Current Industry News July 07
Posted in News on July 5th, 2007Dublin Convention Centre Plans Unveiled
Detailed plans have been revealed for the design of the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD).
The architect’s images show a barrel-shaped, glass exterior on the banks of the River Liffey, dominating the skyline and adding a futuristic curve to the existing façade.
With the recent completion of the new Port Tunnel, the Spencer Dock location is now a 25-minute taxi ride from Dublin Airport.
The NEC Group will manage the CCD for the first 25 years of its life. The opening date for the 2,000-seater venue is scheduled for September 1, 2010, and the main auditorium is described by CEO Nick Waight as "an improved version of the ICC Birmingham".
In addition, there will be 24 other meeting rooms and a total of 30,000 square metres of function space with more lettable space than offered by Birmingham ICC. The £400 million project – which includes an adjoining 250-room hotel – comes at a time when the Irish government has made a major investment in business tourism of more than €800 million including the VAT grant (see M&IT March 2007).
Waight said: ”We will offer a broad provision of in-house audio-visual services, for example, with more than €3 million earmarked for AV kit alone and the scale of the project meets top international event standards. We will be able to get an articulated truck directly onto the stage and there are two truck lifts available."
A target has been set for 30,000 international delegates to be achieved by 2015. The UK market will play a vital role in the sales and marketing programme.
Sales director Catherine Newhall-Caiger explained: "We intend to hit the ground sprinting. We will manage the marketing of the two venues within the same team, bringing our fantastic relationships with existing Birmingham clients to the project. The Irish economy is booming and ready for top consumer and trade events. We also feel the UK association market will be delighted to have the option of taking their events to Ireland."
Internet PR: Creating Contagious Publicity
Online Messages Meant for Spread
Nearly all of the most popular marketing trends that center on Internet publicity have one thing in common; buzz. Marketers find increasing value in launching campaigns that are buzz worthy and continue to come up in conversation long after the ads or press releases have been issued. Creating contagious publicity is the goal of every marketer and the dream of every industry leader. Creating publicity that is contagious, however, is not as easy to accomplish as it is to imagine.
Of all of a manufacturer’s marketing strategies set forth to accomplish viral publicity, if none of them are as successful as first hoped, don’t be discouraged. Viral publicity requires many of the star marketing aspects to be in perfect alignment before the campaign takes off. Keep attempting the most potentially viral campaigns possible for your company’s advertising and publicity and be sure to be balanced in the kind of marketing approach you take so that viral strategies are not the only kind of promotional campaigns that your company produces.
ICCA Goes Green in Brighton
Summer debate will explore green meetings and venues
Delegates from the UK and Ireland’s conference centres, convention bureaus, hotels, airlines, professional conference organisers and exhibition companies will discuss green issues at the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) UK & Ireland Chapter 2007 Summer Debate.
‘Going Green – Fad or Future?’ will be held at the De Vere Grand Hotel on July 12 and 13. The debate aims to explore socially responsible meetings, commercial viability, green buildings and recycling/carbon offsetting – all which have become highly influential and important factors in preparing and winning bids for conferences and exhibitions as well as during the events themselves.
The programme has been split into four sections ‘Green Meetings – The Future of Conferencing?’; ‘Green Services’; ‘How Green is Your Venue’ and ‘Communicating the Green Message’’. The presentations will be followed by round table discussions.
Speakers include John Proctor from the Green Business Tourist Scheme, Angela Mawle (UK Public Health Association), Leith’s Catering, Reeds Exhibitions, Melville’s, Adam Bates (VisitBrighton), Martin Lewis (CAT Publications) and Robert Wright (Davis Tanner).
Brian Horsburgh, ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter chair said: “Green issues and corporate social responsibility are increasingly being raised by meeting planners as key factors for their clients. The UK and Ireland’s conference and exhibition industry is increasingly having to address these global issues to ensure that we remain a top destination choice.”
He added: “We have continued the two-day format we trialled at the Winter debate in Florence in January as it proved to be very successful. Delegates have appreciated more time for discussion, networking and to experience the destination.”
The 2007 Summer Debate follows a series of topical debates held by the UK & Ireland Chapter. The Chapter is currently in discussion with the ICCA Iberian Chapter about holding a joint Winter Debate with them in Spain or Portugal.
October Opening for Ritz Carlton Powerscourt
Hotel features Gordon Ramsay’s first restaurant in Ireland
The Ritz-Carlton, Powerscourt, County Wicklow, will open in October 2007.
The property, a 200-room resort showcasing Palladian style architecture, will offer a grand ballroom measuring 5,959 square feet, which can host 450 people for a seated dinner, and up to 1,000 guests for a reception. A terrace on the second floor is available for pre-event cocktails and receptions.
Situated southwest of Dublin in the grounds of the 1,000 acre Powerscourt House and Gardens, the hotel has 133 suites with a minimum size of 700 square feet.
Among the features of the new property are two championship-calibre golf courses on the grounds, a 30,000 square foot ESPA, and a Gordon Ramsay signature restaurant – the celebrity chef’s first location in the Republic of Ireland.
WPP Revenues Up 4.3% in Sof Market
The world’s second-largest advertising company,WPP said first-quarter like-for-like revenues increased 4.3% but noted it had seen softness in the United States in the last few months.
Overall sales were down 0.7% at £1.37 billion , reflecting the 11% decline in the US dollar against sterling, the London-based company said.
The company, whose Irish businesses include Ogilvy Ireland, Javelin Young & Rubicam, DDFH&B, Hunter Redcell, Mindshare, Mediaedge:cia, Grey Helme and Medicom Ireland as well as Wilson Hartnell and J Walter Thompson, said the softness was relative to the strong last half of 2006, and had been largely counter-balanced by improvements in Western Europe.
WPP Chief Executive Martin Sorrell told Reuters the softness was "very mild" and that the market would be supported by the "early and big" spending already seen on the U.S. 2008 election.
The like-for-like figure is a key industry metric which strips out the impact of acquisitions and currency and the figure of 4.3 percent was broadly in line with analyst expectations, but down from the impressive fourth quarter figure of 7.2 percent.
Analysts noted however that the fourth quarter figure followed a 2006 third quarter growth of just 4.1 percent and said WPP’s next quarter could see a second bounce back.
