PHOTOS UL Academic Ambassadors celebrate contributions attracting events to Mid West

Elaine Courtney, Terri Culligan and Deborah Judge, UL Academic Ambassadors Conference and Events Office with Karen Brosnahan,  Letitia Wade and Rachel Deegan, Fáilte Ireland. Picture: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick. 

Collaborations between Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, Failte Ireland and The University of Limerick Conference and Events Office culminated in the Academic Ambassador event that took place on Monday, December 5 at The Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick. UL Academic Ambassadors

The event recognized the efforts of twenty UL academic ambassadors and celebrated their personal contributions in attracting large conferences and events into the region in 2016. The Conference Business won by these Ambassadors contributing more than €2 million in economic impact for the University, Limerick and the wider region. 

Karen Brosnahan, General Manager Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau said: “The Ambassador Programme is paramount in winning international association conferences.  In Limerick we are very fortunate to have three very active academic institutes where the staff regularly bid for, and win key high economic impact international conference business for Limerick.”

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Business Tourism is big business for Ireland, in fact its’ worth €669m a year to the Irish economy and supports 20,000 jobs. Recognizing the value of this business for Ireland, The Meet in Ireland team at Fáilte Ireland manages a very successful Conference Ambassasor Programme, aimed at supporting those who are in a position to influence the choice of destination for their international association or society’s next international meeting. Over 75% of all business tourism events that are held here, come here with the help of an ambassador. 

Letitia Wade, International Conferences Officer, Failte Ireland added: “Failte Ireland has, to date, supported over 1000 conference ambassadors to bring their international meeting to Ireland. Working locally through a strategic partnership with Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, the University of Limerick and other educational institutions in the Shannon region, helps to raise awareness of the significant supports available, motivate new ambassadors to bid, and subsequently increase the regions share of the international conference sector over the years to come.”

Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau is a public-private partnership supported by Limerick Chamber, Shannon Branch of Irish Hotels Federation, Shannon Airport, the 3 academic institutions in Limerick, and comprises of a collection of local venues, hotels, activity providers, who have joined forces to attract international meetings and conferences to Limerick and the wider Irelands Shannon Region.

Find out more information about the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau here. 

Check out Failte Ireland here.

Read more about The University of Limerick here.