Salzburg – much more than the Sound of Music

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 »

DMCs – New Models for the Future?

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 »

DC tres cool – Washington DC for Conventions and Incentives

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 »

MICE people at AIPCO14, Limerick

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 »

Malaga – authentic Andalucian charm for Meetings and Events

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 »

Milestones, Highlights and Lessons Learned: 20 years as a DMC

by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolElla Fiche bliain ag fas 20 years ago this year Patrick Delaney and I started Delaney Marketing Consultants and launched ourselves as “Ireland’s leading DMC” to the understandable annoyance of our long established competitors. Some competitors even took their chagrin to higher authorities and lodged official complaints about our promotional… Read more »

5 Tips for Success at IMEX13, Las Vegas

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations, MCI In a recent post I recalled, with some nostalgia, the halycon days of IT&ME a.k.a. The Motivation Show when the entire meetings and events industry decamped to Chicago every year in September or October. Sometimes we froze and sometimes we were roasted to a crisp depending on… Read more »

Chicago: a night on the town and Hyatt revisited

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC Mythologising our memories For over two decades meetings and events professionals congregated in Chicago in late September / early October to attend the IT&ME show. It remained IT&ME for many of us long after it was renamed The Motivation Show but our memories of the show, and… Read more »

Donegal and Lough Eske Castle: up here it’s different

by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Up here it’s different! Pat Gallagher of the late lamented Goats Don’t Shave wrote a cracking song called “Las Vegas in the Hills of Donegal”. The chorus goes like this: And if I could I’d build a wall around old Donegal The north and south to keep them out,… Read more »

Villa Kennedy: “rus in urbe” seclusion in Frankfurt

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations, MCI Defining the Destination Experience Destinations need hotels like Villa Kennedy. Hotels like Villa Kennedy lift the destination experience beyond the ordinary and alter outdated destination perceptions and lazy prejudices. When you stay at Villa Kennedy your image of Frankfurt changes the way Clark Kent becomes Superman. The… Read more »