Failte Ireland
New Framework for ensuring events bring benefits for all
IRELAND’ S BUSINESS TOURISM LEADERS HAVE UNITED TO PRODUCE A NEW STRATEGY FOR BUSINESS EVENTS, WITH SUBVENTION FRAMEWORK AT THE CORE OF DRIVING A MODERN MODEL FOR SUCCESS BOTH IN TERMS OF HARD ECONOMICS AND THE KNOWLEDGE AND SOCIAL ECONOMIES
I n Ireland, as in many destinations, the business events sector functions as an export sector, creating jobs, fostering innovation, and attracting investment. Business events are also serving as platforms for knowledge transfer and trade promotion, enhancing the destination’ s competitiveness on the global stage.
Ireland’ s business events stakeholders also clearly understand that destinations that successfully attract large events have also seen major boosts in their infrastructure and modernisation of services, which all enhances the experience for event attendees and leaves legacy that residents can benefit from long term.
Other long-term benefits include attracting foreign direct investment( FDI) and new talent in high growth sectors.
The Irish government has outlined its ambition to grow the country’ s tourism industry in its Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’ s Future. Business events have a huge role in that, as outlined in Ireland’ s new business events strategy, Business Events 2030.
In the strategy’ s foreword, minister for enterprise, tourism and employment, Peter Burke, T. D., makes clear how crucial business events is as one of Ireland’ s highest yielding tourism segments, noting that it contributes over € 1bn to the economy annually, as well as supporting 22,000 jobs.
The new business events strategy has all the major players on board- being a collaboration between the ministry, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and other industry leaders from the tourism sector and beyond.
The minister noted also that in recent years Ireland had witnessed a rise in high growth businesses across a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, ICT, and renewable energy.“ This track record will be complemented further through the attraction of business events,” the minister added.
Stephen Kavanagh, chairperson of Ireland’ s Business Tourism Strategy Group, said in his introduction to the strategy document:“ In setting the direction for a more collaborative approach to the development of the Irish business events sector, implementation can deliver increased value for tourism and the wider ecosystem.”
To bring this strategy to life and implement the actions required to achieve the success factors, Kavanagh identified some key imperatives, including demonstrating to wider government stakeholders and gaining recognition of the far-reaching benefits of business events.
Subvention Framework With any plans needing to be aligned with national programmes and government objectives, as it moves into the strategy implementation phase, the group has identified maintaining Ireland’ s attractiveness through the creation of a business events Subvention Framework aimed at fostering inclusive regional growth, seasonal balance, sectoral development, and positive social and environmental outcomes.
The plan also calls for the creation of a business events legacy framework and measurement tool.
All this is designed to help secure an increase in the value of business events to Ireland and meet the government climate targets action.
Such a collaborative approach with a Subvention Framework as a key element of the strategy should be able to accelerate the development of a world
30 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 139