Fáilte Ireland’s Conference Ambassador Programme

1. Fáilte Ireland’s Conference Ambassador Programme

2. Who’s Who

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. Business Tourism Structures Winning business Trade Supports Lead generation process Co-ordinated implementation RCBs Cork Convention Bureau Tourism Ireland overseas offices Strategy development Business Tourism Working groups Business Tourism unit and Forum 6

8. Conference Ambassador Support Financial assistance towards: 550K Financial Support Bid process Site inspections Marketing costs Cork Convention Bureau Practical supports

9. Conference Ambassador Support No restrictions on size of conference No restrictions on subject matter Simple application process Support agreed over a number years

10. 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

11. Conference Ambassador Initiatives • Ongoing research – lead Generation • University promotions • Advertorials • GB & Pan – European Researcher Conference Ambassador supports

12. 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'.

13. 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

14. Association Conference leads 2009 Target - €30m

15. 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

16. Target Markets + Medical Sciences +Pharmaceutical +Technology

17. 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

19. Irish Medical News

20. IrishTimes

21. Digital Ireland

22. Thank You