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November 8, 2022

Eventex 2018 Jury Yearbook: Pàdraic Gilligan

Managing Partner at SoolNua. Passionate strategist, marketer and trainer working with destinations, venues and hotels on meetings and events.

Who are you really? Young grandfather with magpie-like attraction to sparkly, shiny things particularly intangible ones like great ideas and concepts. I love the work I do but would like to have more time for other things I love like walking the dog, gardening, cycling, playing guitar, writing songs. My priorities are faith, family and fun.Personal credo... Try to be kindWhen you were a kid, you wanted to be… A teacherYou became… A teacher then an Italian speaking tour guide then an owner of a school specialising in teaching English as a foreign language then an incoming tour operator then a DMC then a PCO then an Event Manager then an owner of a business with 60 employees…What would people say about you based on your handwriting? – This guy is inscrutable and illegible.Which book do you think everyone should read?Middlemarch by George Eliot for the final paragraph alone.Would you rather be the funniest or the most intelligent person in the room? – The funniest.The hardest thing about being in events... The super-long gestation period before the event is born and then the fact that its life is fragile and temporary. It happens, is beautiful and then fades away.And the easiest? – There isn’t anything easy.Describe how you imagine a conference 100 years from now… Conferences in 100 years time will still be face to face but technology will play an increasing role with tele-conferencing, Artificial Intelligence and Augmented reality.The best advice you ever received… Don’t look at the colour of the name badge – treat everyone equally.Honest arrogance or hypocritical humility? Honest arrogance in a heartbeat.Action or thriller? - Thriller especially psychological thriller.Surprise ending or a happy ending? – Happy ending.Practice without theory is… Like a fish without a bicycle.Less is more when… It’s a kiss.At the end of the day… It’s all about the “little, nameless, unremembered acts / of kindness and of love” (William Wordsworth)

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