BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
Planning Your
Successful Event
Ireland has an excellent choice of venues for meetings, events and conferences.
Professionals who oversee events tell Emily Styles how the market is
performing and what their venues have to offer
STEPHANIE HAYES
Clontarf Castle Hotel
Stephanie Hayes is Director of
Sales & Marketing in Clontarf
Castle Hotel. The venue has
been operating as a luxury hotel
since the 1990s and there has
been a castle on the site since
the 1100s.
DEMAND We experienced
strong demand for both
residential and non-residential
conferences and gala dinners
throughout 2016. Our sales
revenues in conference, food,
beverage and room hire all
showed growth as a result.
FACILITIES We completed a
€3m renovation in 2016, which
incorporated all of our event
spaces, including The Great Hall.
The bedrooms and public areas
were also redecorated and a
beautiful new modern art
collection was introduced
around the building, adding
another layer to the delegate
experience. Instant connectivity
is now the norm – your WiFi
needs to be free and fast!
TRENDS Companies and
delegates are more focused
on health and well-being. There
is a shift away from sugary
snacks, which are being replaced
with healthy options and
exercise breaks. Corporate
meetings generally are becoming
more interactive and
experiential.
Great Hall conference set-up in Clontarf Castle Hotel
42
BUSINESS PLUS
FEBRUARY 2017
RICHARD MILLEA
Celbridge Manor Hotel
Richard Millea has been General
Manager of the Celbridge Manor
Hotel since December 2015. He
has over 30 years’ experience in
the hotel industry and was
previously Conference and
Banqueting Manager in the
Westbury Hotel.
DEMAND Demand was
good over the last year, which
saw us typically host two or
three meetings every week.
Towards the latter part of the
year we noticed that the larger
conference business improved. I
expect that this will continue in
2017, and we will see growth of
conferences being organised for
attendances of 150-plus.
FACILITIES We recently
carried out extensive work to
two of our three boardrooms,
from top to bottom. Our main
function room has also received
extensive renovations to
enhance the offering.
BOOKING TIPS It’s now the
case that IT facilities are
expected as complimentary with
the room hire. More generally, it
is important to pay close
attention to timing, layout
preferences and to customer
expectations around food. If you
don’t, these elements can
become problems for bookers
and for facility providers.
continued on page 44
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
Croke Park suite overlooking the pitch
ADRIENNE CLARKE
Convention Centre Dublin
Adrienne Clarke has been Head
of Conference Sales with the
Convention Centre Dublin since
2013. She has over 25 years’
experience in sales and
marketing, having worked with
hotels, exclusive style properties
and conference venues.
DEMAND 2016 was an
excellent year for The Convention
Centre Dublin, bringing the total
number of events we’ve held
since opening in September 2010
to over 1,350. We saw highprofile international corporate and
association conferences come
through the doors and we also
hosted a large number of national
events.
FACILITIES Last year we made
some significant upgrades to our
technology offering. The Centre
invested in new audiovisual
technology, offering a greater
quality experience for clients,
44
BUSINESS PLUS
enabling them to immerse the
audience in a visual spectacle.
We also updated our digital
signage to a higher definition
and added 20 new digital
display units, which allow our
clients to maximise their
branding across all levels of the
building. In response to growing
demands for WiFi connections
across a range of devices, we
also increased the WiFi capability
from 12,000 to 22,000
concurrent connections.
Technology is always important
to clients and how they run their
events. MCI Dublin, the PCO for
The World Buiatrics Congress
2016, put a global digital
marketing strategy in place for
every element of the event, from
planning right through to its
delivery at The CCD in July 2016.
Our digital display units, video
walls and hanging arrays were
used to display session names.
They printed a pocket
programme and used a congress
app in place of a full printed
version, and banner advertising
on the app replaced physical
delegate bag inserts. They used
The CCD’s infrastruc-ture to
deliver the most environmentally sustainable congress in
the association’s history.
BOOKING TIPS Clients are
booking earlier than before and I
strongly advise event organisers
to book their venue early to
ensure they secure the dates
they want. Larger corporates are
FEBRUARY 2017
aware that it is getting more
difficult to get the venues they
want, and they are booking
much earlier, sometimes up to
two years out.
I’d also suggest that bookers
meet with the venue team
onsite. At The CCD, our event
managers, technical production
managers and hospitality
managers have so much
experience and knowledge,
which has contributed to the
success of our many events.
SINEAD HENEGHAN
Croke Park Meetings & Events
Sinead Heneghan is Head of
Sales with Croke Park Meetings
& Events. She played a leading
role in the venue’s meeting
room and conference facilities
upgrade in 2015.
DEMAND Demand was very
strong in 2016, following a
dramatic upgrade and rebrand
that we undertook the previous
year. The time we took to consult
with clients and understand how
they wanted our spaces to work
has really paid off and we are
extremely busy for the year
ahead and beyond.
FACILITIES We launched
Ireland’s first high-density WiFi
deployment in September 2016
and have had a great response.
Our new network operates
across our meeting and events
spaces and is available to
guests, exhibitors and organisers
at no extra cost. We also
continued our ambitious
upgrade programme with further
meeting rooms, following the
refurbishment of our key event
spaces at the end of 2015.
Digital connectivity is critical
but it’s not enough for guests to
remain connected. They expect
quick and easy real-time access
at all times and it has to be
seamless, secure and fail safe.
Our ultra-fast high-density WiFi
provides the infrastructure to
support more than 27,000
people or 40,000 devices
simultaneously, with 400Mb per
second bandwidth. The network
is a first for venues in Ireland
and future-proofed to support
the newest devices.
We launched some new
activity spaces on level 7, along
with an exhilarating new Skyline
rooftop abseil and additional
time-out activities, which have
been really well received by
event organisers looking for
activity opportunities in Dublin.
BP SURVEY
BOOKING TIPS Not
allocating their budget properly
is something that event
organisers commonly get
wrong. Clients often spend a
large proportion of their budget
on production and
entertainment and make the
mistake of cutting the catering
allowance, which can affect the
overall event experience.
TRENDS Meetings bring
people together in an everglobalising world and catering
trends reflect this. Clients want
healthy menu options that
accommodate an expanding
range of restricted diets and
that are customisable to tastes
and event themes. They want to
see emerging superfoods on
menus, healthy indulgences
during breaks and genuine
farm-to-fork practices in place.
Organisers and attendees are
also tuned in to venues’
sustainable catering practices –
their water and utility usage,
waste disposal and sourcing. A
MEETING ROOMS
range of catering service
concepts are also important to
allow people to move around,
network and connect. All of
these keep us on your toes,
make life interesting and help
us to reimagine ourselves.
BARRY O’CONNOR
Portmarnock Hotel and
Golf Links
Barry O’Connor is Resort
Director with Portmarnock
Hotel and Golf Links, having
joined the business in 2015. He
has previously worked in New
York with Starwood, as well as
in Berkeley Court and in head
office with Jurys Doyle Group.
DEMAND It was very strong
in 2016 and has been since
around 2014. The hotel business
in Dublin has picked up a fair bit
since the recession and we are
seeing continued strong growth.
The pharma sector is always
buoyant for conference
meetings. We are also seeing a
lot of US incentive groups
coming over. In general, there
are more enquiries from Europe
and the US, which we wouldn’t
have seen three years ago.
FACILITIES We refurbished all
of our meeting rooms space in
Jameson House. There are five
meeting rooms in the building;
the Moyne Suite can cater for up
to 300 theatre-style while two
smaller suites cater for up to
100 people. Upgrading has been
ongoing through 2016.
Technology has radically
changed what businesses expect
from meeting room facilities
these days. Expectations have
gone from flip charts to
interconnected TVs and full IT
systems with wireless
connectivity. Delegates also
expect not to have to pay
for WiFi.
BOOKING TIPS For facility
managers, the key thing is to
understand your clients – what
the meeting is about, who they
are meeting and what type of
clients they have coming in.
Don’t presume you have
everything or that you know the
client.
Every client is different –
some need lots of hands-on
support and others don’t want
any. Clients need to be clear on
what they want from the hotel
too, and they need to ensure
that the property can provide it.
Ultimately, they are looking for
customer care, someone they
can rely on no matter what
turns up.
continued on page 46
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
SUZANNE MULVEY
Red Cow Moran Hotel
IATA trade show at the RDS
ADRIENNE HUGHES
RDS
Adrienne Hughes is a Sales
Manager with the RDS and has
over 20 years of experience in
the events industry.
