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Fáilte Ireland’s Business Tourism strategy for 2007

Additional personnel and funding plus a revised structure geared to accelerating Business Tourism promotional activities in tandem with the industry are key elements in Fáilte Ireland’s Business Tourism strategy for 2007.

In response to industry proposals, a strong emphasis has been placed on research into sources of business. A new executive has been appointed by Fáilte Ireland to increase database research into the international conferences and incentive markets, providing a major resource for the industry’s commercial sector. This is being followed by a new marketing and support structure, which is responding to needs and opportunities identified by the industry. Funding will be increased both for specific marketing and promotional activities, and for further enhancing Ireland’s ‘brand’ image in Business Tourism markets.

Initiatives

Initiatives in the 2007 Marketing strategy include:

• Reinforcing the brand and continuing the co-ordinated efforts to build up a distinctive image in the Business Tourism market
• Building on the announcement of the new National Conference Centre to further enhance Ireland’s impact internationally
• Launch of the Conference Alliance a cohesive support system within a new Conference Ambassador programme
• Further enhancements of communications and cooperation between industry and Fáilte Ireland
• Greater emphasis on information and communications technology to improve international competitiveness
• Further database development and research.

In regard to Association Conferences, Fáilte Ireland will be targeting primarily the areas of finance, banking and insurance, healthcare, pharmaceutical industries, the professions (medical, legal etc), academic associations, media, information and communications technology and international associations in social and cultural fields.

In the Incentives and Corporate Meetings sector, the Irish supply side has developed well in recent years. However, competition has also intensified from new destinations, at a time when demand has contracted. It is difficult for Ireland to compete on price with many southern and eastern European destinations, so we are working with the industry to distinguish the Irish product through factors such as product and service quality, innovation in packaging, and cultural and environmental qualities which deliver a strong value added/value-for-money proposition to clients.

The priority target markets for 2007are:
Primary: Britain, North America, Germany and France
Secondary: Italy, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands
Tertiary: Australia, South Africa

Priority segments are pure Incentive, from the United States and the UK, Concentive (mixture of corporate meeting and incentive) from European markets and pure Corporate Meetings from European markets and the UK.

A comprehensive range of promotional activities is in place, in tandem with Tourism Ireland, for each Business Tourism Segment. Since the Business Tourism Forum was established to advise Fáilte Ireland on strategy and to create a conduit for communications with the industry, significant advances have been made.

Business tourism plans in place for 2007

Under the guidance of the Forum, the promotional and marketing landscape has undergone a major transformation, with a more unified, cohesive approach achieved between the official agencies and the key industry sectors specialising in Conferences and Incentive Travel and Corporate Meetings. A new suite of literature and marketing materials has been developed for our principal markets, to build a strong proposition for Ireland among potential sources of business. Activities at international trade exhibitions and promotions have also been increased through the participation of the industry in a stronger “team Ireland” partnership. These developments have been greatly influenced by the two industry driven Working Groups bringing a clear industry perspective to Fáilte Ireland’s plans and operations – one for Association Conferences, chaired by Matthew Ryan and the other for Incentive Travel and Corporate Meetings, under the chairmanship of John Healy.

At national agency level, greater integration has been achieved between the industry, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, who have dedicated Business Tourism personnel in a number of markets.