The NEO Ireland February Networking took place at Fitzwilliam Hall, the Glandore Business Centre on Leeson St. Bridge. Michael Kelly from the Glandore Business Centre welcomed us all, and gave an introduction to Fitzwilliam Hall and all the renovations that have taken place. The venue is truly impressive - the restoration fantastic. You really should take a look at it, particularly if you are looking for small meeting rooms (up to 55 people theatre style) in a prime location.

The theme for the NEO Ireland February Networking was Let Me Entertain You . This event was organised in association with MPI - Martin Nolan and Associates who provide entertainment for events of all sorts. Martin gave us an excellent overview of the types of entertainment available, and Mary Menton of the Dublin Speakers Bureau gave us some really valuable information on booking speakers for events.

Some delightful canapes were served after the presentations and facilitated networking, courtesy of Ruby Blooz Brasserie. Many thanks Russell!

We packed in almost 70 event organisers and suppliers to the events industry to the beautfiul Fitzwilliam Hall. Plenty of business was done, and the feedback was excellent. Click here for a list of the companies/organisations who attended the networking event.

FACILITATED NETWORKING - part one
For the facilitated networking, guests were asked to give us an idea of the kinds of entertainment they use and to give us a flavour of how they go about planning it.

The first question we asked was have you ever used an entertainment agency? 65% of respondents had done. We then asked which agency they had used, we've listed the replies below. You can click on some of these, and see their NEO Ireland listing:

Casino Entertainment
Dublin Speakers Bureau
MPI
Ovation
Audio Networks
Carol Hannah
Danny Hughes
Gerard O’Mahony
John Brady
Lisa Richards
Unique Entertainment
Venue Marketing

In addition to those agencies that our guests have actually used in the past, they also told us that they knew of:

All surveyed participants believe that entertainment is essential at Awards Dinners, Conferences, Parties and Product Launches. Other events where entertainment was suggested include:

We asked our guests what kind of entertainment they themselves provide:

The guests suggested that other types of entertainment that are often used include Literary Speakers, Novelty Acts, Children’s Entertainment, Circus Acts, Casino, Corporate Fun Events, Street Performers.

Guests were then asked to tell us when they began planning the entertainment. Most event organisers consider entertainment options at the very beginning of the event plan. As you can see from the chart below, some do plan very near the end! All agreed that Cancellations, Feedback on Event, Client, Functions, Request by Client, Budget, Venue, Audience, Nature of Event and Dates Available have an impact on when the plans are finalised.

Finally, in part one of the facilitated networking, we asked our guests to tell us what were the major considerations in planning entertainment. The concensus was that the top consideration when to what is most appropriate, closely followed by price which was in turn cloely followed by popularity and availability:

Other considerations included: Popularity of Entertainment is dependant on suitability, Audience/Market, Location – Venue Restriction, Age Profile, If used by Competitors

FACILITATED NETWORKING - part two
The second part of the facilitated networking involved more discussion amongst networkers. Participants were asked to tell us about great entertainment and about entertainment that didn't entertain!

There were several examples mentioned of events that provided varied, original and enjoyable entertainment. Some of the most popular were:

• Launch of the Guinness Storehouse with Cirque Du Soleil
• Special Olympics Launch in Galway with Machnas
• The opening of the Odessy Arena in Belfast
• A dinner in Powerscourt featuring minstrels singing and playing instruments
• Nestle Conference with a Samba Band
• VHI Christmas Party with Can-Can dancers
• Abbaesque Christmas Party
• Neil Diamond concert
• And we just have to give it to Yvonne & Kim from Corporate Solutions who were determined that their favourite entertainment (the opening of Fire! in the Mansion House) got onto the list...

We then asked guests to tell us about some entertainment that didn't work for them. The most common example given of event entertainment that was not enjoyable was that of a comedy act with inappropriate jokes and/or one who insulted the audience.

Others included:

• In house bands that played during a dinner party that made conversation difficult. Also bands that cannot sing or that are drunk!
• Speaker who cannot be heard by those at the back of the room
• ‘Drunk Waiter’ – no one enjoyed being spilt on

We were interested to find out who makes the decision on entertainment, when there is an external event manager involved. The groups were all in favour of a consultative process where the decision making is shared, except for 3 groups who thought that the decision was solely the client's and the event planner should make the arrangements.


SPECIAL THANKS
A huge big thanks to Martin Nolan at MPI for sponsoring this event, as well as to Craig, Fiona, Michael and Angie at Glandore Business Centre. Thanks too to Russell and the team at Ruby Blooz, we're looking forward to sampling the cocktails!

