Experts in the fields of sports, science, engineering and medicine were given a special briefing in Limerick’s Medieval Quarter on how they can help to bring more major international events and conferences to Ireland through Fáilte Ireland’s Conference Ambassador Programme – an initiative which supports individuals and experts who want to host a conference in Ireland.
Over 75% of all international association conferences which come to Ireland, and 80% of those which come to the Shannon region do so at the direct invitation of a local Irish member or host, something Fáilte Ireland’s Meet in Ireland team aims to maximise through this programme.
The tourism development authority has already worked with Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau to bring conferences to the region worth €4.5 million this year, including The Network Towards Unity For Health conference, which will see 800 delegates come to the University of Limerick in August. This follows a successful bid driven by Dr Khalifa Elmusharaf from UL’s Graduate Medical School.
In another win for the Conference Ambassador Programme, Professor Elfed Lewis from UL has attracted the IEEE Internet of Things Symposium to Limerick, bringing 1,000 delegates to the city in 2019.
Significant Advantages
Fáilte Ireland head of commercial development Paul Mockler commented, “We already have great Conference Ambassadors for the Shannon and Limerick region who have secured excellent conferences in their area of expertise. Conferences like these are not only lucrative in terms of generating significant revenue for the region, they also leave a lasting legacy with regard to being recognised as a centre of innovation and excellence in these fields. We are always looking to recruit expert Conference Ambassadors to help bring future business like this to Ireland.”
Karen Brosnahan, Shannon region conference and sports bureau manager, stated, “Ambassadors are hugely important in sourcing and winning this lucrative tourism business for Limerick. Fáilte Ireland’s support really helps shoulder some of the financial costs associated with bidding for international business, while the Bureau is on hand to offer practical advice from the start to end of the bid journey.”
© 2018 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
