See How the Engage!22 Wedding Summit Showcased Ireland in All Its Glory

Take a look at the decor concepts that were inspired by the business conference’s recent location.

November 23, 2022

To demonstrate Ireland’s position as a tech capital within Europe, screens—which were mounted to tree trunks on stage—displayed slow-moving images of the Irish landscape while the large LED screens flanking the stage were used for speaker presentations.Photo: Story of Eve

DUBLIN—Engage!22 The Ireland Experience brought together nearly 300 event industry pros from Oct. 17-20 in the Emerald Isle. In partnership with Tara Fay Events and with support from Failte Ireland (the national tourism authority), Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce of Engaging Concepts—a Celebration, Fla.-based event planning and consulting firm—once again produced an inspirational environment to promote networking and idea generation among industry peers.

The three-day event featured presentations and small-group sessions with speakers including David Stark, Marcy Blum, Rishi Patel, Lynn Easton, and David Beahm, as well as elaborate parties and immersive experiences like clay shooting and archery. And as usual, the look and feel of the conference was inspired by the location—the Irish countryside.

“As much as possible we wanted to showcase Ireland as a progressive location with world-class suppliers but also with incredible locations and natural history,” said Tara Fay of Tara Fay Events, who assists the national tourism board in developing Ireland as an international wedding destination.

Back in 2018, Engage! hosted one of its yearly summits in Ireland at Adare Manor, located near the Cliffs of Moher. This time, organizers wanted to celebrate a different area of the country, hosting attendees closer to Dublin in County Kildare, with events taking place primarily at K Club, Carton House, and Luttrellstown Castle.

The K Club, one of Ireland’s top golf and spa resorts in the Kildare countryside, served as one of the main venues for the conference.Photo: Josh Gooden“It was really important to highlight a specific region within Ireland. From a tourism point of view, there are four distinct tourism regions within Ireland. For the last Engage! we hosted in Ireland, it took place along the Wild Atlantic Way,” Fay explained. “This year, all three venues were located within a 20-kilometer radius of each other within Ireland’s Ancient East where there is a huge amount of history. ... We wanted guests to spend time not just in their host location but also explore the distinctive areas around the venues.”

Fay explained that even though each host property was located a short distance from the other, “we still had a lot of transport to organize. This has been one of the biggest challenges for any event planner in Ireland this year. Post-COVID, we have dramatically fewer coach drivers and chauffeurs.” She said that there are also very strict time limits for drivers, which meant bringing in drivers from other parts of the country to accommodate the transport needs.

In addition to highlighting the region, Fay also wanted to showcase local talent, including Irish television presenter Síle Seoige who served as conference emcee and Grammy-nominated artist Méav who performed during the gala dinner. “We wanted people to have a taste of Ireland, without it being overpowering,” she said, adding that gala entertainment was also provided by U.K.-based ALR Music.

Of course, organizers also had to consider one expected but unpredictable feature of Ireland: the weather. “We are used to having four seasons in one day,” Fay joked.

The next summit will take place Dec.12-15 at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana, Ariz., just outside of Tucson.

Scroll to see key vendors and more from Engage!22 The Ireland Experience...

VENDORS
Branding & Stationery: TPD Design House
Catering: With Taste, Cove Cake Design
Design: GK Design
Entertainment: Elan Artists
Event Planning & Production: Tara Fay Events
Florals: Mark Grehan
Guest Planning: Bruce Russell Events
Lighting & Staging: Gorilla Design
Linens: Nuage Designs
Rentals: Total Event Rental, Whitehouse Event Crockery
Tenting: Eventus
Transportation: Goldstar Chauffeur Drive

The K Club, one of Ireland’s top golf and spa resorts in the Kildare countryside, served as one of the main venues for the conference.

Photo: Josh Gooden

Engage!22 The Ireland Experience brought together close to 300 event industry pros from Oct. 17-20.

Photo: Ben Finch

To demonstrate Ireland’s position as a tech capital within Europe, screens—which were mounted to tree trunks on stage—displayed slow-moving images of the Irish landscape while the large LED screens flanking the stage were used for speaker presentations.

Photo: Story of Eve

Instead of the traditional dine-around evening, with smaller parties typically at multiple venues, this year, a large group dinner was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.

Photo: Corbin Gurkin

Stained glass-inspired stationery and table numbers by TPD Design House adorned the table settings. "We could not have naked candles in the cathedral, which is unusual for us in Ireland where we are normally permitted naked flame in most locations," Fay explained.

Photo: Corbin Gurkin

“As the cathedral is a working location and open to the public each day until 5 p.m., we could only load outside of the cathedral up until that time,” Fay explained. Plus, there could not be any work or noise while the choir conducted their practice in the evening. “In essence, we had one hour and 15 minutes to bring all the furniture in and set the room and kitchen for dinner for 270 guests. Needless to say, it was slightly stressful, but the end result was spectacular," she said.

Photo: Corbin Gurkin

An after-party was held at the Gravity Bar atop the Guinness Storehouse.

Photo: Josh Gooden

“We really wanted people to dine at the gala and look back at the spectacular facade of the K Club, hence the clear ceilings of the tent,” Fay said.

Photo: Ben Finch

The menus were designed to match the metal beams used in the industrial installation that hung above the tables.

Photo: Ben Finch

Throughout the conference, attendees could participate in immersive experiences like clay shooting and archery.

Photo: Story of Eve

Cultural nods included the use of Irish proverbs on the lunch menus.

Photo: Theo Milo Photography

The conference collateral included name tags featuring nods to Irish customs.

Photo: Ben Finch

“It was extremely important to have as many gifts sourced in Ireland as possible,” Fay explained, adding that organizers were also conscious about sustainability.

Photo: Ben Finch

Attendees were also offered the option to add on a fourth day in Dublin once the conference had ended. It included tours of the National Gallery of Ireland and the Museum of Literature, as well as a stop at Roe & Co distillery, culminating in afternoon tea at The Merrion Hotel.

Photo: Megan Noll