A big thanks to 4GiftsDirect and the National College of Ireland for donating door prizes. Finally, thanks are certainly due to Tracey from Sumo Multimedia who struggled the whole way up Fitzwilliam St with the podium for Martin and Mary to speak from. It was heavy!

The NEO Ireland January Networking took place at the Guinness Storehouse on the 26th of January. Angela Canny from the Guinness Storehouse welcomed us all, and updated us on the new developments in the Storehouse. Clyde Carroll, Chair of the NEO Ireland Advisory Board also welcomed us and then we got into presentation mode.

The theme for the NEO Ireland January Networking was Perfect Planning. This event was about contingency planning to produce a masterpiece. Professional Event Organiser Des Doris, from Alchemy Events shared some of his own tried and tested planning techniques.

Almost 60 event organisers and suppliers to the events industry attended the networking event at the Guinness Storehouse . Plenty of business was done, and the feedback was excellent. Click here for a list of the companies/organisations who attended the networking event.

FACILITATED NETWORKING - part one
For the facilitated networking, guests were asked to share some of their own planning techniques.

It was discovered that 44 of the 52 guests surveyed always used a formal plan when organising an event. We also looked for some of the more popular planning techniques used; 31 used some form of timeline, 34 referred to a checklist, 26 relied on brainstorming, 27 broke down and designated roles and 10 planned as they went.

Other techniques included action lists and Separate contingency/emergency plans. Many of those surveyed confessed that techniques used are often dictated by time frame and budget.

The most popular tools used for event planning include excel and the good old fashioned wall planner. Many attendees also suggested using a professional event organiser. 3 event organisers mentioned MS Project Planner as a tool and most groups commentented that successful communication was the single most important planning tool.

All respondants used a variety of communication methods including phone, email and face to face meetings. Most groups also mentioned conference calls and video conferencing as realities of cross boarder communication and organisation today. Most respondants did not use the post unless via courier.

All respondants updated their event plans on a continual basis, most daily. The longest time frame nominated by anyone between updates was one week.

From these figures it is clear that event organisers are using a variety of planning tools, techniques and communication methods.

FACILITATED NETWORKING - part two
The second part of the facilitated networking involved more discussion amongst networkers. Participants were asked to nominate the three most important steps when planning for an event. By far the most popular answers were:

1) Identify event requirements and procedures
2) Identify goals and objectives
3) Create a Clear Brief (including the budget)
4) Draw up a Time Line

... in that order. Other answers included identifying the audience or theme, research if necessary, choose a venue, and choose reliable suppliers.

When asked how far in advance, event organisers spent planning for events, answers varied depending on the size and type of event.

Most event organisers planned conferences (300 - 500 people) with 6 - 12 months notice, although some event organisers had previously worked with as little as 1 months notice.

Most seminars (100 - 150 people) seem to be planned with 6 weeks - 4 months notice. Again some event organisers stated they have previously planned Seminars with as little as 2 weeks notice.

Smaller meetings (10 - 50 people) were planned with much less notice. usually 1 - 4 weeks notice, with no once exceeding a 6 week time frame.

The general consensus was that exhibition and trade fairs as well as award nights should be given at least 12 months planning time. It was recommended that International conferences be given anywhere between 12 months and 4 years planning time.

When asked to remember a memorable event, one that went that extra mile the reasons given were, attention to detail, creating the WOW factor, including an inhouse dinner when holding a conference, Creativity, a themed menu or other themed inclusions, colour co ordination, an event rehearsal and stretching that budget.

The most popular answer was - having a contingency plan. Well that said it, there is nothing more impressive than saving the day, just when everyone thinks it is all about to go wrong! Almost everyone agreed that this was particularly essential when planning an outdoor event.

It was also true that many of us had had our share of bad experiences - the memories we'd rather forget. Some examples of such simple but common disasters included the following

Not enough wine
Not enough planning - no contingency
Bad menu communication with the chef
Insecure and stolen belongings
Not enough staff
Loss of Power
Double bookings

Other examples included the dress code not being communicated to speaker/participants, fire alarms going off, dance floor falling in, an auctioneer with stage fright, and giving out the wrong award.

... At least everyone had a story!

Finally, it was discovered that there was even a time that the professionals had to call it quits. Some examples of reasons for event cancellations included acts of God, when it is unsafe, a crumbled budget, lack of interest, extreme changes in brief, and industry strike.

Reasons for cancelling an event really came down to extreme or dramatic unforseen circumstances, or any contingency that would stop an event from going ahead professionally.