DEMAND 2016 was another
fantastic year for the RDS venue,
as we welcomed over 300
events, ranging from
international conferences and
exhibitions to trade shows and
various special events, including
new prestigious events.
International conferences
combined attracted more than
8,500 delegates to the RDS.
FACILITIES A €3.5m
investment in ICT infrastructure
has resulted in the provision of a
modern, scalable communication
infrastructure capable of meeting
the needs of the most
46
BUSINESS PLUS
demanding events. We are
continuing to enhance the AV
solutions in the RDS Concert Hall,
and other investments include
new lighting at Simmonscourt, a
new building management
control system and additional car
parking. The Dodder Suites were
refurbished due to the increased
demand for breakout rooms and
private client meetings.
BOOKING TIPS Space
availability can be limited due to
the increase in demand for event
space, especially in the final
quarter of the year. In 2016, there
was a shortage in hotel
accommodation availability for
large conferences, so we
recommend that clients book
accommodation well in advance.
The RDS Conference Village
works with local accommodation
providers to offer room
allocations when booking a
conference at the RDS.
TRENDS Demand for one-day
corporate meetings will
continue to grow in 2017, as
will large catering events. To
meet these demands, we have
enhanced our services, such as
our new all-inclusive dining
package for corporate events,
including large gala dinners and
award ceremonies.
Think tank room in the Red Cow Moran Hotel
FEBRUARY 2017
Suzanne Mulvey is Sales
Manager (Conference and
Events). She was previously
Group Business Development
Manager with Michael Wright
Hospitality Group.
DEMAND The Red Cow
Moran Hotel is now even bigger
following the addition of a
seven-storey extension. Demand
was buoyant in 2016, increasing
towards the end of the year
after the launch of our new
meeting spaces.
FACILITIES The hotel has
invested €14m in our new wing
and added 14 new meeting
spaces. Key features include a
choice of think-tank rooms, floorto-ceiling whiteboard and even a
ping pong table. With 152
additional executive bedrooms,
this has placed the hotel firmly in
the conference space, with 21
continued on page 48
P ROFI LE RDS
Experience RDS Hospitality
New All-Inclusive Dining Package
The RDS has a wide range of flexible dining
spaces to ensure that all of your guests can
embrace delectable food in the historical
surroundings of the RDS.
D
ue to the phenomenal demand for annual corporate
events, award ceremonies and gala dinners, the
RDS have introduced a new all-inclusive dining
package for events with hospitality. The package not only
includes venue rental, and a wide choice of menu options,
but also the hire of carpet, linen, chair covers and beautiful
floral centrepieces from local suppliers, as well as a table
plan, menu design, cloakroom attendants and a
complimentary bar extension. This all-inclusive package
is available from €67 plus VAT per person for groups of
500 plus.
RDS Main Hall
Creativity And Flair
The award-winning chefs from RDS Hospitality source the
best of local produce while using creativity and flair to
create special menus for each event.
The RDS understand that every event organiser wants
their event to be unique and memorable, and RDS
Hospitality can create bespoke catering menus and styles
to impress. Whether it is a particular corporate theme,
furniture or table top style or specific food and beverage
requirements, the RDS can create a hospitality experience
to meet your needs and delight your guests.
“
In all aspects the RDS team were
an absolute pleasure to work
with and extremely responsive to
requests and suggestions. In
both preparation and in delivery
we had an extremely positive
experience and I look forward to
working with the RDS again in
the future.
SFA National Small Business
Awards Gala Presentation
2015 & 2016
”
Contact [email protected] or + 353 (0) 1 668 0866
@TheRDS
www.rds.ie
BUSIN ESS PL US
FEBRUARY 20 1 7
47
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
The Dailinn Suite in Seafield Hotel
meeting spaces and facilities for
up to 800 delegates. We offer
free WiFi for all guests in our
public areas and guest rooms.
BOOKING TIPS Don’t neglect
to check connection compatibility
with AV equipment and make
sure to specify sound equipment
requirements. Event bookers can
also fail to allow sufficient time
for set-up and take-down of
equipment. There is also a full
support system in place for all
tech requirements and an
assortment of audiovisual
equipment can be sourced.
TRENDS We are receiving
more requests for breakout and
think-tank facilities. These are
collaboration rooms for meetings
that are less formal and follow a
more creative direction.
KATE KAVANAGH
Seafield Golf and Spa Hotel
Kate Kavanagh has been
Sales and Marketing Manager
at Seafield for seven years.
She previously worked with a
leading online marketing
company.
DEMAND Bookings in 2016
exceeded our expectations.
In the second half of the year,
we had a number of annual
return meetings as well
as large residential
conferences.
FACILITIES A new dedicated
WiFi service, separate to our
guest WiFi, was installed for
our main function room to
improve the internet service for
large conferences and
exhibitions. We also invested in
a new suite of hardware; new
VGA cabling and Mac/HDMI
adapters.
Our events team find that
event organisers have a sharp
focus on the WiFi standard
Self Contained Business Centre
9 Meeting Rooms
Conference & Banqueting Suites
Competitive Day Delegate Rates
� Fully integrated audio visual equipment
� Conference facilities for up to 600
delegates theatre style or 400
banqueting style
� Complimentary onsite parking
� Complimentary Wi-Fi
� Natural daylight throughout
48
BUSINESS PLUS
FEBRUARY 2017
during the planning stage.
Delegates expect a seamless
internet service across all
devices.
BOOKING TIPS Organisers
who conduct a site visit are in
a better position to make
decisions regarding the
running of the event. By
inspecting the function spaces,
organisers can choose the
correct space for their specific
requirements.
TRENDS Technological
considerations such as video
conferencing are coming to the
fore. There is a move to less
formal meetings, with renewed
focus on the incentive and
leisure aspects of offsite
meetings.
continued on page 50
Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney, Co.Dublin
Tel: 01 230 5400
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.fitzpatrickcastle.com
Aircoach stops directly outside the door
�
�
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Full day meeting room hire
Morning coffee & fresh fruit
Light lunch
Afternoon tea and homemade
cookies
Minimum of 10 delegates
IRELAND
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LET US TAKE CARE OF YOU
Call us today to make a booking +353 1 856 0000 | email [email protected] | or visit theccd.ie
customer satisfaction
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
MARY-BETH JENNINGS
UCD Conferences and Events
Mary-Beth Jennings, Conferences
and Events Manager, began her
hospitality career in The
Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland.
DEMAND 2016 saw the best
year in room bookings for UCD
since 2009. International
associations’ conferences soaked
up the summer months, with UCD
hosting its largest ever conference
of 2,500 delegates. Shoulder
months thrived on short-lead
time, smaller meeting
requirements, lending to the high
volume of conference and events
throughout the year.
BOOKING TIPS Never assume!
Be clear with your expectations
and requirements from the initial
booking stage with the venue,
and keep lines of communications
open right through to the end of
the event.
SANDRA EGAN
Camden Court Hotel
Greenwich suite in Carlton Hotel Blanchardstown
Sandra Egan is the Camden
Court Hotel’s Meeting Excellence
Manager. She brings more than
15 years’ experience to her role,
having worked in various senior
sales positions in the hotel
sector industry.
DEMAND 2016 was a great
year for conferencing, with
steady demand for our facilities.
There was a strong uptake in
training enquiries from
companies engaged in
developing current staff and new
hires. We expect this type of
business to continue growing, as
with new companies forming
and current offices and teams
expanding.
FACILITIES We always strive
to offer the best in terms of
facilities and equipment. We
recently installed new projectors
in our conference rooms.
BOOKING TIPS I feel that
meetings bookers need to
allocate more time than
originally anticipated when
organising an event or
conference. It’s important to
allow adequate time in order to
locate the right venue and visit
to confirm it is what you need
for your particular event or
conference.
Meeting with your main
contact in the hotel in advance
of the event is always helpful
and leads to a good working
relationship. For training courses,
having a good handle on the
expected numbers and preferred
layout is important. That way the
right space is secured, as closer
to the date availability
constraints can mean inadequate
space for the number of people
attending.
SOPHIA WEIR
Carlton Hotel Blanchardstown
Sophia Weir is Head of
Commercial Planning and
Development with the
Carlton Hotel Blanchardstown.
