See You At The SITE Global Conference 2020

Arthur McGauran and David Riddell Memorial Scholarship Recipient, Amanda Robinson to Represent Custom Ireland at This Year’s SITE Global Conference in Vancouver

Custom Ireland are sending our best wishes to General Manager, Arthur McGauran and Sales and Marketing Manager, Amanda Robinson for an amazing weekend in Vancouver at the 2020 SITE Global Conference.

They are both active SITE Ireland Board members and this the first time for either to attend the conference. Arthur’s role with SITE Ireland is Memberships and Amanda serves as Communications Officer on the SITE Ireland Young Leaders Board.

Amanda is a proud recipient of the David Riddell Memorial Scholarship. Each year, SITE Global provide industry professionals with the opportunity to attend the SITE Global Conference through this fund. To qualify, applicants submit an application form, essay and a signed recommendation from the President of the local SITE Chapter. Scholarship recipients are selected by the SITE Foundation Board of Trustees, so an honour indeed to be selected.

“I’m looking forward to connecting and networking with like-minded members on a global level,” said Amanda.

Arthur, recipient of the SITE Ireland bursary, reviewed and approved by SITE Canada said, “I’m looking forward to engaging with other international colleagues and interested most in hearing about best sustainable practices in our industry. I’m also exciting to learn more ahead of the 2021 conference coming to Ireland.”

Best wishes to our colleagues around the globe for safe travels and a successful event.

3 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT ST PATRICK'S DAY

1. Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening Campaign

   2019 marks the 10th year for Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening Campaign. It’s very exciting to see some of the world’s most iconic landmarks light up in green in celebration of St Patrick’s Day. It’s a gesture that unifies cities across the world as we express our Irish-ness on this National holiday. Whether that Irish-ness is in our DNA or our hearts, it’s very special to share a common bond and a chance for the Irish around the globe to reconnect with their heritage. (Scroll to end to see Tourism Ireland’s impressive list of landmarks and iconic sites around the globe that are participating in the 2019 campaign.)

2. Springtime

   Regardless of what the weather is like on the day, St Patrick's Day is a farewell to dark evenings and a big “Hello” to Spring! There is a distinct promise of warm weather to come with the gardens coming to life with daffodils and snowdrops and tulips a plenty.  

3. Spending The Day With Family

   For many of us, our St Patrick's Day ritual revolves around the family and dinner. The day conjures feelings of nostalgia and takes us back to childhood, picking the shamrock in the garden to pin it on our coats, watching the parade (sometimes even going to the parade in Dublin city).  Roast spring lamb is a traditional meal and always on the menu for St Patrick’s Day. (Want to try your hand at this traditional meal at home? Click here for one of our favourite recipes to follow from our friend and chef, Kevin Dundon)

Tell us some of your favourite things about St. Patrick’s Day! We’d love to hear how you celebrate.

HAPPY ST PATRICK’S DAY FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT CUSTOM IRELAND AND CRAFTED IRELAND.

LANDMARKS AND ICONIC SITES AROUND THE WORLD CONFIRMED TO TAKE PART IN TOURISM IRELAND’S GLOBAL GREENING INITIATIVE 2019 (courtesy of tourism ireland) Note: first time ‘greenings’ marked *

Great Britain
•    Cutty Sark, London *
•    London Eye
•    Tower 42, London 
•    Nelson’s Column, London
•    Trafalgar Square fountains, London 
•    Selfridges, London
•    Selfridges, Birmingham
•    Bamburgh Castle, Bamburgh *
•    Bournemouth Pier *
•    British Airways i360, Brighton *
•    Eden Project, Cornwall *
•    St Michael's Mount, Cornwall *
•    National Space Centre, Leicester *
•    Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne
•    City Hall, Norwich *
•    Emirates Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth 
•    City Walls, York *