SPECIAL THANKS
We'd like to thank the Guinness Storehouse for being venue hosts for this networking event. Catriona, Angela and the team were great, really helpful with plenty of excellent suggestions. We'd also like to sincerely thank Seasons, for providing wine and canapes afterwards, yum :-) and AVS who were just brilliant in helping with the AV.

Our First Christmas party was held in the James Joyce House of the Dead (www.jamesjoycehouse.com) on Ushers Island. Connor Regan, director of the House, magnanimously offered to be our host - and provided us with a truly unique and different event. Connor originally promised to dress in black tie, or at the very least, a Santa suit. There was disappointment...

The James Joyce House of the Dead has a fascinating history - and Brendan Kilty who owns the house (and has spent a fortune in passion, time, and indeed money on restoring it) is the man to tell it. I'm not going to even try, just recommend that you contact Connor for a visit and to hear about it. Brendan intended to just pop his head in for 10 minutes and welcome us all to his house, and ended up staying all night. The guests were entranced by him and the stories he told and we were all hugely amused at how he refers to the new James Joyce Bridge as HIS bridge. The bridge is directly opposite the house, and could absolutely have been built for him. Click here to see the James Joyce House directory entry in the NEO Ireland directory for details.

Tracey, Matt and the team from Sumo Multimedia dressed the house in festive finery for us, we came over all mushy when we came in from the cold to a scene reminiscent of Christmases past. Thanks again Sumo! The picture on the left shows John McGlade from Thanks a Million! and Tina Normile Butterworth discussing mistletoe over wine.

Lorna and Joe in HireAll Event and Party Hire helped us out hugely with glasses, tablecloths and an urn for the mulled wine. Lisa and I had a ball shopping for delicious morsels to nibble and Andy and Marion from Blue Moon set themselves up in the corner. Again, really excellent musicians, these two. They kept us really well entertained.

We were very impressed also with the students from the new DIT Event Management Degree course who came to be Santa's little helpers. Danielle Griffin, Clare Brady, Edel Young and Maeve O'Reilly were very very professional and an absolute lifesaver. The James Joyce House of the Dead is also really lucky to have Brendan 2 : another student who works part time there, and is one of the most helpful and accomodating young men.

Biggest thanks, of course, go to the guests who made it such an enjoyable evening. We were only sorry that more of you couldn't make it, but look forward to next year already!

The NEO Ireland November Networking took place at the Clarion Hotel, IFSC on the 14th of November.

The theme for the NEO Ireland November Networking was Raising the Bar: What event organisers really want from their suppliers.

Almost 50 event organisers and suppliers to the events industry attended the networking event at the Clarion Hotel IFSC. Plenty of business was done, and the feedback was excellent.

FACILITATED NETWORKING
For the facilitated networking, guests were asked to give us their top three most important attributes in any supplier. The final consensus was:
1. Reliability
2. Fair pricing
3. Comprehensive offering

Guests were also asked to pick their top ten reasons for choosing or recommending a venue. The final consensus was:
1. Location
2. General facilities
3. Ambience
4. Knowledgable Events Co-ordinators
5. Choice
6. Parking
7. Exhibit space
8. Accommodation for delegates
9. No double booking
10. No service charge on top of room rate

Extraordinary that price didn't make it onto the list at all.

FAVOURITE SUPPLIERS
As well as telling us how they rate suppliers, we asked the guests to tell us who their favourite suppliers are and why. Here is the list in alphabetical order:
Caterhire
Creative Communications
CSL
Dragon Design : High quality design & service. Above the call of duty. Knows what the client is looking for without in-depth briefs
Eugene McGue Photography : Extra effort, really understanding the brief, fast turnaround
George’s Patisserie in Slane : Reception caterer, up to 120 guests, was a pastry chef in Landmark of London, serves the Dublin Catchement area
Magpie AV
Reddog design
Richella Ryan – the Chocolate Fountain Company
Sumo Multimedia : Very helpful and flexible

FAVOURITE VENUES
We also asked the guests to tell us about their favourite venues. The following came top of the list, having been recommended by more than one group:
Guinness Storehouse Very good to deal with (most recommended)
Pavilion at Leopardstown
Marriott Druids Glen facilities, reliability
Clarion IFSC
Morrison

The following venues were also recommended by the groups:
10 Ormonde Quay
Berkeley Court
Clarion IFSC Staff
Clarion Limerick Amazing banquet, staff and great facilities
Dromoland
Four Seasons faultless service
Jury’s Ballsbridge
Marriott Hotels High Standards
Morrison New Art Gallery
Mount Herbert
National College of Ireland : exceed expections, have first class service and up to date facilities
National Gallery : exceed expections, have first class service and up to date facilities
RDS
Slieve Russell Hotel : exceed expections, have first class service and up to date facilities
The Crypt Unique Venue
The Excise Bar
time; bar and venue at the Osprey Hotel : Best event organisers of anywhere

SPECIAL THANKS
We'd like to thank the Clarion Hotel IFSC for being venue hosts for this networking event. Mary and the team were great, really helpful with plenty of excellent suggestions.

