EPIC venue for AVEA Spring Member Forum
It was another full house for the AVEA Spring Member Forum at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum on Tuesday 10th February.
Welcoming AVEA members to the CHQ Building in Dublin Docklands, Aileesh Carew, EPIC CEO, and Luke Smith, Director of Technology, took members through the journey the world’s first all-digital accredited museum undertook to become a must-visit, landmark experience on Dublin visitors’ itinerary, within the space of just ten years. Aileesh and Luke also shared ambitious plans that will add a world-class food hall on site and grow visitor numbers to an enviable half a million a year.
Shirley Sun, Regional Director for Go City, highlighted the increasingly important contribution of the Dublin Pass in delivering great visitor experiences and outlined the kind of reach-optimisation opportunities that come from partnering with globally-recognised sales channels.
As part of our occasional ‘AVEA Spotlight’ series, Ciara McCaughey, Marketing Manager of Vintage Tea Trips shared some of the secrets of their success and growth to date – their visitors board vintage 1960s double deckers to enjoy unique city sightseeing tours with afternoon tea Irish style.
Aline Fitzgerald, General Manager of The Shackleton Experience – opened last October in Athy and destined to become one of the world’s great polar museums – whetted appetites for the captivating narrative of Ernest Shackleton and his extraordinary Endurance expedition to the South Pole in 1916.
The second half of the forum trained the spotlight on best retail practice and how to leverage greater opportunity in this area – AVEA’s 2024 survey revealed that retail/gift shop sales delivered on average 17% of member revenue (23% for Northern Ireland members). Expert consultant Miriam Simon chaired a discussion on the importance and opportunities of product, placement, pricing and retail psychology in enhancing the visitor experience. Fáilte Ireland’s Amanda Horan outlined the upcoming ‘Rethinking Retail’ programme which offers visitor attraction participants highly-focussed support and mentorship to enhance their retail offering and boost commercial resilience. Expressions of interest are open for this Fáilte Ireland programme until 25 February 2026 (go to Fáilte Ireland Business Support Hub Strategic Programmes).
With over 60 AVEA member sites in attendance, lunch was always going to be lively and conversational, but the learning continued with a series of ‘behind the velvet rope’ group tours hosted by EPIC’s visitor experience, technology, and retail teams.
AVEA Chair, Anne O’Donoghue, reminded delegates of the huge value of peer-learning, and the ethos of collaboration and mutual support that marks the attractions sector out as one that truly understands the benefits of sharing knowledge and success.
In her wrap-up, AVEA CEO Catherine Flanagan provided an overview of the upcoming annual Member Business Survey, which yields valuable data on the state of the sector and forms the cornerstone of the association’s advocacy programme for the year.
Huge thanks to Aileesh and the team at EPIC for sharing their story and for their kind hospitality and to all the presenters for sharing their learnings and encouraging us all to prepare for the upcoming season which such positivity.
