2,500 delegates. Six charter aircraft. Chartered trains from Dublin. One international conference brought together in Killarney.
When Google chose Killarney for its EMEA Sales Conference in October 2009, the scale of the event extended far beyond the conference itself.
Some 2,500 delegates travelled from across Europe, Africa and the Middle East to come together at Gleneagle for one of the largest international corporate gatherings Killarney had hosted.
Getting them here was part of the challenge. And part of what made the event remarkable.
For an international conference of this scale, access and delegate movement were critical to the planning.
Six charter aircraft transported more than 1,000 delegates from across Europe, Africa and the Middle East directly into Kerry Airport. A further 1,000 delegates travelled from Google's European headquarters in Dublin on chartered trains.
Google's then CEO Eric Schmidt also flew into Kerry Airport to address the conference.
It was a significant logistical operation, demonstrating what can be achieved when transport, venue and destination work together around a major international event.
At Gleneagle, the challenge was to create an environment capable of bringing 2,500 people together while delivering the production and hospitality expected of a major international company.
Gleneagle Arena provided the scale for the main conference programme, supported by the technical and operational teams required to deliver an event of this size.
The result was not simply a large conference. It was a shared experience for thousands of colleagues who had travelled from across Google's EMEA operation to be together in Killarney.
The conference culminated in a banquet for all 2,500 delegates, described at the time as the largest ever held in Killarney.
Executive Chef John Drummond and his team prepared and served dinner at Gleneagle Arena, transforming the conference venue once again for an evening that brought the entire delegation together.
For an event of this scale, catering wasn't an addition to the programme. It was another major production in its own right.
Following the conference, John Herlihy, then Head of Google Ireland, praised both the delivery of the event and the welcome delegates received throughout Killarney.
“The logistics of bringing 2,500 people together from all over Europe is not easy but everything worked very smoothly.”
He also described the professionalism and service experienced across Killarney as “second to none” and said the event demonstrated that Ireland was among the best locations in Europe for international conferences.
Bringing 2,500 international delegates to Killarney required planning on an extraordinary scale.
But the journey wasn't a reason not to come. It became part of how the event was made possible.
Air, rail, accommodation, conference production, catering and the wider destination came together around one international gathering.
Six charter aircraft. Chartered trains. 2,500 delegates. One destination.
Whether you're planning an international conference, corporate gathering or multi-day residential event, our team can help you look at the whole experience, from arrival to the final night.
