Known around the world for the kind of congeniality that can turn strangers to friends in the blink of an eye, Ireland has a reputation as a warm and welcoming place for tourists. But it is also regarded a top-notch destination for incentives, meetings, conferences and related events. In fact, in 2004, the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives ranked Ireland the number one destination for corporate events in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. And that's not surprising considering the landscape, people and infrastructure. With venues that range from world-class spas to championship golf courses and rambling castles to luxury hotels - not to mention fishing, shopping, friendly pubs, stunning vistas and history galore - Ireland offers something that will appeal to groups with even the most divergent interests. "We've got a great business tourism product," said Matthew McElroy who joined Tourism Ireland to head up its business tourism marketing division in New York last October. "We're represented in every country in Europe, but the U.S. market is an especially important market for tourism, and business tourism in particular." McElroy's department offers one-stop shopping for meeting and incentive planners considering any part of the island of Ireland as the setting for their next conference or incentive trip. McElroy said typical inquiries may begin with a request for a list of five-star properties, or for venues that can host a certain number of people. Once the groundwork is in place, McElroy puts the planner in touch with Tourism Ireland-approved destination management companys in Ireland. Tourism Ireland works very closely with its two key partners, Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, to support, advise and guide planners both in the research and planning stage of the process and during the preparation and running of the event. The result is a seamless experience in meeting planning that allows professionals to develop programs and itineraries that highlight the best of Ireland's accommodations and meeting venues, golf courses, spas, historic sites, world-class cities and rolling countryside. Jim McGuigan, the New York-based Executive Vice President for Tourism Ireland, notes, "The destination product that Ireland offers for business meetings, conferences, expositions and incentive travel planners is exceptionally good. There has been an enormous volume of investment capital ploughed into this sector in all parts of Ireland in the past decade. The hospitality industry in the Emerald Isle has responded magnificently to the challenge of meeting the most international standards of excellence in this sector." "Quite some time ago," McGuigan added, "Tourism Ireland selected the Business Tourism sector as a key growth area for the future. Ireland offers unique attractions for meetings, conferences and incentive travel planners, not the least of which is the way that American visitors to the Emerald Isle are made to feel so very welcome. The top priority here is to deliver an outstanding, professional and top-quality product that will sell itself for future repeat business. We are confident that Ireland's business travel destination offerings place us in that league now. "There are many different ingredients that are required to build an excellent destination product for business tourism. Clearly, first-class accommodations and meetings facilities are just the start. Other important components include visitor attractions, high-quality arts and cultural opportunities and excellent recreational facilities. When you create this list of ingredients and tick each item off one-by-one, you find that Ireland has them all. We know that to win business in this very competitive sector, we must also offer top-flight personal service, and that is where the Emerald Isle truly excels. For meetings planners, Ireland presents all upside and zero downside in guaranteeing quality for their clients." Key elements of Tourism Ireland's business tourism marketing support program are the direct result of customer feedback. McElroy said he is making a concerted effort to listen to the needs and wants of planners who contact his office. He then follows through on their suggestions. Ireland has an abundance of world-class five-star and four-star properties that include conference facilities, including Ireland's National Event Centre, in Killarney, Co. Kerry, and the Royal Dublin Showground (RDS) in Dublin. The RDS is located adjacent to the Four Season's Hotel, and is home to exciting events, trade fairs, and the annual Dublin horse show. Belfast, meanwhile, is a city that thrived for centuries as an industrial center. Today it is home to the island's largest conference facility, the Belfast Waterfront Hall and Conference Centre (www.waterfront.co.uk), a multi purpose venue with ultra modern facilities to accommodate business, conference, arts and entertainment events. For up to date information check out Tourism Ireland Business Travel News www.Tourismirelandinfo.com a virtual treasure trove of up-to-date information on meetings, deals and news. Tourism Ireland also has a professional video presentation that is available to planners pitching Ireland as a meeting or incentive destination. "If a company wants to motivate or reward their staff, Ireland is the perfect destination. Our aim is to show American corporations the benefits of having their meetings or incentives in Ireland and the return on investment, whether it is measured by a successful meeting or a highly motivated staff it makes no difference, we have succeeded in our role!"