Aer Lingus To Offer Inclusive Irish Meetings

<B> Aer Lingus To Offer Inclusive Irish Meetings</B>

By Chris Davis

Aer Lingus is tossing its green derby into the meetings market. The Irish national airline is planning to introduce a comprehensive meetings package for events in Ireland, which will include airfare, lodging, meeting space and amenities for a single price.

"The program is an all-inclusive meetings product, which is unique in the industry," said Jack Foley, Aer Lingus' executive vice president North America. "It includes the base elements of a corporate meeting, including economy-class travel, a three-night stay at a five-star property, meeting room facilities and audiovisual needs." Prices run from $1,020 to $1,650 for the three nights, depending on the property chosen and time of year.

As major domestic airlines delve into international meeting programs, reflecting the corporate trend towards globalization of meetings, Aer Lingus officials think their package has some advantages--not the least of which is the venue itself. An English-speaking country relatively near the American East Coast and the European mainland, Ireland has become an increasingly popular destination, Foley said. "People can get to Ireland, spend a few days and have all of the elements of the meeting taken care of at one price," he said.

The program also could be popular with meeting planners, Foley said, because of its one-stop shopping nature. In addition, planners will have the opportunity to customize the Aer Lingus package to meet the needs of their own corporations. "From the base package, the planner can add or change things ranging from traveling in Premier to adding banquets or sporting events, but we give the core product at a base price," Foley said.

Aer Lingus has hired Atlanta-based KOR Associates to handle the sales and marketing of the program. "If planners want anything above and beyond, our KOR representatives will work with them to maximize or personalize the trip," Foley said.

Foley said the meetings package will only be available in the airline's home country for now because the four hotels involved are all in Ireland, and the airline wants to ensure that the program is running smoothly before expanding to Aer Lingus locales on the mainland.