One of the world's most respected business travel associations, the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) has selected Dublin for their global conference in early 2021. 

Announcing the decision to hold their annual international conference in Ireland from the 4-7 February next year, SITE's former President, Philip Eidsvold praised the work of Fáilte Ireland's Meet in Ireland team. "Whilst we received several strong submissions to host Global Conference in 2021, Meet in Ireland’s proposal was distinguished by a combination of powerful logistical considerations such as Dublin’s remarkable accessibility and a true sense of partnership with the entire destination working together as a single unit in support of the bid.”

With over 2,500 members located in 90 countries, SITE is the only incentive travel dedicated business association in the world and have a large membership in Europe, making Dublin a logical choice for their global conference. The association helps to raise funds and support research on incentive travel throughout the world. They also run certified education programmes and provide advocacy in the business travel industry. 

SITE has over 120 members in Ireland, the largest outside of North America and numerous active chapters throughout Europe. Due to the ease of travel to Dublin, approximately 600 delegates are anticipated to arrive in the city for the conference. The event is expected to be worth around €1.1m to Ireland, further bolstering the MICE economy in the country.

Hosting the global conference offers the Meet in Ireland team an unrivalled opportunity to showcase what Dublin, and indeed Ireland, has to offer as venue for incentive travel to some of the most influential suppliers and business travel industry corporations. 

When declaring the decision to host their event in Ireland, the board stated that Meet in Ireland's bid was a “comprehensive, wide-ranging submission that plays on the narrative of Dublin as ‘our village’, offering an intimate, deep, motivational experience on a backdrop of world-class hotels and venues, great global access and immense socio-cultural appeal”. 

SITE's CEO Didier Scaillet is happy to be returning to Ireland 30 years after their last conference here. "Dublin has become one of Europe’s most connected destinations, a global business hub for Aviation, Pharma, Tech and Biotech and a profoundly appealing destination with a deep cultural heritage and the legendary “Céad Míle Fáilte”, meaning one hundred thousand welcomes. It’s the perfect location for our global community of incentive travel professionals to connect, learn, discover and shape the future of our industry.” 

Speaking on behalf of Fáilte Ireland and Meet in Ireland, Ciara Gallagher said, “We’re delighted to welcome SITE back to Ireland." Acknowledging the team's efforts, she continued by saying "This was a true pan-destination submission and our entire local team is looking forward to co-creating with SITE a truly unique Global Conference with Dublin as your village”. 

If you are considering organising a MICE trip to Ireland, get in touch with the Meet in Ireland team and let us help you to arrange an unforgettable visit for you and your delegates.