North America
United States
•    Empire State Building, New York
•    Atlanta City Hall *
•    United Center, Chicago
•    ‘Welcome’ sign, Las Vegas
•    Metro Historic Courthouse, Nashville *
•    Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge, Nashville *
•    Hillsborough River, Tampa 
Canada
•    Niagara Falls (on both the Canadian and US sides)
•    Casa Loma, Toronto
•    City Hall, Toronto
•    The Distillery District, Toronto
•    The Cariboo Sentinel (newspaper) shop, Barkerville *
•    Calgary Tower, Calgary
•    The Big Fiddle of the Ceilidh (Fidheal Mhor A’ Ceilidh), Cape Breton Island
•    Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat 
•    World's largest Muskoka chair, Gravenhurst *
•    Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa
•    Cabot Tower on Signal Hill, St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador 
•    The Wawa Goose 
•    Sail of Lights at Canada Place, Vancouver

Mainland Europe
Albania
•    Clock Tower of Tirana *
Austria
•    Burgtheater, Vienna
•    Bridges on the Danube Canal, Vienna
•    Wiener Riesenrad, Vienna
•    Bergiselschanze (ski jump), Innsbruck
•    SkiWelt Söll
Bulgaria
•    National Palace of Culture (NDK), Sofia
•    St Cyril and St Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, Veliko Tarnovo *
Belgium
•    Grand Place, Brussels
•    Anspach (shopping gallery), Brussels *
•    Royal Galleries of St Hubert, Brussels 
•    Manneken Pis statue, Brussels (“dressed” in Irish costume)
•    Burg, Bruges
•    Celtic Cross, Fontenoy 
•    Maasmechelen Village, Genk
•    Irish College, Leuven *
•    Belfry, Mons
•    Lille Gate, Ypres 
Cyprus
•    Town Hall, Nicosia 
Denmark
•    Bryggebroen bridge, Copenhagen
•    Radisson Collection Royal Hotel, Copenhagen
Estonia
•    Vabaduse Väljak (Freedom Square), Tallinn 
•    TV Tower, Tallinn *
Finland
•    Polar Bear Pitching, Oulu *
France
•    Beaugrenelle (shopping centre), Paris
•    Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris
•    Château de la Muette (headquarters of the OECD), Paris 
•    Drugstore Publicis, Paris
•    Galeries Lafayette, Paris 
•    Irish Embassy, Paris
•    Pari Roller (street skating event), Paris *
•    Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland Paris 
•    Hôtel de Ville, Athis Mons 
•    Mairie de Bayeux *
•    Arkéa Arena, Bordeaux
•    Porte de Bourgogne, Bordeaux
•    Hôtel de Ville, Bressuire 
•    Centre d’art La Malmaison, Cannes
•    Hôtel de Ville, Cannes 
•    La Croisette, Cannes 
•    Le Musée de la Castre, Cannes 
•    Le Suquet, Cannes
•    Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Cannes 
•    Pont Guilvinec-Treffiagat *
•    Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, Guingamp *
•    Château de Pierre II, Guingamp *
•    Badhus Kaysersberg *
•    Église Sainte-Croix de Kaysersberg *
•    Mairie de Kaysersberg *
•    Pont Fortifié, Kayserberg *
•    Château de Beaulieu, Saumur, Loire Valley *
•    École primaire publique Pierre Jakez Hélias, Mellac *
•    Église Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens, Mellac
•    Hôtel de Ville, Mellac
•    Aéroport Montpellier Méditerrannée 
•    Hôtel de Ville, Saint-Mandé 
•    Beatus Rhenanus bridge, Strasbourg (and on the German side of the bridge, in Kehl) *
•    La Mairie, Villeurbanne
•    45 Le Comptoir Irlandais shops around France *
Germany
•    Funkturm Berlin
•    Reichsburg Cochem 
•    Excelsior Hotel Ernst, Cologne *
•    Lanxess Arena, Cologne *
•    Lighthouse, Düsseldorf
•    Altes Rathaus, Gescher
•    McKiernan's Irish Café, Gescher 
