Incentive programmes are the perfect opportunity to showcase the spirit and warmth of Northern Ireland to a global audience. In this case, the brief for Wallace Travel Group called for a traditional incentive programme with elements of culture and activities, designed for an intimate group of just 18 VIPs.
A creative proposal prepared by Wallace Travel Group secured the business, with Meet in Ireland providing invaluable support and funding for a site inspection of both Dublin and Belfast.
The hotel chosen for this special experience was the five star luxury destination — Culloden Estate and Spa in County Down, overlooking Belfast Lough. The client was blown away by the quality of the hotel and impressed with the fact that Northern Ireland was a largely new discovery for most of their VIPs. One of the incentive participants had Northern Irish heritage, a fact which also helped to win them over!
After their arrival into Dublin Airport, the VIP group took a coach to Northern Ireland. After checking into the majestic Culloden Estate and Spa, they were treated to an informal welcome dinner in the Cultra Inn, with a harpist playing in the background — a gentle introduction to the delights of Northern Ireland.
The next day the guests visited UNESCO World Heritage site the Giant’s Causeway and the famous Bushmills Distillery for an interactive guided tour. They had lunch at the distillery before returning to Belfast for a relaxing coach tour of the city, enjoying an evening of fine dining in the city.
The next day was one allocated for exploration and discovery of Belfast and the surrounding region, with the coach and guide at the group’s complete disposal. That evening, a delicious farewell dinner in the Drawing Room of the Culloden Estate and Spa was organised, with entertainme
nt provided by a duo of Irish musicians. The group then bid farewell to an unforgettable experience in Northern Ireland and caught their flights back to the U.S from Dublin Airport.
Looking back, the U.S incentive house representatives have glowing feedback on their client’s Northern Irish experience:
“It was the warmth and energy of the Irish people that made the country so comfortable, yet exciting for our people. I want to give enormous credit to our DMC, Wallace Travel Group —they gave us the local knowledge and creative spark that resulted in a programme that was a very special treat for each of our guests.”