The Irish Association Forum (IAF) is a gathering of representatives of Irish Associations, professional bodies, federations, societies and NGOs. It is a one-day education programme aimed at sharing knowledge, enabling peer-to-peer exchange and sharing best practices to help all organisations achieve better results and greater impact. Brussels-based Associationworld, a leading educator and convener of association professionals globally, brings the event to the Irish association community. This event for associations, by associations, is in partnership with Fáilte Ireland and The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD).
Kai Troll, President of Associationworld, states, “We were looking for a sustainable venue in Ireland, and we are proud to be working with The Convention Centre Dublin as the host of this very first Irish Association Forum. The CCD is a world-class conference venue and continues positioning Ireland on the world stage for international conferences, congresses and events. As a Healthy Venue Awards programme member, The CCD’s vision is to become Ireland’s most sustainable venue and a leading expert in sustainable event delivery in Europe. This vision is very much aligned with our approach towards more sustainable events.
Speaking of the legacy of this event, Kai Troll continued, “Building and extending the community amongst Irish associations and non-profit organizations is at the heart of the Irish Association Forum, creating a sense of belonging for the Irish association community. I’m delighted to mention that one of the legacies of this first edition of the Irish Association Forum is the establishment of Associationworld Ireland. The purpose is to serve the Irish association and non-profit community all year around, taking a holistic approach towards capacity building and helping to enhance professionalism amongst the domestic Irish associations.”
The Chief Executive of The CCD, Stephen Meehan, commenting on this first Irish Association Forum, said, “Association conferences and events have been at the heart of our activity since opening in September 2010. Bringing an association event to your home city is an incredible honour for the local ambassador, while also requiring a lot of commitment and dedication.” He continued, “We are delighted to support bringing this important event to life. Building a community from Irish associations and non-profit organisations will promote collaboration and learning from a vast array of events at The CCD and other Irish venues.”
At the upcoming Irish Association Forum, participants will discuss the ‘how to’ and developments plus capacity building to the next level – moving from the theory, making it practical, and sharing real-life scenarios that worked and didn’t work for other associations and non-profits.
Associationworld says they are delighted to work with Fáilte Ireland and The Convention Centre Dublin as they share their vision to promote cross-collaboration between industry sectors, help build capacities and strengthen Irish associations’ position in Ireland, the European Union and within their European association networks. In addition, delegates of the Irish Association Forum will benefit from sources and resources aligned with and linked to the global Associationworld community: the Brussels International Association Forum (BIAF), the Geneva International Association Forum (GIAF) and the recently launched Washington International Association Forum (WIAF).
About The Convention Centre Dublin
The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) opened in September 2010 and is Ireland’s first purpose-built international convention centre. Located in the heart of Dublin city, just 15 minutes from Dublin Airport, The CCD has won 60 industry awards and hosted over 2,100 events since opening.