She has more than 20 years of
experience across a variety of
continued on page 52
UCD Conference & Events Office
With over 120 meeting rooms to choose from on our 300 acre campus,
University College Dublin is the natural setting for your conference
or event. Excellent, modern facilities and a range of spaces to suit
any event from a Georgian boardroom seating 20, to theatres and
classrooms for staff training or conferences with 20-500 attendees.
The O’Brien Centre for Science, opened in 2014, is an iconic,
inspiring showpiece of what the University has to offer. Spanning 5
floors, it houses 7 major lecture theatres, 20 breakout spaces and
an impressive large glass Atrium, ideal for exhibitions or catering.
50
BUSINESS PLUS
FEBRUARY 2017
The imposing O’Reilly Hall is ideal for major conferences,
meetings, product launches and exhibitions for over 1,000
attendees. The Main Hall is a blank canvas, allowing you
options to design your event on your individual requirements
Contact the Conference & Events Office to discuss your
requirements and to visit us for a tour of our campus facilities.
Tel:
01 716 2827 or
email: [email protected]
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
Shannon Suite, Limerick Strand Hotel
private and public sector
companies at national and
international level.
DEMAND Last year was a
brilliant one for us in terms
of meetings and events. We
saw big growth in large
conferences and I think that a
trend we will see more of in
2017 is the increasing number
of webcast events of all sizes
being held.
FACILITIES Our delegates can
now expect a free, high speed
1GB WiFi service. This means
that a group of 1,000 delegates
can simultaneously operate
several devices if they wish. In
the last year we have also
upgraded all our audiovisual
equipment, with touchscreen
technology for all AV and inroom controllers, and we have
refurbished all of our conference
and meeting room spaces.
Outdoor breakout options are
now also available for
delegates, leading into our
beautiful gardens.
BOOKING TIPS For meeting
rooms providers, having large
capacity bandwidth for digital
devices is now a basic
requirement. For bookers, it is
important to be specific
regarding the technology
requirements that they will
need, as these can sometimes
be overlooked when arranging
meetings and events.
52
BUSINESS PLUS
CATHERINE MCGOVERN
CityNorth Hotel and
Conference Centre
Catherine McGovern is Director
of Sales and Marketing with
CityNorth Hotel and Conference
Centre. She has over 20 years of
experience in the hotels sector.
DEMAND Demand was
buoyant throughout 2016 from
various business sectors, both in
Ireland and internationally. Our
proximity to Dublin Airport has
been a key factor in attracting a
number of large European
events and we are seeing this
trend continuing in 2017.
FACILITIES We will be
commencing with a hotel
refurbishment in the early part
of 2017, which is due to finish
in mid-March. The hotel décor
will be styled in a contemporary
and classic feel throughout,
including banqueting suites, bar,
restaurant and bedrooms.
FEBRUARY 2017
Delegates expect state-of-theart technology and high speed
WiFi in meeting rooms, with some
clients moving in the direction of
video conferencing. We are very
aware of our clients’ needs and
always strive to ensure that we
meet all of their technology
requirements on the day.
BOOKING TIPS Our advice to
event organisers is to know who
their audience is and what they
want to get out of their meeting
or event. Who is attending?
Have they been to Ireland
before? What is important for
the people attending the
meeting or event? Do they have
specific dietary requirements?
Facebook and Instagram, as well
as 360 video, are on the radar of
conference organisers.
ANNE MARIE HALLINAN
Lyrath Estate
Maria O’Gorman Skelly is
Director of Sales and Marketing
with the Limerick Strand Hotel.
She joined the hotel in 2008,
prior to which she was Sales
and Marketing Manager with
Clarion Hotels Limerick.
DEMAND The Limerick Strand
experienced double-digit growth
during 2016, with very positive
forward bookings for 2017.
There was a significant increase
in enquiries in the fourth quarter
of 2016, mainly attributed to
additional flights into Shannon
Airport and the much welcomed
job announcements for Limerick.
FACILITIES Over €20,000 was
recently spent upgrading our WiFi
broadband to 200MB, ensuring
we can offer the best in internet
access. We also created a
dedicated conference and events
team to provide one-to-one
service, along with small details,
such as meeting with our chef
personally to choose menus.
BOOKING TIPS For coffee
and lunch breaks, organisers
really think about the benefit of
fuelling delegates with ‘brain
food’. Our executive chef, Tom
Flavin, has created an amazing
coffee break menu for 2017,
offering brain boosting food
options to keep delegates
awake, energised and engaged.
TRENDS One of the big
trends I think we are going to
see in 2017 is live streaming of
Anne Marie Hallinan is
Corporate Sales Manager with
the Lyrath Estate Hotel. She
previously worked in sales
management roles with the
Springhill Court Hotel and Jurys
Inn Group.
DEMAND There has been a
marked increase in team-building
and leisure-based corporate
meetings. There has been a return
to advance planning, with our
clients discussing their
requirements with us well in
advance of the date of their
event. We are also receiving an
increase in enquiries from the
overseas market, mainly central
Europe.
FACILITIES Our €5m reinvestment programme
commenced in 2016 and will be
ongoing in 2017. We have
upgraded our WiFi
infrastructure, with a fibre optic
service guaranteeing 1,200
concurrent connections. People
now expect a high speed and
strong WiFi connection without
delay, especially for the larger
events. We also invested
considerably in our AV
equipment. Other areas, like
Tupper’s Bar, our guest
bedrooms and the hotel lobby,
have been given a new look,
with more to follow in 2017.
TRENDS Live streaming with
MARIA O’GORMAN SKELLY
Limerick Strand Hotel
continued on page 54
The Ideal Choice
For Meetings & Events
The Westin Dublin is a 5 star luxury hotel occupying one of the best locations in Dublin city centre overlooking the
historic Trinity College Dublin. Offering a warm ambience of Irish hospitality with an international level of service and
amenities, the hotel is a mere 2-minute stroll to Grafton Street and is within easy walking distance of the IFSC and
the city’s other leading business districts. The main transport options are all accessible within moments of the Westin
Dublin including the Luas tram, light rail, and intercity rail.
The city’s iconic
destination venue
An unrivalled meeting
experience
The meeting and event spaces at the
Westin Dublin include 9 dedicated
meeting rooms available for groups
of 8 to larger events for 270 guests.
The dedicated meeting rooms on the
mezzanine level at the hotel all feature
natural day light and enjoy views of
Westmoreland Street. From the smaller
boardrooms to the more expansive
arena that is the iconic venue of the
Banking Hall, the meeting and event
space inspire.
The Banking Hall at the Westin Dublin,
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is a destination venue for the city’s
premier events, banquets and business
forums. A private entrance on College
Street, across from Trinity College
Dublin enables guests to arrive with a
sense of occasion, which is matched by
the dramatic interiors of the Banking
Hall. The gleaming marble pillars, a
lofty stucco ceiling with 4 statement
chandeliers of Waterford Crystal,
combine to create a memorable arena
for a range of events. Pre-dinner drink
receptions are hosted in the adjacent
Reserve which incorporates a private bar
overlooking Trinity College Dublin.
An unrivalled venue, superlative 5-star
Westin service and the creativity of
the team of chefs, the Westin Dublin
provides the perfect recipe for success
when it comes to hosting large-scale
events in the Banking Hall.
History, elegance and
superlative service
Nestled in the historic 19th century
buildings of the hotel, all of the 172
spacious guest rooms and suites each
feature a signature Westin Heavenly
Bed® ensuring the best night’s sleep.
Unique dining options such as the
Atrium Lounge nestled under a 5-storey
high glass ceiling or the Mint Bar located
in the atmospheric old bank vaults, offer
satisfying meals, sophisticated afternoon
tea options or delectable cocktails.
A team of experienced event planners
are on hand to ensure that each business
maximises its time at the Westin Dublin
while enjoying a warm Westin welcome.
For more information contact the Events Team at [email protected]
Call 01 645 14 40 or visit www.thewestindublin.com
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
events. The new Facebook LIVE
and Instagram LIVE videos
allow event organisers to create
great content in a very
accessible way. Live video will
really help planners create a
more engaged experience for
their attendees and sponsors.
EILEEN TIMMONS
Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport
The Banking Hall in the Westin Dublin
DEIRDRE MORIARTY
The Westin Dublin
Eileen Timmons is Director of
Sales and Marketing in the
Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport
and formerly worked with the
Intercontinental Hotels Group.