We'd also like to thank Marion and Andy of Blue Moon who provided some background jazz on the evening. If you're looking for someone to provide quality music at your event, contact Marion on 086 173 8820, or marion.smith@ida.ie

The Impress Me seminar took place at the National College of Ireland at the IFSC on September 14th 2005. We heard from Kieran O'Byrne from Hill & Knowlton, Clyde Carroll of DEBRA Ireland, Teresa Mooney of Ogilvy & WHPR as well as Seamus Bagnall, editor of the Irish Marketing Journal, Richard Kavanagh of Social & Personal and Laura Coates from Whitespace Publishing Agency. Sarah Carroll of NEO Ireland & Eventznet chaired the seminar and also gave a short presentation.

Teresa Mooney took us through some of the events and campaigns that she has worked on at Ogilvy. The audience was fascinated to hear about the Dove Real Women campaign, and how media attention was secured. Teresa had a huge amount of good advise on how to approach the media.

The top five classic mistakes in attempting to get media attention for your event were the subject of Sarah Carroll's presentation. The classic mistake that most people nodded their heads to most furiously was being guilty of hoping to get free advertising for their event from their press release.

After the networking break, it was time to hear from the media experts themselves what impresses them. Seamus Bagnall from the IMJ, Richard Kavanagh from Social & Personal and Laura Coates from Whitespace each made a presentation. They told us what they like to hear about, how they like to receive it, what annoys them most and gave us examples of events they have given coverage to. Everyone was most impressed with how straightforward they were, and how willing to share their perspectives. In the evening, the seminar delegates were joined by NEO Networkers, and Peter Malone, chairman of the Fáilte Ireland Business Tourism Forum. Peter gave an excellent summary of the work of the Business Tourism Forum. He was unable to give much information, unfortunately, on the progress of the awarding of the contract for the National Convention Centre as the next update was due at the end of September. NEO Ireland will be included on the mailing list for the BTF, and we will update members as soon as we receive any news.

The launch of NEO Ireland took place at the National College of Ireland in the IFSC on the 7th of July 2005. The event was attended by almost 100 event organisers, suppliers to the events industry and professional event managers. 50% of attendees were people who organise events as a part of their overall job responsibilities, and 20% of attendees were professional event managers. Click here for a list of the companies/organisations represented at the launch.

The evening kicked off with a few glasses of wine (kindly provided by O'Connor, Berrie & Co Fine Wines) and canapes (kindly provided by Campbells Seasons Catering). The lecture theatre at the NCI was dressed by Sumo Multimedia, who projected the new NEO Ireland logo onto walls washed with amber light. Kingram Communications Group added their expertise in graphics by producing banners and pullups for NEO Ireland, which really helped to produce a highly professional finish to the look and feel of the venue.

Sarah Carroll, the NEO Ireland network manager revealed the new NEO Ireland website, and introduced the concept of the network. She also introduced the NEO team, Clyde Carroll of DEBRA Ireland, Joanne Cronnelly of Apex Events, Emma Kytzia of the National College of Ireland and Dee Moore from BIM.

The guests then took over, and the questions and comments from the floor included congratulations on setting up NEO Ireland; questions on how much it will cost to join (120 Euros per annum for network membership with an additional 120 Euros per annum for a basic directory listing) as well as a call to lobby for a national convention centre.

Question time was followed by facilitated networking, where the guests formed smaller groups and as well as networking with each other, produced a list of the reasons why they thought the network was a good idea and what they expect from NEO Ireland. Please click here to view the list in a new window. Some of the suggestions have already been implemented (see the Events Calendar) and we will be working on a code of practise for suppliers, and the other suggestions over the coming months.

The National College of Ireland were splendid hosts, and didn't appear to mind that the last of the guests finally straggled out after 9.30. All of us at NEO Ireland thank the launch sponsors profusely for their generosity and contribution to making it an absolute blast of an evening - we look forward to more!