A special evening with our Kerry Conference Ambassadors
20 October 2018
Fáilte Ireland and Kerry Convention Bureau joined forces to recruit academics and thought leaders in the region to bring more international conferences to the area.
Experts were brought together in the fields of food science, education, economics, accessibility and sports from local organisations and educational institutions, including Institute of Technology Tralee and Inisfallen Training and Development. Enjoying a private reception at Muckross Park Hotel, they were briefed on how they can help to bring international events and conferences to Ireland through Fáilte Ireland’s Conference Ambassador Programme. The group then enjoying a special dining event at the hotel, with a menu prepared Derry Clarke.
Through the programme, Fáilte Ireland’s Meet in Ireland team identify influencers across a myriad disciplines and encourage them to bring an international conference here. Due to the structured nature of this industry sector, it’s possible to research and identify associations that have the potential to come to Ireland, and also identify a member of that association influential in his or her field. Once an influencer has been identified, is contacted and agrees to bid for an international conference, he or she becomes a Conference Ambassador. Fáilte Ireland provides practical and financial aid to support them through their journey, from bid stage to implementation.
Over 75% of all international association conferences which come to Ireland do so at the direct invitation of a local Irish member or host. The Conference Ambassador recruitment event in Kerry alone has the potential to bring almost 2,000 delegates to the area, worth an estimated value of €3.1m.
Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Commercial Development, Paul Mockler, said: “We have great Conference Ambassadors for the Kerry region who have secured excellent conferences. 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.”
Becky Hargrove at Kerry Convention Bureau said: “Working with the Meet in Ireland team and within our own networks, we have identified Kerry based individuals who are members of international associations or organisations and have the potential to bring a conference or event to the region.”[/vc_column_text]
Creating legacy outcomes with innovative and creative Corporate Social Responsibility options
15 October 2018
KCB Sales Manager, Becky Hargrove presenting Marie Linehan, Manager of KPFA with the cheque for €350
Corporate Social Responsibility is defined as a commitment to contribute to the economic, environmental and social sustainability of a community. The Kerry Convention Bureau (KCB) believes passionately in the way Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives can enhance Business Events and has seen first-hand the positive mutual benefits that such activities can bring when organisations choose to integrate a CSR component into their conference, incentive or event when held in Kerry.
To develop available options for groups visiting Kerry, KCB launched a CSR partnership with Kerry Parents and Friends Association (KPFA) in March 2018. KPFA support families of people with an intellectual disability across the region of Kerry. It provides Residential and Day services together with Respite and Home Support, Training for Life, Community Integration Programs and individualised services for more than 200 adults.
In celebration of this new partnership, Kerry Convention Bureau (KCB) were delighted to incorporate a CSR element in to its recent destination familiarisation programme and use this activity to raise money for KPFA which could go towards purchasing items needed to furnish their community houses.
The programme held in September showcased a range of engaging activity options for event planners bringing meetings, conferences and events to Kerry including the launch of Go Team Killarney, a bespoke teambuilding activity offered by the bureau’s newest member Orangeworks. This interactive treasure hunt around Killarney Town was tailored to incorporate Kerry Convention Bureau members, demonstrate event and accommodation infrastructure and capacities and included a series of challenges where for each challenge completed, the teams were awarded points which generated a total of €350 to be donated to KPFA.
KCB Sales Manager Becky Hargrove recently met with Marie Linehan, Chief Executive of KPFA to present the cheque.
CSR engagement can make a real difference to a community by bringing about positive change and leaving lasting legacies”said Becky Hargrove, ‘When event planners include CSR into their event programs, it provides delegates with an unforgettable opportunity to engage with the local community and give something back. KCB were delighted to be able to use the inaugural launch of Orangeworks Go Team Killarney product to put a spotlight on CSR and highlight the creative, engaging and meaningful ways this can be undertaken for events being held in Kerry as well as delivering a tangible legacy outcome from the weekend for our partners at KPFA
As a region, Kerry has a proven track record at boosting delegate attendance due to its destination appeal. We are extremely pleased to now be able to add availability of engaging and meaningful CSR options to the list of reasons why event planners should consider Kerry for their next event
To find out more about our CSR partnership and specific details on the types of activities available, click here
A night with UK Association event planners at Meet In Ireland Networking event
12 October 2018
#TeamKerry headed to London this week to join UK Association Buyers at the annual Meet In Ireland Association Networking event. Held in the Hotel Café Royal, this event is a fantastic opportunity for the #MeetInKerry team to work alongside Dublin Convention Bureau and our regional convention bureau partners Cork Convention Bureau,Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau and Galway Convention Bureau to engage with event professionals and share with them why they should #MakeItIreland for their next Association Conference.
