PHOTOS Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau ambassadors celebrated with a festive event

Pictured at the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau 2024 festive event were Richard Lynch with Mary McCullough, Chairperson of the Up with People International Alumni Association, Karen Ronan, General Manager of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, Patrice O’Mahony, Business Events Officer with Fáilte Ireland, and Danielle Devaney, Business Development Executive, Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau. Photo: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau with Fáilte Ireland honoured their ambassadors with their 2024 festive event at the Savoy Hotel

Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau with Fáilte Ireland honoured their ambassadors with their annual festive event at the Savoy Hotel highlighting the remarkable efforts made by individuals and organisations contributing to bringing international conferences to the Shannon region.

Karen Ronan, General Manager of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, explained the organisation works to attract international conferences and events to the Shannon Region. By partnering with Fáilte Ireland, the group offers financial and practical advice and many other supports which empower local influencers such as academics, corporations, and sports clubs to bid for and host events.

Karen told I Love Limerick, “The Shannon Bureau is the convention bureau for Ireland’s Shannon region, covering Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, and our whole focus is to attract international conferences and events to Ireland’s Shannon region.”

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Patrice O’Mahony, Business Events Officer with Fáilte Ireland, highlighted the impact events such as these have on the region, she said, “The impacts are widespread, it is a fantastic opportunity for the Midwest region. Each business delegate or person who attends a conference is worth three times that of a leisure traveller. What’s really important about them is they typically come off-season, midweek, and they stay for longer periods of time, so it’s really important for the whole business ecosystem in the area.

“Beyond that, more than the economic, the positive impacts are felt long, long term. So much are the societal and environmental impacts from these amazing conferences, the knock-on effect goes beyond the tourism, the traditional tourism impact that we know.”

Mary McCullough, Chairperson of the Up with People International Alumni Association said, “We had about 800 people from about 30 countries and they absolutely had a ball. We’re a completely volunteer organisation, so as volunteers, we just would not have been able to do this without the support, both financially and moral support and friendship of people here in the Bureau, in Limerick and in Fáilte Ireland, which wouldn’t have been possible for us as a volunteer organisation otherwise.”

Mary McCullough said the support received from the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau with Fáilte Ireland made it easy for the group to move their event to Ireland, she said, “Financial support for us to bring in our committee to have a look and see the venues, because this event has typically run in the States for over 40 years, so it was a big decision. To change the country and change the continent, having a site visit was really, really important for us to be able to do that.”

Danielle Devaney, Business Development Executive with the Bureau, underscored their inclusive approach, supporting diverse groups from academic institutions to sports organisations, she said, “Our collaborative relationships with local institutes make attracting and motivating hosts for events easier, ensuring the entire region benefits.”

Looking forward to the future, Karen Ronan, General Manager, said the bureau hopes to, “grow our ambassador programme locally”, she said, “To get more local people involved in associations, in sports federations and local companies to work with the bureau to attract events they can influence and put up their hand and to bid for an event for the region.”

Pictures: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick