Last month three members of CCIS The Conference Company team attended the 13th Annual Business Events Conference by AIPCO in The Galmont Hotel, Galway in Ireland This year the theme for the conference was Tides of Change, navigating success through collaboration. This theme tied in beautifully with the setting as Galway is one of Ireland’s most vibrant cities along the water. When we entered the room, we were greeted by a beautiful Galway Hooker boat that was restored by Galway Native Ciaran Oliver.
The AIPCO Conference was an invaluable experience, packed with learning opportunities, networking, and industry insights. Here’s a quick rundown of the conference and the highlights from our team.
What is AIPCO?
The AIPCO – Association of Irish Professional Conference Organisers Conference is a gathering of industry experts and thought leaders who come together to share knowledge, explore new trends, and discuss the future of event planning.
Meet Our CCIS Attendees
- Caroline O’Connor – General Manager Caroline has worked in the service industry for 25 years. She joined CCIS in 2017 as General Manager before taking on ownership in 2020. Caroline was extremely impressed by the venue and hearing about all the new conference event spaces that are coming down the line for Galway. She enjoyed the Meet in Ireland session and learning about how the economic, social, environmental pillars are intertwined to deliver a successful and sustainable event.
- Lisa Maher – Project Lead Lisa has been working with CCIS for the last 4 and a half years, having previously worked in hospitality working in a busy conference hotel. She enjoyed attending the conference and found it interesting particularly the Global Perspective session. Our clients are beginning to look for locations that feature flexible and adaptable event spaces, that integrate technology and sustainability practices.
- Sinéad Collins – Project Lead Sinéad has been with CCIS for over two and a half years, after working in tourism and hospitality previously. She looks forward to 2025 and feels it will be an exciting year for tourism, travel and sustainable conferences and events. Sinéad enjoyed the two days as they looked to the future of business events with a focus on sustainability and growth. Her highlight from the event was the drinks reception in Saint Nicholas’ Collegiate Church with entertainment from Macnas through the streets of Galway. It is wonderful to see such talent on our doorstep and the backdrop of the Church was amazing. We would love to see this as a venue for a Gala Dinner when we are in Galway next.
Key Takeaways for the Team
Throughout the conference, our team gained valuable insights that will directly influence how we plan, promote, and execute events moving forward. Here are some of the key takeaways:
Sustainability: Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a growing demand from clients and attendees. CCIS The Conference Company is excited to explore how we can implement more eco-friendly practices in our event planning, from reducing waste to sourcing sustainable materials and venues. Sustainable conferences and events also focus on promoting the less built-up areas and hosting events that run through the off season. For our clients this also means that prices are often more favourable, and the area can be easier to move around. We heard from Bettina Reventlow-Mourier from the Copenhagen Convention Centre where she spoke about them introducing a fantastic initiative called “Copenpay” where Copenhagen rewards its visitors for their climate friendly actions by awarding them entrance to an attraction or a free lunch. CopenPay – Free attractions for climate actions | Visit Copenhagen
Technology Integration: From virtual platforms to interactive apps, we now have a greater understanding of how to incorporate cutting-edge tech into events to create more engaging and memorable experiences for attendees. We are working towards a greener future also and we encourage our clients to reduce their carbon footprint by using QR Codes to advertise agendas and running order of the events. At CCIS The Conference Company we are lucky to have our own registration portal that can be branded and customised depending on the needs and wants of our clients. CCIS Conference Diary – CCIS
Flexible Event Spaces: This is something that we have started to see ourselves over the past number of years. Since the pandemic and the lockdowns as conferences have started to come back as Face-to-Face attendance, we are noticing that more of our clients are looking for venues that can accommodate multiple breakout rooms, prayer rooms and quiet areas for people to dip in and out of during the day. We are also finding that the traditional buffet lunch is being replaced by a grab and go option, and more people are happier to stand at a pod table where they can roam around networking than be confined to a table. We are also lucky when planning conferences and events that we can showcase the town and city where the meeting takes place through having the Gala Dinner outside of the hotel or having room blocks in multiple hotels. This allows the delegates to explore some of the area even if they are there for a limited time only. Education Exchange Meeting – CCIS
Client-Centric Approach: Personalisation is key to creating memorable events. We’ve learned new strategies for tailoring our services to meet the unique needs of each client and elevating their overall experience.