UK Incentive buyers on familiarisation program, ahead of Brexit
30 September 2018
A group of top UK event planners spent the weekend in Kerry and Cork on an educational trip, organised by Fáilte Ireland, in conjunction with Tourism Ireland. The trip provides the opportunity to showcase the region and to expand their knowledge of what Ireland has to offer UK planners for exclusive incentive programmes and corporate meetings, so that they can encourage their corporate clients in the UK to host their next event in Ireland.
Each of the event planners represents clients based in a number of different industries in the UK market including automotive, insurance, finance, pharmaceutical and IT. With an itinerary designed to highlight the many attractions in the region that cater for corporate clients, the group visited Killarney Park Hotel, Great Southern Hotel, Major Colgans, JM Reidys’, Muckross Traditional Farms and the Hotel Europe and Resort.
Kerry showcases MICE experiences to international event planners
17 September 2018
Kerry Convention Bureau showcased Kerry as a unique and inspiring business tourism destination over the weekend to eight influential Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibition (MICE) event planners from the United Kingdom, Sweden and Dublin.
Promoted as an ‘Experiential Weekend in Kerry’, the group of senior, who were also joined by Fáilte Ireland’s Meet in Ireland team were given the opportunity to come and experience the event planners best of what Kerry has to offer for business events on a relaxed three- day educational programme connecting them with local business event suppliers.
With an itinerary focused on Killarney and Tralee, the programme was designed specifically to boost Kerry’s profile as a vibrant and spectacular destination for business tourism. Offering a combination of immersive experiences and industry networking, the group were left with an unforgettable impression of a compact destination that delivers world-class MICE events by applying invaluable local heritage, expertise and knowledge to achieve uniquely successful events for clients.
They were given first-hand experience of the facilities, venues, accommodation, transportation and services that Kerry has to offer, encouraging them to choose the region for their next big conference or event.”
As well as enjoying VIP tickets to Riverdance on Saturday evening, the programme showcased a range of engaging activity options including the launch of Go Team Killarney, a bespoke teambuilding activity offered by the bureau’s newest member Orangeworks. This interactive treasure hunt around Killarney Town was tailored to incorporate Kerry Convention Bureau members, demonstrate event and accommodation infrastructure and capacities and included a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) component by enabling the participants to raise money for the bureau’s CSR partner, Kerry Parents and Friends Association (KPFA).
For each challenge completed, the teams were awarded points which generated a total of €350 to be used towards purchasing items needed to furnish KPFA’s community houses.
CSR engagement can make a real difference to a community by bringing about positive change and leaving lasting legacies”said Becky Hargrove, Sales Manager at Kerry Convention Bureau (KCB). ‘When event planners include CSR into their event programs, it provides delegates with an unforgettable opportunity to engage with the local community and give something back. KCB were delighted to be able to partner with Orangeworks to put a spotlight on CSR as part of our overall familiarisation programme itinerary and to showcase an example of the creative, engaging and meaningful ways this can be undertaken for events being held in Kerry
David Bassett, Managing Director of Orangeworks said We were delighted to partner up with Kerry Convention Bureau to debut our latest interactive treasure trail, Go Team Killarney. As Kerry is one of the most popular destinations in Ireland for both leisure and business tourism, Killarney was a destination we had to add to our Go Team locations!
Go Team is delivered in over 60 countries worldwide and is available in 7 different languages. We hope to develop and deliver many more treasure trails across Kerry and look forward to working alongside Kerry Convention Bureau in the future
In addition to the treasure hunt and Riverdance, the action-packed itinerary included visits to a range of 5* and 4* KCB member hotel properties and venues across Killarney and Tralee, a workshop learning an Irish dance on the stage at Siamsa Tire, Ireland’s National Folk Theatre jaunting car trip through the National Park and a memorable finale of a short helicopter trip, courtesy of Killarney Racecourse which gave the participants a bird’s eye view of Killarney town and its beautiful surrounds of lakes, mountains and 26,000 acres of National Park.