DEMAND We saw an increase
in demand for conferences and
meetings in 2016, a trend that
has been evident since 2014.
FACILITIES We have refurbished our meeting spaces with
new carpets and curtains and
introduced ‘Eat Well/Work Well’
menus to give healthier options
for breaks and lunch. Data
projectors and screens are now
included in the room hire rate.
BOOKING TIPS The devil is in
the detail. An inexperienced
booker may not realise that the
capacity of the room changes
depending on the setup. So a
room that can hold 500 people
in theatre-style will
accommodate significantly lower
numbers in classroom-style.
Deirdre Moriarty is Director of
Sales and Marketing. The hotel
is managed by MHL Hotel
Collection, which purchased the
hotel in 2014 and then
embarked on a refurbishment
programme.
DEMAND The hotel
continues to see an increase in
demand from domestic and
international markets, and there
has been an increase is smaller
and medium-sized gala dining
events and ceremonies. Event
and conference organisers are
discerning clients who want to
maximise value for their
budget. The Westin team strive
to ensure the event is
successful, while at the same
time providing the best possible
five-star value proposition for
the event organiser.
FACILITIES The Banking Hall
at the Westin is a destination
venue in its own right. With its
own private entrance on College
Street, the strength of having
the hotel’s five-star service and
food gives the venue a keen
competitive edge. With the
advent of the new cross city
Luas line on both Westmoreland
and College Streets, the hotel is
looking forward to an even
greater city presence.
MARK SCOTT-LENNON
Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel
Mark Scott-Lennon is General
Manager at Fitzpatrick Castle
Hotel. He was appointed a
director in 2012 and is the third
generation of Fitzpatricks to
continue the hotelier tradition.
DEMAND Demand was strong
in 2016, with more companies
seeing the value of taking time
out of the office and away from
distractions to refocus their
teams. I see companies
continuing to look at off-site
meetings to pull their teams
together and take advantage of
the upturn in the market.
BOOKING TIPS The
importance of breaks and
variety to meetings is often
overlooked by organisers.
Companies can try to fit too
much into the day and could
benefit more with some time
out of the meeting room. With
our grounds we are fortunate
enough to be able to offer
plenty of activities to energise
any meeting.
MARTINA HANNIGAN
Talbot Hotel Stillorgan
Martina Hannigan, Sales &
Marketing Manager, previously
worked with the Hannigan
Consultancy and The d Hotel
Drogheda.
DEMAND We had a great
year in 2016 and hope we can
continue into 2017. We had a
high demand for all our suites
and syndicate rooms in 2016,
particularly our Shelbourne
Suite, which is our ballroom for
conferences and events. Our
free car park and our location
work very well for us.
TECHNOLOGY Remote
access is important and we
have made upgrades to our
WiFi over the past few years.
We are increasingly asked for
video conferencing, multi-room
use for live streaming etc.
BOOKING TIPS Be specific
about what you need regarding
AV such as microphones and
mixers. Our staff are very
experienced in this area and we
normally have any problems
sorted in a few minutes.
continued on page 56
For the perfect meeting, choose the perfect setting...
Dunboyne, Co. Meath. Tel: +353 1 801 3500 Fax: +353 1 436 6801
Email: [email protected] www.dunboynecastlehotel.com
54
BUSINESS PLUS
FEBRUARY 2017
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
TRENDS Improving speed
and efficiency will be the big
focus for meetings in future.
Video conferencing is becoming
more popular, as is streaming
the meetings live through
clients’ websites.
KYLIE BASNETT
Cork International Hotel
Portmarnock Hotel meeting room
recruit an Event Creation and
Production Manager.
BOOKNG TIPS Availability is
now becoming an issue and the
main oversight we found in
2016 was people leaving
bookings until the last minute.
Kylie Basnett, Sales & Marketing
Manager, oversees the overall
hotel sales, marketing and
revenue function, and all
reservations and meeting and
events bookings.
DEMAND Cork hotels
definitely experienced an uplift
in 2016. Bedroom rates have
increased across the board, and
with an increase of business
comes a higher spend.
Companies that would have
had travel bans have now
relaxed them, and more people
visited Cork in 2016 for
professional and leisure travel.
Growth in occupancy in 2017
will be slightly harder, as 15%
of visitors to Cork are from the
UK. However, events such as
the Cork International Travel
Fair, Cork Vintage Car Show,
Cork Oyster Festival and Cork
International Chocolate Festival
will help drive business.
FACILITIES The hotel has
invested in our meeting rooms
over the past year, with new
banqueting chairs purchased and
investment in the International
Ballroom too. The eight
additional meeting rooms have
also been updated with new
chairs and will have continued
investment in 2017. Increased
revenue enables the hotel to
56
BUSINESS PLUS
LEAH GUNN
Aviva Stadium
Sales and Marketing Manager
Leah Gunn’s previous roles
have included Senior Event
Designer for the Guinness
Storehouse.
DEMAND 2016 was a
significant period of growth for
Aviva Stadium, as more
delegates than ever before saw
first-hand the capabilities and
unique attraction of the
Stadium. Aviva Stadium is one of
the few locations in Ireland that
can host everything from smallscale meetings to exhibitions
and large gala events.
FACILITIES We improved both
our catering offer and AV/WiFi
facilities throughout the stadium,
with further upgrades planned
for 2017. We upgraded our 45-
FEBRUARY 2017
inch plasma screens to 65-inch
screens in almost all of our
corporates boxes, and all WiFi
access points have been
upgraded to Wireless AC
standard (greater than 1,000MB).
TIPS Failure to convey all of
the correct information to
attendees can be a problem,
whether it be parking, food
options and WiFi availability.
Event organisers can also risk
underestimating the timing
required for breaks. Avoid
overloading the day’s
proceedings, and allow
attendees to fully enjoy the
venue experience.
TRENDS For large-scale
meetings or events, online apps
are being more frequently used
for registration. Apps that
improve connectivity amongst
attendees, allowing simpler
methods of transferring data,
are becoming more popular too.
SEAN REID
Citywest Hotel
Commercial Director Sean Reid
is also owner of website
consultancy, SR Consultancy,
and he has an MBA from
Dublin Business School.
DEMAND We experienced a
significant uplift in enquiry
levels for conferences and
events in 2016. There was a
significant 20% increase in the
level of enquiry from the
international conferencing
segment, which has been a
target area of growth for the
hotel. This demand, coupled
with higher conversion rates,
drove an increase in revenues
from the conference segment in
excess of 55%.
FACILITIES As the hotel
implements its €13.5m capital
expenditure programme,
meeting rooms enhancements
have included addition of
advanced AV technology in all
our breakout meeting rooms;
almost €1m investment in WiFi
infrastructure, which now
delivers a 1GB connection; and
upgrades to road infrastructure
give enhanced HGV access
routes to plenary rooms.
TRENDS The ability to live
stream – live sharing of content
with remote participants – is
crucial. For hotels, it has never
been more important to have a
strong online presence,
enabling organisers to book
meeting rooms on a much
shorter lead time.
BOOKING TIPS Attention to
the finer details of event
planning is the single biggest
challenge to an event organiser.
Our event co-ordinator guides
clients through the process.
Survey continued on page 60
PREMIUM SERVICE,
FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS
• 16,500m2 of
conference & event
space
• 29 flexible meeting
rooms with advanced
AV system
citywesthotel.com
• 764 well appointed
guest bedrooms
• Free parking for
2,000+
• LUAS access to
Dublin city centre
T: +353 1 401 0500 E: [email protected]
P ROFI LE
SEAFIEL D G O L F & SPA HO TEL
MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES AT SEAFIELD
SEAFIELD GOLF & SPA HOTEL IN BALLYMONEY PROVIDES A TRULY
UNIQUE SET TING FOR Y OUR NEXT MEET ING OR CONFER ENCE
SEAFIELD GOLF & SPA HOTEL, A WORLD CLASS
CONTEMPORARY RESORT, JUST AN HOUR SOUTH OF
DUBLIN AT BALLYMONEY, CO. WEXFORD, IS SET ON 160
ACRES OF LUSH PARKLAND. AT SEAFIELD WE PROVIDE A
NUMBER OF BESPOKE MEETING ROOMS AND AN
EXPERIENCED TEAM. OUR TEAM IS DEDICATED TO ENSURING
THAT ALL OF YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS ARE CATERED FOR,
TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS. WE MAKE IT OUR BUSINESS
TO ENSURE THAT YOUR EVENT IS A SUCCESS.
