The Meet In Ireland team have recently returned from an excellent trip to this year’s IMEX Las Vegas. We exhibited alongside 3,500 other industry professionals from 150 different countries around the world. Also with us were 36 of Ireland's top MICE providers, who did a fantastic job of showcasing the many benefits of Ireland to the global business events community. It was a superb event and we thoroughly enjoyed talking to our many booth visitors, who were intrigued by Ireland’s plentiful attractions as a MICE destination.

Sands Convention and Expo Center in Las Vegas is one of the largest convention centres in the world and the perfect venue for an event like IMEX. Over the three days, we put on several exciting events at the Meet in Ireland stand, including talks, presentations, festivities and one-on-one appointments with leading Irish suppliers.

We decided to shake things up a little on day two by hosting a traditional 'Irish house party' with lively traditional Irish music and a dancing session for our guests to enjoy. A fantastic time was had by all, and delegates were able to experience first-hand the warm and welcoming nature of Irish hospitality. On the third day, since Ireland is a nation of storytellers, we had our master storyteller explain to delegates how Ireland can offer delegates a 'happily ever after' for their MICE trip.

Meet in Ireland has made an ongoing commitment to sustainability and our IMEX exhibit was no exception. This year we began to showcase Ireland’s unrivalled potential as a MICE destination in a way that was as environmentally friendly as possible. We used eco-friendly stationery and resources such as biodegradable and compostable cups and cutlery, in addition to paper food containers.

This is an ongoing project: we are also in the process of restocking our upcoming merchandise range with environmentally conscious items such as luggage tags, notebooks and folders made of ELeather, a sustainably produced material. We've also been using up old items to minimise wastage. We’re proud to be spreading the word about Ireland’s business tourism opportunities in a way that’s ethical and sustainable.

We’d love to see you at next year’s IMEX or at any of the other events we’ll be attending over the next 12 months – keep an eye on our News section for updates. We’re on hand to advise and guide you in creating a fantastic MICE experience in Ireland. For more information, please contact the Meet in Ireland team.