A vintage tea bus was set on the campuses of Mary Immaculate College and Limerick Institute of Technology as Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau and Fáilte Ireland worked collaboratively with the Presidents of each college on an academic recruitment drive to bring more international conferences to the area.
As part of the academic recruitment drive, academic staff were treated to afternoon tea and a full presentation in the huge benefits of winning international conferences.
Those who attended enjoyed the novelty of sampling a wide range of tea/coffee’s, sandwiches and cakes on the top deck of a 1961 Routemaster Bus. While members of the college’s academic staff enjoyed some tea, Karen Brosnahan of the Shannon Bureau and Lynda Reilly of Fáilte Ireland called for the staff of the colleges to ‘bring it home’ the next time an opportunity to bid for a conference is available.
“We are thrilled to work with both Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of LIT and Eugene Wall, President of Mary I, on such an important initiative,” Karen Brosnahan of Shannon Bureau said, “Research shows that each conference delegate is worth approximately €1,600 to the local economy, which is a strong multiplier and a very valuable form of tourism for Ireland and Limerick.”
Through its Conference Ambassador Programme, Fáilte Ireland offers a full suite of support, both practical and financial, to potential Ambassadors, and together with their partners in the Shannon Bureau, will support an academic throughout their journey from bid to event execution.
The Shannon Bureau has created a dedicated bid book that academic staff can use when presenting their academic institution overseas ensuring there is a wide range of support to ensure it’s easy to bid and win this lucrative tourism business for Limerick
