International associations are now seeking destinations with large clusters of aligned industry leaders. Ireland is home to some of the brightest minds in the world and is a centre for innovation and inspiration, thanks to a nation with a ‘can do’ attitude.
Ireland’s award-winning researchers, numerous regional corporations and 1,200+ multinationals all come together to produce an international, multilingual melting pot of skills.
Meet in Ireland is the official business events bureau for the island of Ireland and has supported over 1,000 conferences since 2015 and welcomed over 350,000 international delegates from fields such as endocrinology, food science, ice-skating and flower arranging, however there are six sectors where Ireland excels and here are the reasons why.
Agriculture
Ireland has traditionally been known as the Emerald Isle for good reason — it more than lives up to the name thanks to its fertile soil, temperate climate and abundant rainfall. These ideal conditions also explain why agriculture has become one of Ireland’s most important indigenous manufacturing sectors.
Today, Irish food and drink thrives on the global stage, with its homegrown industry exporting to 180 countries worldwide. Ireland’s increasing impact in this sector is proven by Food Wise 2025, which anticipates an 85% increase in the value of Ireland’s exports along with a 65% increase in the value of primary production.
Ireland’s reputation for quality and modernisation has resulted in a thriving agri-tech sector — leading the way in smart farming through robotics, AI, IoT (Internet of Things), improving yields, increasing efficiency, minimising waste and therefore enhancing sustainability and profitability.
Bio Pharma
Across Ireland, the bio-pharma sector is reaching new heights as it discovers, innovates and manufactures new medicines to help improve health outcomes internationally. Ireland’s connections offer great networking potential, giving access to both leading companies and experts within the field.
The sector accounts for over €80 billion in revenue each year. Ireland’s growing influence is proven by capital investment of almost €10 billion in new facilities, which sees Ireland ride the biggest wave of investment in new biotech facilities of anywhere in the world.
Engineering
Ireland’s passion for engineering is reflected in the numbers, with a broad range of companies from various fields including automotive, aerospace, industrial automation and engineering services.
Over 75% of the engineering companies based in Ireland are homegrown businesses, a figure that shows the country’s passion for the industry. The success and ambition of the engineering sector in Ireland is driven by world-class talent, research and development, top STEM education and regulatory competence.
Finance
With services covering everything from asset management to aviation finance — combined with Ireland’s specialist approach to hospitality and sophisticated infrastructure — the country is ideally equipped as a world-class destination for financial conferences, meetings and events.
Servicing every major world economy and over 40% of all global hedge fund assets, Ireland’s financial credentials mean that influential thought leaders regularly meet in Ireland to announce new innovations, share insights and forge partnerships that shape the future of finance.
ICT
Ireland is at the heart of Europe’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and software sector. As one of the top priorities of its economy, Ireland’s ICT industry is rich in expertise, innovation and development — while Dublin has quickly become known as one of the tech start-up capitals of Europe.
ICT in Ireland means hosting eight out of the top 10 global information technology companies (like HP, IBM and Apple) as well as creative game companies like Big Fish, EA and Jolt. The ICT sector in Ireland attracts global talent as well as homegrown researchers, developers, and entrepreneurs. High quality technical talent is readily available in the nation, due in part to the strong partnerships forged between government, industry and third-level institutions.
The ICT sector has been growing in Ireland ever since IBM opened in 1956; it now employs over 3,200 people across a broad range of businesses including R&D, software development, supply chain management and technical support.
Medical
Supplying medical technology to 95 of the top 100 countries (by GDP), with exports accounting for €12.6 billion in exports annually, Ireland has been playing a vital role in medical technology for over 40 years.
Ireland also boasts an incredibly strong services, contract research and manufacturing base; in fact, 50% of the companies located here are in the business-to-business space.
Over 350 MedTech companies employ more than 40,000 people directly. Industry and Government alike are constantly looking for new ways to enhance competitiveness, develop new capabilities and ultimately generate sustainable growth opportunities.
Planning an international conference in Ireland means a wealth of connections, collaboration, and creativity, set against the backdrop of a spectacular island experience. With seven universities, 45 centres of excellence, numerous research centres, 16 university hospitals and an array of unique large capacity venues, Ireland can shape the content of hugely successful conferences — giving access to key opinion leaders, world class speakers, sponsorship opportunities and plenty of conference delegates.
Showcasing six of Ireland’s large capacity venues
Venues are the lifeblood of an events supply chain. Here is a flavour of Ireland’s large capacity venues along with the reasons why they are unique.
Aviva Stadium
Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4
Capacity: 1,000 (President’s Area)
USP: Meeting rooms offer breath-taking views of one of Ireland’s most famous pitches.
Did you know? This is the official home turf for the Irish international rugby and football teams.
Trinity College
College Green, Dublin 2
Trinity College Dublin
Capacity: 2,000 (conference)
USP: Ireland’s oldest university, offers spaces for meetings, receptions, large or private banquets.
Did you know? Trinity alumni include literature greats Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift and Oscar Wilde.
The Convention Centre Dublin (CCD)
Spencer Dock, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1
Capacity: 2,000
USP: Foyers on all six levels offer spectacular views of Dublin City.
Did you know? This was the world’s first carbon-neutral constructed convention centre.
Croke Park
Jones Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 3
Croke Park
Capacity: 2,000 (Hogan Suite)
USP: Ireland’s greatest amphitheatre and Europe’s third largest stadium.
Did you know? ‘Croker’ has been the home of the Gaelic Athletics Association for over 100 years.
Dublin City University, including the Helix
Glasnevin, Dublin 9
Dublin City University and the Helix
Capacity: 1,250
USP: Accommodation is available on all three of the conference centre’s campuses.
Did you know? Honorary graduates of DCU include Séamus Heaney and Mother Teresa.
RDS
Main Hall, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
RDS Dublin
Capacity: 6,500 (Hall 8, Simmonscourt)
USP: 10 multi-purpose conference halls, and capacity for 12,000 delegates.
Did you know? The RDS is Ireland’s largest exhibition and conference centre.
About Meet in Ireland
Meet in Ireland is a brand owned and managed by Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority. As the first point of contact for many global business tourism operators, Meet in Ireland is responsible for helping meeting planners organise successful international business events in Ireland, a world-class destination events. Ireland offers so many exciting opportunities and is dedicated to making them available to its international network.