•    Stadthalle, Grafing *
•    ‘Fridolin’ the carp statue, Höchstadt an der Aisch
•    Offene Kirche St. Klara, Nürnberg 
•    Heidecksburg Castle, Rudolstadt 
•    Maria-Ward-Schule, Würzburg *
•    Matthias-Grünewald-Gymnasium, Würzburg *
•    Neumünster church, Würzburg 
•    Rathaus (Town Hall), Würzburg
Greece
•    Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens *
Hungary
•    Chain Bridge, Budapest 
•    Jedlik Ányos Bridge, Győr *
•    Felszabadulási emlékmű (Liberty monument), Szombathely *
Italy
•    Colosseum, Rome
•    Irish Embassy, Rome
•    Leaning Tower of Pisa
•    Ex Convento Palazzo dell’Annunziata, Matera *
•    Castel dell'Ovo, Naples *
•    Castel Nuovo, Naples *
•    Fortezza Albornoz, Orvieto *
•    Il Pozzo di San Patrizio (St Patrick’s Well), Orvieto
•    Palazzo Municipale Orvieto *
Luxembourg
•    Hôtel de Ville, Luxembourg city
Malta
•    Porte des Bombes, Floriana
Monaco
•    Prince’s Palace of Monaco
The Netherlands
•    Splendor Amsterdam
•    Uilenburgersjoel, Amsterdam
•    SkyView Scheveningen Pier, The Hague
•    Windmill, Weert
Poland
•    Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw
•    Hotel President, Bielsko-Biala 
•    Kosciuszki Street Bridge, Gdańsk
•    Uczniowska Street Bridge, Gdańsk
•    Centre of Culture and Art, Kalisz *
•    City Hall, Kalisz
•    Baszta Dorotka (Dorothy Tower), Kalisz *
•    Spodek (arena), Katowice
•    City Hall, Kielce *
•    Galeria Echo (shopping centre), Kielce 
•    Regional Cultural Centre, Kielce *
•    Father Bernatek (Kladka Bernatka) footbridge, Kraków
•    Lipska Street flyover, Kraków
•    Tauron Arena, Kraków 
•    Manufaktura, Łódź *
•    OFF Piotrkowska (shopping mall), Łódź
•    TME Office Centre, Łódź *
•    Centre for the Meetings of Cultures, Lublin
•    National Centre of Polish Song, Opole *  
•    Adam Mickiewicz University (main auditorium), Poznań *
•    Archaeological Museum, Poznań
•    Bishop Jordan Bridge, Poznań
•    City Hall, Poznań
•    MTP Spire, Poznań 
•    Poznań Główny (railway station), Poznań *
•    Raczyński Library, Poznań
•    Brama Przemyska Bridge, Przemyśl 
•    City Hall, Rzeszów
•    Centennial Hall, Wrocław
•    Grunwaldzki Bridge, Wrocław
•    Krzesło Kantora (chair sculpture), Wrocław *
•    Lower Silesian Governor's Office, Wrocław *
•    National Museum, Wrocław 
•    Opera House, Wrocław  
•    Stadion Wrocław  
•    University Bridge, Wrocław  
•    University of Wrocław  
•    Wrocław Contemporary Museum, Wrocław *
•    Wrocław Główny (railway station), Wrocław *
•    Szyb Maciej, Zabrze
•    City Hall, Zamość 
Portugal
•    Cristo Rei statue, Lisbon
•    Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães, Cascais
•    Castelo de Torres Vedras, Torres Vedras *
Serbia
•    Ada Bridge (Most na Adi), Belgrade 
•    Palace Albanija, Belgrade 
•    Hotel Moskva, Belgrade
•    Canadian Embassy, Belgrade
•    Glavna Pošta (main post office), Belgrade
•    House of the National Assembly of Serbia Narodna Skupstina, Belgrade 
•    Narodni Muzej (National Museum), Belgrade *
Slovak Republic
•    Divadlo Aréna, Bratislava *
•    Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel, Bratislava
•    Chrenovský most (bridge), Nitra *
Slovenia
•    Ljubljana Castle, Ljubljana
Spain
•    San Mamés stadium, Bilbao 
•    Marbella arches
•    Ayuntamiento, Tortosa 
•    Puente del Tortosa, Tortosa 
Sweden
•    Vasa warship, Stockholm 
Switzerland
•    The Rhine Falls, near Zurich                     
•    Smilestones (indoor miniature world at The Rhine Falls), near Zurich *