CUSTOMISED SPACES
Seafield is the ideal location for your next meeting or conference,
with a range of customised conferencing spaces accommodating
anywhere from 8 to 300 people, all adorned with natural
daylight and complimentary WiFi. We can also fulfil all of your IT
and AV requirements with state-of-the-art solutions. Not forgetting
our manicured grounds, which provide the perfect backdrop to
your outdoor team-building needs or simply for delegates to take
a relaxing stroll to our private beach.
Thanks to our team of conference specialists, your meeting will
enjoy the co-ordination that only expertise and experience can
assure. With innovative approaches to solving your event
problems, and rigorous attention to detail, anything from a
crucial sales conference to a bustling trade show will be carried
off with style. At Seafield, attention to detail is evident in
everything we do. It’s this focus on the little details that, we
believe, takes the burden off the organiser’s desk. There is little
we haven’t seen before, and if you surprise us, all the better –
we love to rise to a challenge.
Any size conference or event can be accommodated across our
102 deluxe bedrooms. In addition, we also offer 30 Courtyard
Apartment suites with either 2 or 3 bedrooms, featuring kitchen
and living areas with private balcony and terrace.
Your delegates will enjoy carefully prepared refreshment
breaks, lunches, barbecues, or gala evening meal options.
We boast a choice of dining options across our 2 AA Rosette
award-winning Greenroom restaurant, Pavilion Marquee, Golf
Clubhouse or our casual dining venue, Village Bar & Grill.
Our Executive Chef, Susan Leacy, will gladly create bespoke
menu options to meet your specific needs.
RELAX AND UNWIND
For some well-earned downtime, delegates can experience our
multi-award-winning Oceo Spa, featuring a Thermal Suite with
16-metre Hydrotherapy pool, outdoor vitality pool, sauna, steam
room, saunarium, aromatherapy room, monsoon shower, a twofloor kaiser gym and relaxation area and spa garden (all
complimentary to meeting delegates). The manicured fairways of
our 18 Hole Championship Golf Course provide delegates with
unrivalled panoramic views of the Irish Sea. Designed by
internationally renowned Peter McEvoy to the highest USGA
specifications, our golf course, on its superb coastal setting,
provides a true test of every golfer’s game from tee to green. The
Clubhouse is finished to the very highest standard and is the
perfect setting to reflect, relax and unwind.
Just an hour from Dublin, with a wonderful coast hugging
setting, not to mention our superb golf and exquisite awardwinning Oceo spa, it doesn’t have to be all work and no play
at Seafield Golf and Spa hotel. Each successful event at
Seafield begins from a blank canvas – let us design yours.
B L A N K C A N VA S
AT SEAFIELD HOTEL WE PROVIDE A NUMBER OF BESPOKE MEETING
ROOMS AND AN EXPERIENCED TEAM, DEDICATED TO ENSURING THAT ALL
YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS ARE CATERED FOR, TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS,
WHATEVER YOUR REQUIREMENTS.
SET ON 160 ACRES OF GLORIOUS COASTAL PARKLAND, SEAFIELD IS LOCATED LESS
THAN AN HOUR FROM SOUTH DUBLIN ON THE SANDS OF BALLYMONEY SHORE.
SEAFIELD GOLF & SPA HOTEL
BALLYMONEY, GOREY, CO. WEXFORD
T: 0 53 94 24000
E: [email protected]
W: WWW.SEAFIELDHOTEL.COM
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
Meeting Room And
Conference Venues
2017 Listing of some of Dublinʼs Premier Meetings and Conference Facilities
Aviva Stadium
Lansdowne Road, D4
01 238 2388
www.avivastadiumevents.ie
Contact: Leah Gunn
Meeting Rooms: 50
The Aviva Stadium’s conference
centre can accommodate a variety of
events from 10 to 1,200 people. The
stadium’s pitch-facing corporate
boxes double as meeting rooms:
small boxes can seat groups of up to
10 boardroom-style; medium can
seat 16 boardroom-style and large
can seat up to 50 boardroom-style.
All boardrooms have large plasma
screens with laptop connectivity. The
President’s Area can seat up to 800
theatre-style depending on the event
and can be partitioned in two.
Ballsbridge Hotel
A boardroom in Celbridge Manor Hotel
Pembroke Road, D4
01 637 9383
www.ballsbridgehotel.com
Meeting Rooms: 11
The Beacon
Blackthorn Road
Sandyford, D18
01 643 7057
www.thebeacon.com
Contact: Leanora McGovern
Meeting Rooms: 4
Meeting and conference facilities
are located on the first floor of the
hotel. Design is bright and airy with
glass top boardroom tables, leather
seating and natural daylight.
Best Western Sheldon Park
Hotel
Kylemore Road, D12
01 460 1055
Meeting Rooms: 4
60
BUSINESS PLUS
Brooks Hotel
Three of the suites are dedicated to
boardroom-style meetings for a
maximum of 18 people.
Drury Street, D2
01 670 4000
www.brookshotel.ie
Contact: Fiona Lawless
Meeting Rooms: 4
Camden Court Hotel
Three meeting rooms can cater for
up to 50 attendees. The city centre
hotel also has a 26-seat private
cinema that suits corporate
presentations, exhibitions, seminars
and product launches.
Buswells Hotel
Molesworth Street, D2
01 614 6500
www.buswells.ie
Contact: Dee McCabe
Meeting Rooms: 6
The six suites and meeting rooms
can cater for 8 to 75 attendees.
FEBRUARY 2017
Camden Street, D2
01 475 9666
www.camdencourthotel.com
Contact: Sandra Egan
Meeting Rooms: 12
The hotel’s 12 conference rooms are
equipped to accommodate small and
large events for up to 250 delegates.
All rooms have natural lighting and
car parking is available. New
projectors were recently installed in
the conference rooms.
Carlton Hotel
Blanchardstown
Church Road, D15
01 827 5600
carltonhotelblanchardstown.com
Contact: Sophia Weir
Meeting rooms: 9
In the past year the hotel has
refurbished the conference and
meeting room spaces, including new
touchscreen AV with in-room
controllers. The large Greenwich
Suite accommodates up to 450
theatre-style for a conference or 300
for a private dinner. The Genesis
Boardroom is a deluxe space with
leather executive chairs that can
accommodate up to 14 people.
Seven other suites cater for groups
from 12 to 80. The WiFi service is
designed to deliver 1GB connectivity.
Carlton Hotel Dublin
Airport
Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport
Old Airport Road, Co. Dublin
01 866 7500
www.carltondublinairport.com
BP SURVEY
Contact: Gianina Bengescu
Meeting Rooms: 12
The Clouds Rooftop conference
centre has six meeting rooms, with
natural daylight, LCD projector and
wall-mounted big screens that
facilitate video conferencing.
Carton House Hotel
Maynooth, Co. Kildare
01 505 2000
www.cartonhouse.com
Meeting Rooms: 14
Meeting Rooms: 7
The hotel recently carried out
extensive work to two of its three
boardrooms. The main function
room has also received extensive
renovations to enhance the offering.
Conference and banqueting
facilities include the Aisling Suite
and Garden Room, which can cater
for up to 700 delegates theatrestyle. The hotel also has smaller
suites for 15 to 60 delegates. All
meeting rooms have natural
daylight and the hotel has
complimentary parking for up to
350 cars.
Castleknock Hotel &
Country Club
Central Hotel
Porterstown Road, D15
01 640 6300
Meeting Rooms: 15
Exchequer Street, D2
01 679 7302
Meeting Rooms: 9
Celbridge Manor Hotel
Chartered Accountants
House
Celbridge, Co. Kildare
01 601 3700
Contact: Heather Finnerty
www.celbridgemanorhotel.ie
MEETING ROOMS
Pearse Street, D2
01 637 7200
Meeting Rooms: 30
City Hall
City Hall, Dublin
Dame Street, D2
01 222 2204
Meeting Rooms: 1
CityNorth Hotel &
Conference Centre
Gormanstown, Co. Meath
01 690 6666
www.citynorthhotel.com
Contact: Anne-Marie Ryan
Meeting Rooms: 14
Located 15 minutes from Dublin
Airport, the hotel has a large variety
of flexible room options with two
large suites that combine to accommodate up to 650 delegates in a
theatre setting, plus 12 other meeting
rooms offering facilities from 2 to 150
people. A refurbish-ment programme
is due to conclude in March 2017.
