Peter McHugh from the University of Galway was honoured as the Conference Ambassador of the Year at the annual Fáilte Ireland ambassador awards.
Mr McHugh received the award for organising the ’11th European Solid Mechanics Conference 2022,’ which contributed over €1.8m to the local economy.
Fáilte Ireland celebrated the contributions of 104 conference ambassadors at the ceremony. These ambassadors were recognised for their expertise and commitment in successfully hosting international conferences in Ireland from 2018 to 2022.
The conferences collectively contributed €125m to the Irish economy and had a positive impact on the nation.
Two new awards were introduced: the ‘Sustainability’ award, given to the ‘EUGEO 2019 (Association of Geography Societies in Europe)’ held at the University of Galway, and the ‘Social Impact & Legacy’ award, presented to the ‘WONCA World Rural Health Conference 2022’ at the University of Limerick.
The ceremony also recognised “Regional Champions” for their dedication to promoting their regions for international conferences.
Fáilte Ireland’s Chief Executive, Paul Kelly, praised the ambassadors for their talent and commitment, emphasizing the value they bring beyond tourism. The organisation continues to recruit new ambassadors to bring future business to Ireland.
Between 2018 and 2022, the conference ambassadors brought in 810 conferences, attended by 270,000 international delegates across major business hubs in Ireland, contributing €443m to the economy and generating positive social and environmental impacts.