Australia and New Zealand
Australia
•    Sydney Opera House
•    Town Hall, Sydney
•    State Library of New South Wales, Sydney 
•    Irish Embassy, Canberra
•    The National Carillon, Canberra
•    The Big Kangaroo (‘Rooey II’), Border Village 
•    The Big Banana, Coffs Harbour
•    Perth Airport
•    The Bell Tower, Perth
•    Council House, Perth
•    Crown Perth *
•    Elizabeth Quay, Perth
•    Matagarup Bridge, Perth *
•    Optus Stadium, Perth
•    Yagan Square, Perth 
New Zealand
•    Sky Tower, Auckland
•    Auckland War Memorial Museum
•    Eden Park, Auckland 
•    Christchurch Airport

Emerging Markets
Brazil
•    Christ the Redeemer statue, Rio de Janeiro
•    Teatro Amazonas, Manaus  
China
•    Canton Tower, Guangzhou
•    ‘Niki’ Cathay Pacific DC-3 airplane, Hong Kong *
•    Ruins of St Paul’s, Macau
Colombia
•    Barranquilla Cathedral, Barranquilla *
•    Torre Colpatria, Bogotá 
Ethiopia 
•    Bete Giyorgis (Church of Saint George), Lalibela *
Israel
•    Sammy Ofer Stadium, Haifa
•    Water Tower, Ramat Gan
•    City Hall, Tel Aviv
Japan
•    Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA, Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture *
•    Ise Ohtorii, Ise City  
•    Karakora Art Studio, Matsue
•    Yokohama Marine Tower, Naka Ward, Yokohama 
Kenya
•    Leopard statue called ‘Chiu’ (made from re-cycled scrap metal), Nairobi * 
Russia
•    Central Telegraph Building, Moscow
•    Izvestia Hall, Moscow
•    Rossiya Theatre, Moscow *
Sierra Leone
•    The Cotton Tree, Freetown *
Singapore
•    Chijmes, Singapore *
Turkey
•    Atakule Tower, Ankara *
Uganda
•    Source of the Nile Bridge, Jinja *
United Arab Emirates
•    Nation Towers, Abu Dhabi *
•    Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi
•    Burj Al Arab, Dubai
•    Cayan Tower, Dubai 
•    Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai
•    Emirates Golf Club, Dubai 
Vietnam 
•    Pen Monument, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi 
•    Meliá Hanoi hotel, Hanoi 
Zambia
•    Victoria Falls * 

Custom Ireland DMC Names Arthur McGauran as New General Manager

Custom Ireland DMC is delighted to announce that Arthur McGauran has joined the company as General Manager. As Custom Ireland continues to grow and acquire new business, McGauran will be leading the Operations teams for both MICE and Leisure (Crafted Ireland), and playing a key role in contributing to the overall growth and success of the company.

 McGauran joins the company with 15 years of experience across multiple sales, client service, and operations management roles in the Hospitality and MICE industries in Ireland. In this newly formed position, he will be leading the Operations teams to bring the industry’s best practices to the company’s immersive approach to experiential event and FIT travel.

 Managing Director of Custom Ireland, Crothúr Murphy said, “We are very excited to bring Arthur into the Custom Ireland family. He comes to us as a fantastic representative of what Ireland and the Irish have to offer on a world stage in both the MICE and luxury FIT industries.  Arthur shares our vision in how we approach event and luxury travel, yet he also brings his own fresh perspective to the expanding diversity of creative contributions from our team. He’s a great fit, and we’re delighted to have him on board as a dynamic force aligned with our growth strategy.”