Citywest Hotel
Saggart, Co. Dublin
01 401 0692
www.citywesthotel.com
Contact: Cian O’Callaghan
Meeting Rooms: 29
The hotel is home to Ireland's
largest Convention and Events
Centre. The 29 meeting rooms have
natural daylight and offer a variety
of sizes ranging from 25 to 2,000
square metres. The smaller meeting
rooms come equipped with a high
spec AV system including projector,
screen and touchpad controls.
Larger breakout rooms are serviced
by professional AV technicians. The
1GB WiFi network has capacity for
28,000 simultaneous users.
Clarence Hotel
Wellington Quay, D2
01 407 0800
Meeting Rooms: 3
Clayton Hotel Ballsbridge
Merrion Road, D4
01 668 1111
Meeting Rooms: 6
continued on page 62
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
Clayton Hotel
Leopardstown
Central Park, D18
01 293 5000
Meeting Rooms: 10
Clontarf Castle Hotel
Castle Avenue, D3
01 833 2321
www.clontarfcastle.ie
Contact: Marianne Fanning
Meeting Rooms: 8
The Convention Centre Dublin
Clayton Hotel Burlington
Road
Upper Leeson Street, D4
01 618 5600
claytonhotelburlingtonroad.com
Contact: Vicky Pratt
Meeting Rooms: 19
Newly under the management of
Dalata Hotel Group’s Clayton brand,
the D4 landmark has undergone a
€16m refurbishment in recent
years. One of the city’s premier
venues for large banquet events,
the hotel’s 2,100 square metre
conference centre is an entire floor
dedicated to meeting rooms, with
19 suites that can seat up to 100
delegates.
Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane
Cardiff Lane, D2
01 643 9500
www.claytonhotelcardifflane.com
Contact: Gabriela Popescu
Meeting Rooms: 5
Meetings and events for up to 50
theatre-style are accommodated. The
rooms have natural daylight,
blackout blinds and air conditioning,
and delegates can also avail of the
Club Vitae leisure facilities.
Conrad Dublin
Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport
Swords, Co. Dublin
01 871 1219
claytonhoteldublinairport.com
Contact: Nicola Byrne
Meeting Rooms: 16
The Baskin Suite can seat up to 300
delegates banquet-style. The suite
can also be subdivided into three
areas to suit breakout sessions or
smaller bespoke events. The Rose
Room seats up to 120 delegates
and with its own entrance suits
private dining and company parties.
Meeting
Excellence
4 4283930
% SALES CAMDENCOURTHOTELCOM
www.camdencourthotel.com
62
BUSINESS PLUS
The hotel completed a €3m renovation in 2016, which incorporated all
the event spaces. The Great Hall and
Viking Suites are the hotel’s largest
spaces, designed for large-scale
conference and banquet events, and
both facilities can be configured for
smaller gatherings. Three other suites
cater for 8 to 40 delegates,
depending on configuration.
FEBRUARY 2017
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
Earlsfort Terrace, D2
01 602 8900
Meeting Rooms: 9
meeting rooms with natural light, in
addition to large conference and
exhibition spaces. With capacities
from 6 to 140 people, the CCD’s
meeting rooms feature high-spec
integrated screens and projectors,
together with multiple power points
for laptops. In the past year the CCD
invested in new AV technology, and
the WiFi capability has increased from
12,000 to 22,000 concurrent
connections.
Croke Park Conference
Centre
Jones’s Road, D3
01 819 2300
www.crokepark.ie
Contact: Sinead Heneghan
Meeting Rooms: 8 suites and
over 90 rooms
Croke Park can cater for all types of
conferences, events and meetings,
from the very large to a boardroom
meeting. The facility introduced
Ireland’s first high-density WiFi
deployment in September 2016; it
can handle 40,000 devices simultaneously, with 400MB per second
bandwidth. The new All-Star Suites
overlooking the pitch have integrated
AV system and LED screens.
The Convention Centre
Dublin
Croke Park Hotel
Spencer Dock, D1
01 856 0000
www.theccd.ie
Contact: Aoife Kearns
Meeting Rooms: 22
Jones's Road, D3
01 871 4444
www.doylecollection.com
Contact: Ciara Brien
Meeting Rooms: 8
The CCD is Ireland’s largest conference and events facility and has 22
Decorated in smart, neutral tones
PREMIER VENUES
#ONFERENCE EVENT SPACE SEATS UP TO DELEGATES
#OMPLIMENTARY 7I&I
MINUTES WALK FROM (ARCOURT 3TREET ,UAS STOP
.ATURAL $AYLIGHT
&LEXIBLE LAYOUTS
$EDICATED CONFERENCE TEAM
"REAK OUT AREA FOR TEA COFFEE
#AR PARKING
continued on page 64
red cow
moran hotel
D
U
B
L
I
N
Have you seen the NEW ENHANCED
Red Cow Moran Hotel?
Still the same excellent location & 4 star service
....we just got bigger!
· 152 Additional Guestrooms
· 14 New Event Spaces
· State of the art Fitness Suite
· New Link Lounge with
· Tom’s Table Restaurant
· Coffee Dock & Wine Bar
For events that stand out from the crowd…
T: 01 4593650 | E: [email protected] | Red Cow Moran Hotel, Naas Road, Dublin 22YX80
www.redcowmoranhotel.com
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport
and equipped with all the latest
audio-visual technology, the 530 sq
ft Russell Room suits board
meetings, think tanks, company
presentations, product launches
and private dining.
Crowne Plaza
Blanchardstown
Blanchardstown Centre, D15
01 897 7731
cpireland.crowneplaza.com
Contact: Jennifer McNulty
Meeting Rooms: 14
The hotel’s 14 meeting rooms
accommodate from 2 to 100
conference and meeting delegates.
The meeting rooms are located
across the first and second floors of
the dedicated Conference Centre.
All of the meeting rooms have
natural daylight and dedicated
breakout areas.
Crowne Plaza Dublin
Airport
Northwood Park, D9
01 862 8808
cpireland.crowneplaza.com
Contact: Judith Graham
Meeting Rooms: 23
The 11 meeting rooms in the West
Wing suit small meetings for up to
70 people and there are 11 meeting
rooms in the East Wing, the largest
of which can accommodate up to
120 delegates. Data projectors and
screens are now included in the
room hire rate. The Executive
Boardroom has an oval boardroom
table which has individual computer
64
BUSINESS PLUS
points at each place setting and
executive leather chairs.
Druids Glen Resort
Newtownmountkennedy,
Co. Wicklow
01 287 0800
Meeting Rooms: 7
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle, D2
01 645 8800
Meeting Rooms: 5
Dublin Skylon Hotel
Upper Drumcondra Road, D3
01 884 3900
Meeting Rooms: 3
Dunboyne Castle Hotel &
Spa
Dunboyne, Co. Meath
01 801 3500
www.dunboynecastlehotel.com
Contact: Kate Voice
Meeting Rooms: 12
The Tara Suite is Dunboyne Castle’s
main ballroom while the Darley
Suite is a chic and contemporary
mid-sized banqueting suite,
catering for up to 180 people
theatre-style or 130 guests for a
banquet. The Cedar Suite caters for
up to 70 people, and the adjacent
Alder Suite and Copper Beech Suite
suit meetings for up to 25 people.
The six boardrooms in The Old
House combine modern tech
features with old world elegance.
FEBRUARY 2017
Dylan Hotel
Grand Canal Hotel
Eastmoreland Place, D4
01 660 3000
Meeting Rooms: 2
Canal Street, D4
01 646 1000
Meeting Rooms: 9
Finnstown Castle Hotel
Grand Hotel Malahide
Lucan, Co. Dublin
01 601 0700
Meeting Rooms: 8
Malahide, Co. Dublin
01 845 0000
Meeting Rooms: 14
Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel
Green Isle Hotel
Killiney, Co. Dublin
01 230 5400
www.fitzpatrickcastle.com
Contact: Sarah Glennon
Meeting Rooms: 12
Newlands Cross, D22
01 459 3406
Meeting Rooms: 40
The Prince Regent Suite and Albert &
Behan Suite cater for large conference events. The Business Centre has
nine meeting rooms with natural
daylight, air conditioning and built-in
screens. These can accommodate
two people for an interview up to
100 theatre-style. The PJ Fitzpatrick
Boardroom can accommodate 12
people for a boardroom meeting or
40 for a private dinner.