#TeamKerry meets Canadian incentive buyers
30 August 2018
A group of travel incentive buyers from Canada visited Ireland on a Meet in Ireland familiarisation trip and were given the opportunity to travel around Kerry to learn more on how they can programme these counties for future high-end incentive programmes for their corporate clients in Canada. The visit was hosted by Fáilte Ireland’s Meet in Ireland team, in collaboration with Tourism Ireland and for the majority of the Canadian buyers, this was their first time to travel to Ireland. Following their visit to Kerry, the group also visited Cork before flying home.
A bespoke itinerary was designed for the group to showcase what Kerry has to offer and included a cycling tour of the Killarney National Park and House, taking in the Lakes of Killarney and Ross Castle from St Mary’s Cathedral.
Encourage delegates to stay in close proximity to the event venue
Use our Green Suppliers search to choose accommodation and/or event venue providers that have a third-party environmental certification
Ensure that accommodation options are within walking distance to the event or have good public transportation links
Food & Drink
Vegetarian and vegan options are more environmentally friendly and often tend to be cheaper, so make sure to incorporate some meat free options into your menu
Tap water is a sustainable choice with no transportation or waste packaging. Use glasses and water jugs over single use plastic bottles
Provide attendees with information on where re-usable bottles can be refilled – click here for map of locations in Kerry’s where this can be done
Encourage attendees to visit cafes and restaurants that are part of the Conscious Cup Campaign – these outlets will use customers’ own cups. See a full list of outlets here
Opt for local, seasonal and organic produce
Choose ethical, eco and fair-trade options
Select local catering companies that have environmental credentials
Support Local Community
Leftover Food
Kerry Food Share is Kerry’s largest foodbank, an initiative of North, East, West Kerry Development and St Vincent De Paul, which operates to prevent both food waste and food poverty in the County. FSK takes both FEAD (Food from the European Union Fund for the Most Deprived) and surplus food from local hotels, businesses and suppliers, delivering it to charity partners who redistribute it to families in need.
Food Cloud will take donations of excess food from events, who will collect the food on site at no extra cost and arrange for distribution to appropriate charities.
Surplus Stock
Have something that could potentially be used by a charity for another purpose such as cardboard boxes, wooden pallets etc? Left over materials can be recycled and provided to DEIS schools, such as Lyreacrompane in North Kerry to use as Arts and Craft materials.
Alternatively, liaise with the venue for assistance to connect with other local organisations who could reuse materials, helping to reduce landfill waste and further a circular economy.
Purchasing & Waste
Think Reduce-Reuse-Recycle for event materials and communications
Keep it digital where you can; electronic invitations, registration, follow ups etc
Encourage attendees to adopt the “Leave No Trace” ethos
Ensure recycling bins are readily available throughout meeting venues and accommodation, with multi language signage to enable attendees to easily sort and recycle their rubbish
Why Kerry for Green Events
As a county, Kerry is committed to ‘Keeping it Green’, putting the focus on protecting the environment and developing a green economy.
Home to both Siamsa Tíre, Ireland’s first accredited Green Theatre and Events Centre and world leading hotels such as The Europe Hotel & Resort and The Killarney Park who operate on 100% green renewable energy, and The Rose Hotel, whose Head Chef has just become the first person in the world to complete a newly established Environmental Sustainability Management in Hospitality qualification.
We are extremely proud of how our industry have embraced a sustainability ethos, and the steps that many of our hotels, venues, activity providers etc are undertaking to put in place Green Teams, implement measures to reduce environmental impact and for some, undertake third party sustainability accreditation.
Within Kerry Convention Bureau, all our familiarisation programmes and events are paper & single use plastic free.
