Fáilte Ireland’s Conference
Ambassador Programme
Who’s Who
Keith McCormack
Head of Golf,
Business Tourism
&
Events
Keelin Fagan
Manager
Business Tourism
Unit
Orla Canavan
Conference
Research
Officer
Grainne
McGuinness
Conference
Research
Executive
Alison
Johnston
Incentive /
Corporate Mtgs
Officer
Azeta Seery
Online
Marketing
Officer
Neasa Ní
Dhomhnaill
Business
Tourism
Assistant
Business Tourism is a key strategic area
for Fáilte Ireland
• Association Conference Market is resilient
• Structured market
• Ireland has a wealth of conference facilities – 4 billion spent on
conference infrastructure
• Ease of access
• Professional trade - RCBs, PCOs, DMCs, Hotels, Venues,
Universities
• Ireland’s Conference Ambassadors
Economic Value to Local & National
Economy
• Overseas business tourism grew by 10% in 2008
• Expenditure by business visitors increased by 7% to €583 million
• Breaking that down we calculate the worth of a conference
delegate in Ireland as €1,400
• Out of pocket expenditure of International delegate - €980 (FI
2009)
• Out of pocket expenditure of Leisure tourist €545
Association Conference Research Objectives
• To grow Ireland’s share of the Association Conference Market
• Support and leverage the launch of new Conference product, as a key
platform for repositioning Ireland as a leading conference destination.
• Research and measurement – to effectively promote the value of
business tourism to the economy
• Generate Demand by develop a rolling pipeline of new international
association conference leads
• Reinvigorate the Conference Ambassador programme by
ensuring that ambassadors are motivated, educated and supported
(practical & financial) in their efforts to bring conferences to Ireland.
Business Tourism Structures
Winning
business
Co-ordinated
implementation
Trade Supports
Lead generation
process
RCBs Cork
Convention Bureau
Tourism Ireland
overseas offices
Strategy
development
Business Tourism
Working groups
Business Tourism
unit and Forum
6
Conference Ambassador Support
Financial assistance towards:
550K Financial Support
• Bid process
• Site inspections
• Marketing costs
Cork Convention Bureau
• Practical supports
Conference Ambassador Support
•
No restrictions on size of
conference
•
No restrictions on subject matter
•
Simple application process
•
Support agreed over a number
years
Practical Supports
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ireland DVD
Sample ‘Why Ireland’ Presentation
Sample Bid Document
Image Library
Sample programmes
Conference Checklist
Vat Reclaim
Governmental and regional letters of
invitation
Marketing worldwide at preceding events
with Tourism Ireland
Conference bags
Delegate information
Conference Ambassador Initiatives
• Ongoing research – lead Generation
• University promotions
• Advertorials
• GB & Pan – European Researcher
Conference
Ambassador
supports
Conference Ambassador Initiatives
What is a Conference Ambassador?
• Ambassadors are professional people from fields as varied as
academia, science, technology, sport, medicine, law and business
……… who have potential influence over their Association's choice
of conference destination
• The decision of an international association on where to host their
next conference is most strongly influenced by the input of a local
member of that association – 70/30
• The decision is usually based on a bidding process with individual
bids spearheaded by local ‘Conference Ambassadors'.
Association Conference Research
•
2 Fulltime staff dedicated to this area
•
We undertake database research to identify and secure new Ambassadors
•
When we secure the leads we send them to the Regional Convention
Bureaux
•
Fáilte Ireland monitors the leads
•
Fáilte Ireland distributed 28 leads in 2008
•
In 2009 we set ourselves an target to contact 60 potential Ambassadors
per month and then distribute at least 60 of these Ambassadors to the
RCBs per annum
•
Fáilte Ireland distributed 74 leads in 2009
Association Conference leads 2009
Number of
conferences
identfied 74
Possible total
number of
delegates
60,850
Average
Revenue per
conference
€1.15 million
Possible total
revenue €85m
Target €30m
Target Markets
Using databases ( ICCA & UIA) & internet we target:
•
International Associations based in Ireland
•
International Associations with Irish Executive committee members
•
International Associations with Irish members
•
International Associations with Irish National Associations
•
British Societies with Irish members
Association Conference Sizes
•
94% of Global Association conferences have less than 2,000 delegates
•
94% of European Association conferences have less than 2,000 delegates
•
86% of European Association conferences have less than 1,000 delegates
Target Markets
+ Medical Sciences
+Pharmaceutical
+Technology
Promotional Plan
• Awareness Campaign
– Supports available
– Ireland’s capacity to host conferences
– Term “Conference Ambassador”
– Benefits of hosting a conference
– Fáilte Ireland support team
• Generate Conference Leads
Irish Medical News
Irish Times
Digital Ireland
Thank You