around the world. In roughly half of the stories the war in question was won as a result of incredible acts of heroism and valour on… Read more »
A week in Las Vegas – Day 3
A Week in Las Vegas – Day 3 It used to be The Egg in Chicago. A perfect place for “Breakfast in America” – counter service, coffee and water upon arrival and a menu featuring eggs every way, waffles, pancakes and English muffins. I wanted the Las Vegas equivalent and tasked Moira Hearn with finding it… Read more »
A week in Las Vegas – Day 2
A week in Las Vegas – Day 2 Early this morning as the intensity of the cleaning, power hosing and sweeping along Las Vegas Boulevard seemed to increase, I had a blinding insight. I figured out where it all comes from. This is not WASP / Calvinist earnestness and endeavour but rather Catholic guilt and… Read more »
5 key ingredients for a successful incentive travel programme
Five Key Ingredients for a Successful Incentive Travel Programme Padraic Gilligan, Managing Director, Ovation Global DMC For the past five days I assisted my colleagues at Ovation Switzerland in the operation of an incentive travel programme for a US based Finance & Insurance customer. On departure day I listened with great interest as the Incentive… Read more »
“Flash Mobs in Bangkok: is this Thailand?”
“Flash mobs in Bangkok: is this Thailand ?” by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Director, MCI Dublin and VP Ovation Global DMC I thought I was in the middle of a Flash Mob. It was evening rush hour and I had just gotten off the Skytrain. I could hear music playing all over the station and people… Read more »
Prague and the Road not Taken
“Prague and the Road not Taken” by Padraic Gilligan If ever there was a place to follow Robert Frost’s advice and take “the road less travelled” it’s Prague. If you do you’ll discover an achingly beautiful city, natural and unspoilt, charmingly unselfconscious, wearing no make-up. To do this you’ve got to move quickly beyond the… Read more »
Budapest is knocking on heaven’s door
“Budapest is knocking on heaven’s door” by Padraic Gilligan When the long haired buskers in the underpass are playing complex counterpoints by Bartok and Bernstein rather than “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan then you know you’re in Budapest. This is a city with a profound intellectual and cultural DNA which it carries naturally,… Read more »
Incentive Houses and DMCs: a marriage made in heaven?
For the past couple of years The Site Foundation has been conducting annual research on topics of current interest to The Meetings and Events Industry. This research released as “The Site Index” has been extraordinarily useful to the industry presenting an up- to-the-minute snapshot on a variety of topics of both generic and specific interest…. Read more »