Quaint castles, beautiful scenery, rugged coastlines and friendly locals, Ireland really does raise the bar to everything it’s famed for – and more. The romantic rural image of Ireland from days gone by is supplemented with all the contemporary expectations now forged by the modern business traveller, incentive trip or conference delegate. With luxury accommodation, and modern, world-class purpose-built meeting and conference facilities, there are also fun incentive activities and inspiring reception venues in Ireland’s cosmopolitan cities – Dublin and Cork. The more regional settings are also providing competition to the bustle of city life. Ireland is an ideal destination for those seeking luxury and memorable experiences.
Something for everyone
Delegates will experience something different, beginning the moment they wake up in a choice of luxurious accommodation, ranging from top city hotels to country estates and historic castles. Those looking for something out of the ordinary to end an evening on a high note have the option of enjoying gala dinners or receptions in opulent venues, such as a medieval castle or an architecturally inspiring historic building.
Ireland’s ‘craic agus ceol’ – meaning fun and music – can be experienced by planning a traditional evening in a local pub, complete with Irish music. The country has also seen attention from mulinational corporations as a new technological hub, including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple and eBay, who have all expanded and established offices.
As tourism is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry – contributing almost four percent of the country’s GNP – the sector is continually being developed and marketed. It provides employment for over 200,000 people in every community. One of the more notable recent conference and meeting developments is the purpose-built, glass-fronted riverside Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) which opened in late 2010. Competing in the 2012 Apex Award for ‘World’s Best Convention Centre’, it went on to win gold for ‘Best Overseas Conference Centre’ at the Meetings and Incentive Travel Industry Awards 2012.
A rewarding visit
These new facilities merely add to the many established meeting and conference amenities. In 2012 Ireland was voted the ‘destination with the highest client satisfaction’ at the WAVE (Western Agents Vote of Excellence) awards in the US for the second year running.
Ireland has had a diverse few years with regards to the types of international events it has hosted, garnering much global attention and praise. From the Volvo Ocean Race and The Ryder Cup, to state visits by Queen Elizabeth II and US President Barack Obama, Ireland’s corporate hospitality has been beamed around the world. The country has also made it onto Fodor Travel’s Go List for 2013, thanks to ‘The Gathering Ireland 2013’, Ireland’s biggest ever tourism initiative. This year-long programme of festivals – which includes events and gatherings in every part of the country – means there are plenty of exciting opportunities to explore.
If a conference needs planning, there is a plethora of crowd-pleasing incentive activities for delegates to choose from. Ireland is a hotspot for artisan food producers, and many fine dining options in Michelin-starred restaurants, as well as venues that cater for large groups, are dispersed throughout the country.
World-class golf is another popular activity, and is readily available in the Republic of Ireland, where six golf courses have made it onto Golf Digest’s 100 Best Courses Outside the US, as voted by 6.5 million readers. Ireland also has 33 percent of the world’s links courses. Fill an itinerary with the adrenaline of horse riding, water sports and team building against a backdrop of scenic Irish countryside and coastline. There’s also the opportunity to experience Ireland’s world-renowned equine industry with a day at the races, or a visit to the National Stud Farm.
There are of course more relaxing activities, such as an evening of traditional Irish music, a visit to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, experiencing times gone by at Muckross House in Kerry, a relaxing spa treatment or an educational few hours learning about Irish cuisine at one of Ireland’s cookery schools. Truly, there are thousands of things to choose from in the land of a thousand welcomes.
Clear roads ahead
Thanks to its size and a wide range of travel options, getting into and around Ireland couldn’t be easier for those travelling to a corporate meeting in the city, or just enjoying the scenic countryside.
The country is easily accessible for busy corporate travellers. Ireland has direct connections by air to many international destinations including the US, Europe, the UK, Africa and the Middle East. Various international airlines have daily flights in and out of Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports. Smaller regional airports connect passengers with the UK and Dublin, and Ireland is also connected to England and France by ferry.
Good things come in small packages, which is certainly true when it comes to Ireland. Just 486km (302 miles) long and 275km (171 miles) wide, the country has much to offer those attending conferences, meetings and incentive planners with tight schedules. Due to Ireland’s compact nature, both conference venues and incentive destinations are only ever a few hours by road or rail from the country’s main airports. Private hire transport options include coach, minibus, executive car, executive train or limousine, or a choice of coaches and taxis for individual delegates travelling from airports to their destinations. Popular incentive destinations such as Cork, Kerry and the West are served by internal flights from the capital city of Ireland, Dublin. Helicopter hire is ideal for hopping between famous castles and world-famous golf courses for luxury incentive trips.
Regional convention bureaux
Incentive travel and association conference organisers have the added support of regional convention bureaux when planning trips or preparing a bid pitch. These impartial non-profit making marketing organisations can help planners find venues, accommodation and suitable destination management companies (DMCs) or professional conference organisers (PCOs). They include the Dublin Convention Bureau, Cork Convention Bureau, Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, and Kerry Convention Bureau. Other marketing groups include Dublin’s Doorstep and Destination Kilkenny.
On-the-ground DMCs and PCOs can take over the organisation of incentive trips, corporate meetings and association conferences for planners. Armed with local knowledge and well-established relationships with the tourism industry, DMCs can organise every aspect of an incentive itinerary to meet an organisation’s needs. PCOs – experts in everything to do with conferences from registration right through to accommodation and entertaining delegates – can help win a conference bid as well as attract delegate numbers.
Ireland’s hotels offer some of the best value in the world, where hotel rooms were available at 2004 rates in 2012. The tourism industry gained from a reduced VAT rate on services from 13.5 percent to nine percent in 2011. This initiative has continued into 2013.
Further information: www.meetinireland.com
