Latest news with #PadraicGilligan
Skift
6 days ago
- Business
- Skift
For These Meeting Planners, It's All in the Family
Children of meeting planners grow up being exposed to interesting people from all over the world, and taking trips their friends could only dream of. So it's not surprising when they decide to follow in their parents' footsteps. Gráinne Ní Ghiollagáin, daughter of industry veteran Pádraic Gilligan, grew up in a home where her parents regularly hosted clients and guests for dinner. 'While the rest of my siblings may have been embarrassed to come out and say hello, I used to love meeting new people from different cultures and countries,' she said. She ended up spending a few years as a pharmacist 'until I realized I wanted something a bit more exciting.' She didn't begin her career at SoolNua, the company her father co-founded in 2014 with long-time business partner Patrick Delaney (the pair had previously acquired Ovation in 2002, sold it to MCI in 2007, then led its expansion to over 100 destinations). Instead, she joined Conference Partners International, a PCO (professional congress organizer), and then went to work for Croke Park, a convention center in Dublin. She finally joined Gilligan in 2019 as a business development manager, and this year took over, along with Aoife McCrum, as managing partners. Gráinne Ní Ghiollagáin and Padraic Gillligan Though the vast majority of college-educated children will not follow the career paths of their parents, the meetings and incentives business seems to be an exception. Even the industry's major trade show, IMEX, is run by a father-daughter team, Ray Bloom and Carina Bauer. 'I think the perks of the industry are a specific draw for younger folks,' said Anjee Sorge, director of operations at FIRE Light Group, an incentive marketing and employee engagement company founded by her mother, Sandra Daniel. 'Travel and all the glamour associated with it are such a hook.' Sorge was 29, having graduated with an art degree, when her mother offered her a job at the small incentive company where she was working. She had been working in the property and casualty insurance field and it wasn't offering much excitement or mobility. Her new position was mostly administrative, but she had opportunities to learn about planning and contracting. 'Then I went on my first fam trip and I was hooked,' she said. When Daniel started FIRE Light Group in 2007, she was all in. Working in her family company has allowed her to take on more responsibility than she would have been able to have otherwise. Her mother is the final decision-maker, 'but we also have a say in the running and direction of the company. I don't know many other folks — especially women — who can say that they have that level of voice in their organization's future.' Anjee Sorge and Sandi Daniel Lack of Industry Awareness Stephanie Harris, president of the Incentive Research Foundation, was working from home when her daughter Kate McAllister was in middle and high school. McAllister was just promoted to client engagement manager at American Express Global Business Travel (Harris' former company). 'I think there was a lot of learning by osmosis,' Harris said. She recalls the time she needed to take her daughter to a doctor's appointment while she was on an annual planning call. 'She took notes on my phone while I was driving, things like 'Mom is asking for a lot of money for marketing.' She was 12 years old, and now she works with some of the same people who were on that call.' 'I got to see the glamorous side of the job and watch my mother travel to interesting destinations while participating in unique events,' said McAllister. 'We were also fortunate to be able to travel frequently as a family. This fostered my love of travel.' Harris says one of the biggest challenges is that many people in the next generation have no idea there even is a meetings and incentives industry. 'So many people say they just 'fell into it' when you ask about their career path.' 'Every time I tell someone about the industry, they are enamored,' said McAllister. 'I constantly hear, 'I want a job like that' or 'I went into the wrong field.' 'When someone knows this industry exists, they want to be involved.'
