Conference brought €17.4m worth of business tourism to Cork
74 ambassadors were honoured last week for their involvement in the hosting of 62 conferences in Cork over the past two years, worth an estimated €17.4 million.
Four overall winners were also announced at the Cork Convention Bureau Conference Ambassador Awards 2024 which took place at The Kingsley Hotel last Thursday. The 62 international business events attracted 12,500 delegates, 74% of whom were international visitors, contributing a €17.4 million to the local economy.
The conference ambassadors, who were all supported by the team at Cork Convention Bureau, were recognised for their vision and hard work, for boosting business tourism, and helping the city continue to be a leading European destination for big conventions. Four overall winners were also announced.
Events hosted in Cork in 2023 and 2024 ranged in size, with some attracting large numbers. The Kaizoku-Con 2024 brought 2,000 delegates to Cork, while IFMSS, a fetal medicine conference, saw over 400 delegates and top experts attending from all over the world.
2024 overall award winners
Four standout events were recognised at the awards for their contributions to the local economy:
Academic Conference Award: Dr Denis Kelliher was honoured for bringing the World Congress of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimisation (WCSMO) to UCC. The event focused on engineering innovation.
Collaboration Conference Award:
Prof. Luigina Ciolfi and Dr Trevor Hogan were recognised for organising the TEI Conference which brought together researchers, practitioners, businesses, artists, designers and students from various disciplines, including engineering, interaction design, computer science, product design, media studies and the arts. A collaborative effort between UCC and MTU.
● Association Conference Award:
Prof. Geraldine Boylan was honoured for hosting the 15th International Newborn Brain Conference 2024 INBBC, focused on medical sciences
.
● Sporting Conference Award:
The Irish Coastal Rowing Championship event was acknowledged for its significant contribution to the sporting sector. Organised by Kilmacsimon Rowing Club in conjunction with the National Rowing Centre, this event brought together over 1,000 athletes and spectators.
Since its launch in 2010, the Cork Ambassador Programme has brought over €127m to the region. Operated by Cork Convention Bureau, part of Visit Cork, the programme supports local members of international associations in bidding for international conferences to be hosted in Cork.
According to Fáilte Ireland, Cork continues to get the greatest share of conferences in the Republic of Ireland outside of Dublin, representing approximately 25% of the regional value of events.
With €20m worth of conferences already secured for the next 6 years, and another €25m in bid pending business, Cork is poised for further growth.
Evelyn O’Sullivan, Manager at Cork Convention Bureau said: “We are in a really good position for 2025 and are working hard to get confirmation of bid pending events for future years. Cork continues to be one of the most sought-after destinations for business tourism in the Republic, outside of the capital, as we have fantastic, authentic venues, and a very warm welcome.”
Evelyn also noted Cork’s appeal to industries like bio-pharma, ICT, and medical sciences, with its thriving business ecosystem and world-class research centres.
Anyone who would like support in bringing an international meeting, conference or event to Cork should contact the Cork Convention Bureau on info@corkconventionbureau.com or go to corkconventionbureau.com to see the supports that are available.