Gresham Hotel
Upper O'Connell Street, D1
01 874 6881
Meeting Rooms: 20
Guinness Storehouse
St James's Gate, D8
01 471 4602
Meeting Rooms: 8
The Hampton Hotel
Fitzwilliam Hotel
St Stephen's Green, D2
01 478 7000
Meeting Rooms: 3
Morehampton Road, D4
01 668 0995
Meeting Rooms: 2
Herbert Park Hotel
The Gibson Hotel
Point Village, D1
01 681 5000
www.thegibsonhotel.ie
Contact: Louise McClean
Meeting Rooms: 9
Covering two floors, the Conference
Area has nine meeting rooms
accommodating up to 300 delegates.
Glenroyal Hotel
Maynooth, Co Kildare
01 629 0909
Meeting Rooms: 10
Glenview Hotel
Delgany, Co. Wicklow
01 287 3399
Meeting rooms: 8
Ballsbridge, D4
01 667 2200
www.herbertparkhotel.ie
Contact: Mirka Krajnikova
Meeting Rooms: 8
The Lansdowne Suite divides into
three soundproof rooms. Amenities
include natural daylight, ceiling
mounted data projectors, drop-down
screens, integrated PA system and
floor sockets. The Herbert Suite suits
groups of up to 50 people or boardroom meetings of up to 25. The
Executive Suite is designed for
small boardroom meetings of up to
six people.
Hilton Dublin
Charlemont Place, D2
01 402 9988
Meeting Rooms: 8
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
Hilton Dublin Kilmainham
InterContinental Hotel
Inchicore Road, D8
01 420 1812
hiltondublinkilmainham.com
Contact: Maeva Gomez
Meeting Rooms: 8
Simmonscourt Road, D4
01 665 4000
www.intercontinentaldublin.ie
Contact: Mebh Murtagh
Meeting Rooms: 5
The meeting rooms are air
conditioned and feature neutral,
contemporary décor and floor to
ceiling windows. The Pearse and
Connolly rooms combined can
accommodate 150 delegates
theatre-style.
The hotel has 1,400 square metres
of events and meeting space. The
Main Ballroom can host up to 650
people for large events. The three
Hibernia meeting rooms,
boardroom and private dining room
are equipped with the latest
meetings technology, with IT
support staff available in-house.
Fitzmaurice Suite can be sectioned
into three parts and has maximum
capacity of 180 guests.
Maldron Hotel Newland's
Cross
Naas Road, D22
01 464 0140
Meeting Rooms: 10
IMI Conference Centre
Sandyford Road, D16
01 207 8400
Meeting Rooms: 16
Maldron Hotel Dublin
Airport
Dublin Airport, Co. Dublin
01 808 0580
maldronhoteldublinairport.com
Contact: Brigid O’Hare
Meeting Rooms: 10
Three superior boardrooms
accommodate up to 25 people. The
Mespil Road, D4
01 488 4600
Meeting Rooms: 2
The Morgan Hotel
Temple Bar, D2
01 643 7000
Meeting Rooms: 6
Marino Conference Centre
Griffith Avenue, D9
01 805 7760
Meeting Rooms: 30
Hilton Garden Inn
Custom House Quay, D1
01 854 1500
Meeting Rooms: 5
Mespil Hotel
The Morrison Hotel
Lower Ormond Quay, D1
01 887 2400
Meeting Rooms: 6
The Marker Hotel
Grand Canal Square, D2
01 687 5100
Meeting Rooms: 9
The Merrion Hotel
Upper Merrion Street, D2
01 603 0600
Meeting Rooms: 6
O’Callaghan Alexander
Hotel
Fenian Street, D2
01 607 3900
Meeting Rooms: 7
continued on page 66
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
O’Callaghan Davenport
Hotel
Powerscourt Hotel Resort
& Spa
Radisson Blu St Helen's
Hotel
Merrion Street Lower, D2
01 607 3500
Meeting Rooms: 3
Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow
01 274 8888
www.powerscourthotel.com
Contact: Jens Flugge
Meeting Rooms: 10
Stillorgan Road, D4
01 218 6012
Meeting Rooms: 11
Pillo Hotel Ashbourne
Red Cow Moran Hotel
The hotel has 1,100 square metres
of meetings and conference space,
which can be arranged to suit
seminar, conference, or exhibition
requirements. The business centre
has ten meeting rooms.
Ashbourne, Co. Meath
01 835 0800
Meeting Rooms: 7
Portmarnock Hotel
Portmarnock, Co. Dublin
01 846 0611
www.portmarnock.com
Contact: Lorraine McKinney
Meeting Rooms: 6
The Moyne Suite has a maximum
capacity of 300 delegates theatrestyle. The Links Suite and Strand
Suite can accommodate groups of
up to 100 people and can be set up
in a range of styles from theatre to
cabaret-style. Jameson House
contains three additional meeting
suites, which have also been
refurbished recently.
Radisson Blu Dublin
Airport
01 844 6000
www.radissonblu.ie
Meeting Rooms: 27
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel
Golden Lane, D8
01 898 2900
Meeting Rooms: 15
Naas Road, D22
01 459 3650
Meeting Rooms: 21
www.redcowmoranhotel.com
Contact: Karen Moran
The hotel has recently undertaken
an expansion programme, adding
more bedrooms and 14 new meeting
spaces to enable the venue to
host large conference events. With
capacity expanded to 275 bedrooms,
the conference facilities now cater
for up to 800 delegates, and there
are two dedicated think tank rooms.
The Regency Conference
Centre
Whitehall, D9
01 836 0236
www.regencyhotels.com
Contact: Sinead McGovern
Meeting Rooms: 7
The hotel’s conference centre can
cater for up to 900 people in
banquet-style and 1,000 delegates
in theatre-style setup. Large
conferences can also be subdivided into smaller meeting rooms,
and function rooms can be
configured for theatre, boardroom,
classroom and u-shape events.
Residence
St Stephen's Green, D2
01 662 0000
Meeting Rooms: 4
Royal Dublin Society
Ballsbridge, D4
01 240 7236
www.rds.ie
Contact: Adrienne Hughes
Meeting Rooms: 17
The RDS can cater for virtually any
size of event. The RDS has ten
continued on page 68
Regency Hotel Conference Centre
The Regency Hotel, Conference and Leisure centre is
located within walking distance of Drumcondra village,
Croke Park stadium and Dublin City University.
We are in very close proximity to Dublin’s international
airport, Dublin city centre, the 3 Arena, Dublin
Convention Centre, Dublin Port the M50 and M1
motorways.
A dedicated Event Manager is available to assist you
throughout each stage of your event, ensuring the
highest standards of professionalism and attention to
detail at all times.
Audio-visual equipment, PA, microphones, air
conditioning and WiFi network are individually
integrated into each conference/meeting room.
New State of the Art Conference Centre
Our newly extended state of the art conference centre
can accommodate up to 900 guests in a Banquet Style
and 1,000 guests in a Theatre Style set up.
Large conferences can also be sub-divided into smaller
meeting rooms with ample space for registration,
exhibitions, tea/coffee breaks and other breakout areas.
We Specialise in
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66
Trade shows
Exhibitions
Product launches
Corporate hospitality
Christmas parties
Award ceremonies
Charity events
BUSINESS PLUS
FEBRUARY 2017
CONTACT DETAILS
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01 837 3544
www.regencyhoteldublin.com
BP SURVEY
MEETING ROOMS
multi-purpose conference and
exhibition halls, as well as 15
breakout rooms. The Dodder Suites
were recently refurbished, the AV
facilities in the Concert Hall have
been enhanced and the WiFi
service upgraded.
in original Georgian surrounds and
suits 10 people for a boardroom
meeting. ‘Number 26’ can
accommodate up to 55 people
theatre-style or 20 people
boardroom-style.