Skift
08-07-2025
- Business
- Skift
5 Ways Planners Are Rethinking Incentives
Skift Meetings' upcoming report reveals an industry that remains resilient and innovative, as it is forced to continuously change and evolve. The incentive industry sits at a critical juncture — a period of significant geopolitical and economic turbulence — and its effects are just beginning to make their mark on programs. An upcoming report by Skift Meetings, 'Rethinking Incentives,' reveals the many ways incentive travel is evolving as a result of U.S. government policies, rising costs, tech developments, and shifting demographics. Following are five areas of change: 1. Traditional Incentives are Evolving The incentive travel model that prizes inaccessibility — a level of luxury and exclusivity that you can't create on your own — is changing with the ability of individuals to create one-of-a-kind experiences on their own. Instagram feeds are lined with individual travelers having the same exact experiences that were once the purview of incentive groups. Traditional incentives used to be the norm, but not any more, said Padraic Gilligan, co-founder of SoolNua and an industry thought leader with more than 30 years of global experience. A good indicator of the direction of the incentive market is the leisure market, said Gilligan. 'Today's leisure traveler becomes tomorrow's incentive qualifier. The same mid-level executive who chooses Rabat over Raleigh for her personal break will soon be weighing up a company reward trip. The same European Millennial who skips Vegas for Valencia on ethical grounds will bring that sensibility to the group travel decision-making table. In other words, the patterns are predictable. But more than that, they're actionable.' 2. Layered, Local Experiences Are In There's a growing movement in incentive travel design toward meaningful, personalized experiences tailor toward the individual winners. Incentive travel is also no longer defined by extravagance — it's defined by intentionality. The incentive industry's answer is 'layered experiences,' those which extend beyond a single wow moment to create 'layers of surprise + delight.' No longer does a tour of a popular museum or other local attraction suffice when it comes to cultural immersion. Now they want to meet the maker, and perhaps even try their hand at creating. 'Incentive travel is absolutely still rooted in the idea of providing something irreplicable, but the currency of exclusivity has changed,' said Michelle Orlando, founder and chief event officer, Elevoque. 3. The Next-Gen is Making Its Mark According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Millennials make up the largest share of the labor force (36%), with Gen Z workers making up almost a fifth (18%). This is causing planners to rethink every aspect of program planning. While former generations of winners viewed the annual incentive trip as a chance to get away from home, families are part of an increasing number of trips today. But whether they bring their children or not, younger incentive winners want more choice as to how they spend their time. 'The younger generation is behaving based on their personal values,' said Greg Bogue, chief experience architect at Maritz. 'It's not just about designing the reward, it's about designing the whole program. I think that in announcing the program, capturing the attention, and during the qualification period, there's a lot of opportunity to activate individual values and individual purpose.' 4. Budgets are Stretched to the Max Cost increases as a result of tariffs are hitting event budgets hard at a time when planners have already been navigating rising costs due to inflation. Skift Meetings' 2025 survey of 103 meeting professionals found that rising costs are plaguing the vast majority of planners: When asked about the main concerns impacting their jobs right now, 90% said potential cost increases and 66% said potential recession. A full 82% said they expect event costs to increase in 2025–2026 because of the tariffs. Planners are finding ways to increase the perceived value of the incentive experience without increasing hard costs, by focusing on things like access and status. Offering attendees priority seating at an event, first access to redeem their reward, or a meet-and-greet with a musician or entertainer can add value to the experience at little or no cost. 5. AI is Having an Impact In recent Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) research, 63% of respondents said they either use AI or that they plan to use it to support incentive travel planning. Two IRF studies explore the topic: AI, Uses and Possibilities for Incentives Professionals and The AI Revolution: A Technical Review of AI Capabilities for Corporate Events, Rewards & Incentives. For many incentive planners, the reports say, AI offers the opportunity to tap into efficiency, allowing their teams to focus on more strategic tasks. For others, it is seen as a shortcut for tasks that are not their core competency, such as drafting communications or helping with data analysis. Most incentive professionals are using ChatGPT or a similar generative AI tool for program communications, brainstorming themes, and writing session descriptions. More sophisticated users are turning to AI to analyze employee engagement and performance data, which can be used to create personalized incentive programs tailored to specific demographics, behaviors, and preferences. Incentive industry leaders are cautiously optimistic about the possibilities created by AI. 'AI is designed to enhance, never to replace,' said Stephanie Harris, IRF president.