Digital Marketing Trends:
The world of event marketing is becoming more digital. Our team now has a deeper understanding of how to harness the power of digital platforms to increase engagement, promote events, and build lasting relationships with attendees. Since the AIPCO conference we have connected with the Clare Local Enterprise Office and some of our team members have been upskilling to ensure they are up to date with all of the resources that are available online.
Key Sessions:
Collaboration & Partnerships:
One of the central themes at the conference was the importance of collaboration and partnerships in driving Ireland’s success in the business events sector. Speakers emphasised that while Ireland may be a relatively small country, we can use that to our advantage when stakeholders come together, pooling their resources and working in unison. By fostering strong partnerships across sectors, between local governments, tourism agencies, event organisers, or businesses – Ireland can amplify its impact and position itself as a leading destination for international events. The collective effort and shared vision were recognised as essential elements in creating a cohesive and competitive offering that benefits the entire country.
Economic Impact & Regional Development:
We began the day by hearing from the new Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke on his new role and the new department that tourism will sit under. I think most people in the room were very excited about the new structure and what it means for the tourism industry going forward. We also heard from Maria Melia from the Department of Tourism, Paul Mockler from Fáilte Ireland and David Boyce from Tourism Ireland on the work they are doing and the trends that are coming down the line.
We were excited to hear about the work that was being done by the Meet in Ireland teams to get conferences secured for Ireland for the coming years. We were also made aware of some of the fantastic new venues that are coming down the pipeline in Galway with work being done on Saint Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, The Dexcom Stadium and Clare Galway Castle as these venues will allow a greater capacity for Galway events.
Storytelling & Creativity in Events:
We began Friday morning with a very impactful session hosted by Noeline Kavanagh. Her insights served as a powerful reminder that creativity isn’t just an artistic pursuit. It can also be a strategic tool that can set events apart in an increasingly competitive market.
Noeline, who previously led the theatre group Macnas, offered a compelling perspective on storytelling. She explained, “Storytelling is the ultimate virtual reality. When a story is told well, it allows the listener to walk beside the story and see the world through the story’s eyes.” In a world where destinations constantly vie for international events, it’s storytelling that can give a place the emotional depth and authenticity needed to stand out.
How We Will Apply These Insights
The knowledge and inspiration gained at AIPCO will directly benefit our clients. Moving forward, our team will incorporate these learnings into our processes, ensuring that we stay at the forefront of industry trends and continue to deliver high-quality, innovative events. We’re committed to applying new sustainable practices.
What’s Next?
We’re excited to put all this newfound knowledge into action and share the results with our clients. As we move forward, we’ll be incorporating the lessons learned from the AIPCO Conference into our upcoming projects, ensuring that we continue to meet and exceed the expectations of our clients.
Having returned from the conference we have already began work with the Aoibheann and the team at Sustainable Tourism Network to become an affiliated member, we will be working on upgrading our sustainability policy to ensure we are focusing on growing our business in a way that benefits the environment and our community. We have also signed up to attend the Sustainability Action Plan Workshop that will take place on the 26th February. We are looking forward to catching up with those that attend AIPCO that are also members of the Sustainable Tourism Network.
We have also taken the opportunity to connect with many of the other attendees since the conference to build strong relationships with them. We ensure we will keep in touch on new offerings businesses are adding to the market, different trends they are experiences and of course locking in business for 2025 and beyond with businesses that are aligned with our clients’ policies and values.
A huge thank you to AIPCO for organising such a fantastic event, and to all the speakers, and fellow professionals who contributed to making it such an enriching experience. Congratulations to the Galmont Hotel who hosted this event and their staff for ensuring each attendee had a wonderful time. We’re already looking forward to the next conference and the opportunity to continue learning and growing within this ever-evolving industry.