UCD
Royal Marine Hotel
Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire
01 230 0030
Meeting Rooms: 8
Sandymount Hotel
Herbert Road, D4
01 614 2000
Meeting Rooms: 9
The Schoolhouse Hotel
Northumberland Road, D4
01 667 5014
www.schoolhousehotel.com
Contact: Rory Doyle
Meeting Rooms: 1
O'Reilly Hall, UCD, Belfield, D4
01 716 2827
www.ucd.ie/conferences
Contact: Mary Beth Jennings
Meeting Rooms: 120
The campus buildings offer a
range of rooms, from classrooms
for 20 people to theatres for 500.
With versatile seating for over
1,000 people, the O'Reilly Hall is
used to major conferences,
concerts, gala dinners, product
launches and exhibitions. Ardmore
House on the campus has
undergone extensive restoration
and two of the rooms are available
for hire for boardroom meetings.
The adjacent Reception Room can
accommodate groups of up to
40 guests.
The Shelbourne Hotel
St Stephen’s Green, D2
01 663 4500
Meeting Rooms: 12
Talbot Hotel Stillorgan
Stillorgan Road, D18
01 200 1801
www.talbothotelstillorgan.com
Contact: Stephanie Scott
Meeting Rooms: 20
The three conference suites can
cater for up to 500 people and are
interconnected around a courtyard
area. For smaller meeting
requirements, there are eight
dedicated meeting rooms in the
Park Business Centre, each of which
accommodate up to 14 people.
Trinity City Hotel
Pearse Street, D2
01 648 1000
www.trinitycityhotel.com
Contact: Ailbhe Stephens
Meeting Rooms: 2
Located in the original Georgian
houses, and sympathetically
restored, ‘Number 24’ has period
fireplaces and mahogany furniture
The Westbury Hotel
Grafton Street, D2
01 679 1122
www.doylecollection.com
Contact: Antonia Heffernan
Meeting Rooms: 8
The hotel has seven elegant
boardrooms and the large Grafton
Suite, which can accommodate up
to 220 guests.
The Westin Dublin
Westmoreland Street, D2
01 645 1440
www.thewestindublin.com
Contact: Sandra Vaillard
Meeting Rooms: 7
The hotel has six conference and
banqueting rooms, which can
facilitate groups of 8 boardroomstyle to 94 theatre-style. The
Banking Hall is a signature feature
of the hotel and can accommodate
170 people in banquet-style, 144 in
classroom-style, or 250 guests in
theatre-style.
continued on page 70
B P S U RV E Y
MEETING ROOMS
Selected Meeting
Rooms Outside Dublin
Clayton Hotel Galway
Ballybrit, Galway
091 721 935
www.claytonhotelgalway.ie
Contact: Alan Dooley
Meeting Rooms: 11
The hotel has 11 meeting rooms
and a sub-dividable ballroom
catering for up to 550 people
banquet-style and 800 theatrestyle. Meeting rooms have Smart
Wall Paint so delegates can get
creative. The syndicate suites
feature natural daylight along
with plasma screen or LCD
projector, flip charts and a
conferencing tool box.
70
BUSINESS PLUS
Clayton Hotel Silver
Springs
Tivoli, Cork
021 450 7533
Meeting Rooms: 12
and refreshment breaks. The two
International rooms cater for large
groups of up to 180 people. Other
meeting rooms cater for groups of
8, 16, 25, 40, 50 or 80 delegates
and some of them can be
combined. The Cloud 9 lounge
seats ten people and is available
to hire as a private cinema.
Cork International Hotel
Cork Airport Business Park
021 454 9899
www.corkinternationalhotel.com
Contact: Kylie Basnett
Meeting Rooms: 10
The Ballroom can accommodate
up to 300 delegates and has an
adjacent lounge for registration
FEBRUARY 2017
Cork Airport Hotel
Cork Airport
www.corkairporthotel.com
021 494 7500
Meeting Rooms: 7
Contact: Jane Kelleher
The hotel has a Conference Suite
and seven dedicated meeting and
training rooms that can hold up
to 80 delegates.
Crowne Plaza Dundalk
Dundalk, Co. Louth
042 939 4900
cpireland.crowneplaza.com
Contact: Samantha McMahon
Meeting Rooms: 12
The Hamilton Suite is the
hotel's largest suite and suits
conferences, gala dinners and
exhibitions. The suite has a
maximum capacity of 400
delegates and can be
segmented into three sections.
B P S U RV E Y
MEETING ROOMS
has a business centre and six
meeting suites catering for two to
150 people. The hotel recently
invested in upgrading the WiFi
broadband to a 200MB service.
The Tallon Suite has a capacity of
150 and can also be sub-divided
in two. Six smaller meeting rooms
have capacity from 12 to 40
people.
Lyrath Estate
The G Hotel
Paulstown Road, Kilkenny
056 770 5804
www.lyrath.com
Contact: Ann Marie Hallinan
Meeting Rooms: 12
Wellpark, Galway
091 865 200
Meeting Rooms: 6
Glenlo Abbey Hotel
Bushypark, Galway
091 519 600
Meeting Rooms: 5
Limerick Strand Hotel
The Harbour Hotel
The K Club
Limerick Strand Hotel
New Dock Road, Galway
091 894 800
www.harbour.ie
Contact: Emer Hall
Meeting Rooms:
Straffan, Co. Kildare
01 601 7200
Meeting Rooms: 6
Ennis Road, Limerick
061 421 800
www.strandhotellimerick.ie
Contact: Maria O’Gorman Skelly
Meeting Rooms: 6
The John B Keane Suite is the
largest conference room,
accommodating up to 200
delegates. There are five Syndicate
meeting rooms of various sizes.
Ballyfarnon, Co. Roscommon
071 961 8000
www.kilronancastle.ie
Meeting Rooms: 3
Kilronan Castle
Located 15 minutes from Shannon
Airport, Limerick Strand Hotel is
the largest conference hotel in
Midwest region, with 184
bedrooms. The hotel’s sixth floor
The Kilkenny Convention Centre at
Lyrath Estate is the largest of its
size in the south east of the
country and can facilitate
conferences of up to 1,500
delegates. The centre is also
popular for gala dinner and award
ceremonies of up to 920 guests.
The largest meeting and exhibition
space measures sub-divides into
three sections. The centre also
contains breakout rooms, training
rooms and boardroom facilities
and delegates also enjoy access a
patio area directly from each
meeting room. The WiFi service
supports up to 1,200 concurrent
continued on page 72
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BUSINESS PLUS
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 7
71
B P S U RV E Y
MEETING ROOMS
Kilkenny Convention Centre, Lyrath Estate
connections. The original 17th
century Lyrath Estate House has
two boardrooms that cater for
between 12 and 16 people.
Maldron Hotel Portlaoise
Portlaoise, Co. Laois
057 869 5900
maldronhotelportlaoise.com
Contact: Marta Anna Fearon
Meeting Rooms: 12
The hotel has seven modern
meeting suites and five smaller
syndicate rooms. All rooms
have natural daylight as well
as dimmer lighting, blackout
facilities and air conditioning.
River Lee Hotel
Western Road, Cork
021 493 7715
www.doylecollection.com
Contact: Janice Casey
Meeting Rooms: 8
The dedicated business floor offers
eight flexible working environments with space for groups of five
to 110 people. All the rooms have
natural light and views across the
historic part of the city. The business centre’s private lounge serves
as a spacious reception area.
The Savoy Hotel Limerick
061 448 700
www.savoylimerick.com
Meeting Rooms: 10
Seafield Golf & Spa Hotel
www.seafieldhotel.com
Contact: Kate Kavanagh
(053) 942 4000
Meeting Rooms: 5
The hotel has two large conference
suites, with the Aine Suite accommodating up to 544 people. The
meeting facilities also include an
executive boardroom and two other
meeting suites for smaller groups
and conference breakouts. The
conference and meeting areas have
a new WiFi service separate to the
hotel’s guest WiFi, and new VGA
cabling and Mac/HDMI adapters
were also installed recently.
Slieve Russell Hotel
Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan
049 952 6444
Meeting Rooms: 7
Westwood House Hotel
Dangan, Galway
091 521 442
westwoodhousehotel.com
Contact: Joanna Fitzgerald
Meeting Rooms: 9
The hotel has a variety of meeting
and conference facilities catering
for up to 350 people. Facilities
include an intimate boardroom
with ample breakout space for a
larger event, the Richard Martin
Suite, which is equipped with a
full range of complimentary
AV equipment.