Well I was thinking the other day about what I could blog about. I started thinking about the last 8 months, my experience of starting something that I had never done before – building a dynamic Venue Finding website – by myself. A very big undertaking and one I only truly understood once I got into it. What got me through the times when I was finding it hard? ……… Attending Conferences!!!
I have experienced a few very positive Conferences in Ireland in the last 6 months. After each one, I walked out the door feeling extremely confident and full of conviction that what I was creating was going to be the best out there and gave myself a pat on the back for what I had accomplished so far. I buzzed off the motivation from those days for weeks, and channeled all my energy into the Venue Finding Website. Going to those conferences was invaluable to me. March 28th I attended NEO Ireland – National Event Organisers Ireland annual Conference. The day focused on “Being Different”. What a day. Well done Sarah Carroll. It was held in the Mansion House, Dublin City Centre. I meet fantastic people, made great contacts and was full of motivation and conviction. I left with a big smile on my face. The morning started with an opportunity to enjoy a cup of tea and mingle. Trish Murphy – A Professional Net worker, worked the crowd, introduced people who looked like they were waiting for someone to come up talking to them, got everyone talking and relaxed into the day. Deirdre Bounds of I to I Travel spoke first. She changed the whole atmosphere in the room, and challenged us to think about the way we do things. Just because it has never been done before, doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Look at your business and create something you want to be a part of. So that is what I did.
The website is now launched – there are over 400 Hotels and Venues in Ireland listed, 70 are registered with the site and it is up for an industry award next week. I carried out some research on blogs written about Conferences, Meetings or Events in Ireland and I could not come up with anything, so have decided to write a weekly blog on events and venues that I have attended recently and my opinion generally on Corporate Event Services in Ireland. If anyone else has ideas on topics in the Conference, Meetings or Events Industry for me to write about, do let me know.
Ciara Feely Cahalane
ciara@findaconferencevenue.com
Ireland’s Venue Finder
