The local expertise and planning assistance for conference ambassadors and conference, corporate meeting and incentive organisers through Ireland’s regional convention bureaux ensures all organisers get a good start to their event, without spending any budget

Regional convention bureaux can offer you a different aspect on a potential destination – for free

In a small country like Ireland known for its warmth and friendliness local knowledge is easy for visitors to access. But what about getting unbiased information from people who know you have a large budget? Approaching an unfamiliar area to do business can be a daunting prospect. Imagine a group whose job was to provide you with free, confidential and impartial information for planning your event. These groups exist in the form of the Regional Convention Bureaux.
 

Information without strings attached

Independent and impartial advice is really easy to find – even if you’re planning an event that will contribute millions to the local economy. The bureaux are active in all the regions of Ireland with headquarters located in Dublin,Belfast, Derry, Cork and the Shannon Region and if you’re exploring the idea of bringing a conference, corporate meeting or incentive trip to Ireland you can avail of the free services they offer.

RCBs are a great first port of call for conference ambassadors and organisers – those new to the business and veterans.

Staff at RCBs will help you find suitable venues and have invaluable local knowledge.

They will also help with sourcing a professional conference organiser (PCO) or destination management company (DMC) once you’ve found your feet.

Cork Convention Bureau

Evelyn O’Sullivan, general manager of Cork Convention Bureau (CCB) explains that part of their work is to educate people where Cork is. (Tip: It’s a large county on the south coast of Ireland and also home to the Republic of Ireland’s second city, Cork).

CCB does this through attending trade shows, networking and organising their own familiarisation trips for overseas buyers.

When it comes to accommodation, Cork has 24 four-star hotels and four five-star hotels – a lot to choose from if you don’t even know where Cork is on the map! O’Sullivan explains that her team will submit an anonymous query on behalf of an organiser. Availability and rates are returned to CCB, which does a lot of the groundwork for clients.

Businesses in Cork city and county have also developed its incentive offering, says O’Sullivan, and one of CCB’s strengths is its in-depth and up-to-date local knowledge. She cited local attractions such as The Grain Store at Ballymaloe House and Triskel Christchurch as examples of great venues that could form part of the path less trod for visitors to the city of Cork. Incentive groups may also be interested in exploring Fort Camden, the town of Cobh’s Titanic connection or Cork’s artisan food offering.

Dublin Convention Bureau

Dublin Convention Bureau (DCB), which is part of Dublin Tourism, works a lot with conference ambassadors – and with great success. According to Miriam Kennedy competitors have a real challenge to match Dublin as a tourist destination, particularly with the DCB on hand to showcase the best that the region has to offer.

“The fact [that DCB] is impartial and a free service makes a big difference. It’s a very helpful tool for people who are not familiar with organising conferences,” says Kennedy.

One of the innovative supports DCB is involved in is rolling out versions of its VisitDublin smartphone app to incoming conferences. In addition to the information already on the app, conferences can personalise it with information about the conference.

Visit the RCB webpage on our website to discover exactly how the RCB’s can help you or let us know if a regional convention bureau has been instrumental in your event’s success.