AVEA Spring Forum at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour
With thanks to Sam Harding and his team at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Co Down, members had a most enjoyable visit. Their state-of-the-art corporate event spaces, which adjoin the Studio conveniently, are superbly set up for all kinds of events and we had over 90 AVEA members from all over the island attend on the day.
Special thanks also goes to Tourism Northern Ireland for their support in hosting and helping to make the forum so enjoyable. The contributions from our speakers were really on point and rewarding, leading to an engaged Q/A session and great follow-up chats one-to-one.
Olivia Mulhern, Research and Insights Officer at Tourism Ireland gave members a sneak peek at the very latest (ahead of publication) consumer sentiment research on holidaying here conducted in our top tourism markets overseas (US, GB, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Australia).
Paul Marden, CEO of Rubber Cheese (the agency that designs extraordinary websites for ambitious attractions) shared exclusive insights into their 2024 survey with particular relevance for Irish attraction websites.
Paul Caffrey, Marketing Manager of the Irish Whiskey Museum and Dublin’s newest attraction – the World of Illusion – updated us on this exciting addition with mind-bending optical illusions and immersive exhibits and shared his experience in bringing this new city centre attraction to life.
Recapping on a really stimulating morning, CEO Catherine Flanagan and Liz Steele, Tourism Manager – Culture and Heritage at Tourism NI, brought the forum to a close. By that time, members were ready for some serious networking over lunch in the Studio Restaurant. The Forum wrapped up with a tour to uncover the secrets of the ground-breaking special effects, costume design and iconic props for the legendary HBO series, Game of Thrones.