Think Reduce-Reuse-Recycle for event materials and communications
Keep it digital where you can; electronic invitations, registration, follow ups etc
Encourage attendees to adopt the “Leave No Trace” ethos
Ensure recycling bins are readily available throughout meeting venues and accommodation, with multi language signage to enable attendees to easily sort and recycle their rubbish
Transport
Due to the close proximity of our Convention Centre, hotels and venues to each other within each of our destinations, delegates are able to easily walk between locations, without the need for dedicated transport
If attendees do choose to drive, provide details of where electric vehicles can be charged – find out where Kerry’s car charging points here
Many hotel properties offer complimentary bike hire and our destinations are extremely easy to navigate by bicycle
Encourage attendees to utilise soft mobility options by sharing details of Kerry’s network of bicycle paths and walking trails
Carbon Offsetting
Carbon Offsetting For Event Planners and the Irish Tourism Industry
Reducing your carbon footprint is a highly recommended step for event planners and tourism businesses that care about our climate and their emission levels. We strongly encourage visiting event planners, KCB Members and our industry partners to consider offsetting any emissions they produce.
Kerry Convention Bureau works with two organisations who offer Carbon Offsetting initiatives; Sustainable Travel Ireland and Flogas.
Both organisations have partnered with South Pole, a gold standard provider of emissions-reduction projects worldwide.
Sustainable Travel Ireland
Sustainable Travel Ireland have created a group carbon-offset scheme for the Irish tourism industry, which can also be utilised by event planners when holding events in Kerry.
The scheme offers a wide array of internationally accredited offsetting projects, including hydropower, clean drinking water and forest protection schemes.
Visit Sustainable Travel Ireland for more information and handy tools to calculate and offset through one of its chosen high-impact projects. and note, members of Sustainable Travel Ireland can avail of discounted rates.
Member Hotels of Kerry Convention Bureau, who are or become customers of Flogas, can avail of the carbon offsetting scheme currently offered by Flogas to all its business customers throughout Ireland.
For a minimal fee, Flogas will purchase carbon credits on behalf of commercial customers, investing in sustainable global projects that either reduce or capture an equivalent amount of carbon emissions.
Examples of the supported projects include forest protection, providing access to clean and efficient LPG cookstoves, supporting renewable energy projects and wastewater treatment and biogas utilisation projects. For more information on how to get involved, contact Flogas.
Kerry Convention Bureau offers a free and impartial service, providing expert local advice, venue sourcing and facilitating connections to passionate, local suppliers who are committed to working together to make your event a success
Let us help you bring your meeting, conference, incentive or event to the beautiful Kingdom of Kerry by completing the form below and a member of our dedicated team will be in touch.
Fáilte Ireland and Kerry Convention Bureau joined forces to recruit academics and thought leaders in the region to bring more international conferences to the area.
#TeamKerry headed to London this week to join UK Association Buyers at the annual Meet In Ireland Association Networking event. Held in the Hotel Café Royal, this event is a fantastic opportunity for the 
A group of top UK event planners spent the weekend in Kerry and Cork on an educational trip, organised by Fáilte Ireland, in conjunction with Tourism Ireland. The trip provides the opportunity to showcase the region and to expand their knowledge of what Ireland has to offer UK planners for exclusive incentive programmes and corporate meetings, so that they can encourage their corporate clients in the UK to host their next event in Ireland.
Kerry Convention Bureau showcased Kerry as a unique and inspiring business tourism destination over the weekend to eight influential Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibition (MICE) event planners from the United Kingdom, Sweden and Dublin.
They were given first-hand experience of the facilities, venues, accommodation, transportation and services that Kerry has to offer, encouraging them to choose the region for their next big conference or event.”
CSR engagement can make a real difference to a community by bringing about positive change and leaving lasting legacies”said Becky Hargrove, Sales Manager at Kerry Convention Bureau (KCB). ‘When event planners include CSR into their event programs, it provides delegates with an unforgettable opportunity to engage with the local community and give something back. KCB were delighted to be able to partner with Orangeworks to put a spotlight on CSR as part of our overall familiarisation programme itinerary and to showcase an example of the creative, engaging and meaningful ways this can be undertaken for events being held in Kerry
A group of travel incentive buyers from Canada visited Ireland on a Meet in Ireland familiarisation trip and were given the opportunity to travel around Kerry to learn more on how they can programme these counties for future high-end incentive programmes for their corporate clients in Canada. The visit was hosted by Fáilte Ireland’s Meet in Ireland team, in collaboration with Tourism Ireland and for the majority of the Canadian buyers, this was their first time to travel to Ireland. Following their visit to Kerry, the group also visited Cork before flying home.
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