Who are the leading DMOs on Social Media for Business Events?

by Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua Social Media – no brainer! Social Media is a no brainer for destination marketing organisers (DMOs). Folks visit destinations all over the globe and spontaneously post and boast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter about their experiences. They’re actually doing your work for you, for free, but adding that elusive… Read more »

5 steps to a dazzling social media profile

social media

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 »

Why you shouldn’t use Social Media

Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua A new service from SoolNua In addition to our core advisory business, SoolNua has recently started to offer Social Media as an actual product / service offering. This has come about because we discovered that many of our customers, irrespective of the size of their organisation, didn’t have an internal… Read more »

Are airlines and hotels really listening on Social Media?

by Padraic Gilligan, Managing Partner, SoolNua For those of us who travel for a living, access to Social Media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Trip Advisor has become almost as essential as carrying multiple credit cards. If you’re in the meetings and events industry then social media become even more crucial because the content… 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 »

Day Dreaming at The Gibson Hotel, Dublin

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Industry Relations, MCI A wild gene in the corporate DNA On Friday last week the entire MCI Dublin office decamped to the rather dishy Gibson Hotel and spent most of the day dreaming. Dreaming is often the illicit, unapproved by-product of the endless meetings that comprise an average day in… Read more »

London Calling: M&IT Awards, CONFEX and the Irish back at ExCel

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President MCI and Vice President, Ovation Global DMC Ole, Ole, Ole London’s Convention and Exhibition Centre, ExCeL, is etched in the hearts of most Irish people. For a period last summer it often appeared that the entire facility had been colonised by the Irish such were the ubiquity of tri-colours and… Read more »

Antwerp: Shine bright like a diamond Site EMEA Forum 2013

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC Snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, further westwards, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shan­non waves. It was falling too upon every part of the lonely churchyard where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on… Read more »

Sitting in the Dock in LA – FICP Day 2

by Padraic Gilligan, Vice President, Ovation Global DMC Sitting in the Dock in LA The nightmare started as soon as my head hit the pillow. Courtroom scene. I’m in the dock. Somewhere hidden amidst the stern faced scowl of the judge is a face I recognise. Is it Todd Zint? The prosecuting attorney is also… Read more »

IMEX America: rumours of the demise of the trade show greatly exaggerated.

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 »