Walking on Fire – a powerful team building event

 

Walking on fire - off we go!

Well I did it… it was a personal major feat.  I have never pushed myself sooooooooooooooo far out of my comfort zone before and I have never had to pull together all of the power from within, that is what it took, but ohhhhhhhhh what a feeling!

Hot stuff -

Strong…… sooo…….. proud…….. exhilarated……….. free……. fulfilled……… did I say delighted with myself???  These are all words that can describe how I felt on the night and indeed how I still feel.

relaxing after walking the fire line...

Brian Moore from Peak Potential is a fantastic facilitator, motivator and trainer.  I put together the event for BNI (Business Network International); I am the event coordinator for the group and wanted to do something that would make a difference.   Well I found it. 
The event involved an intense 2 hours of training – from breaking arrows (putting it up against a wall with the point to  your neck, walking towards the wall and breaking the arrow, busting through an inch think board to bending an 8mm steel bar with your neck!!  All in a day’s work.  The focus was on visualising the end result – your goal and how you would feel after achieving it.  Brian thought us techniques of blocking out any negative thoughts, focusing on the positive and on the goal!

  This photo is taken by Roger Overall  - an award winning photographer - photo of Ciara Crossan – weddingdates.ie

  Photo taken by Roger Overall.  Ruth Gaffney breaking through an inch thick board..

I must have chanted “yes I can” about 500 times that night, but it did work.  I was so psyched up; I could have run up a mountain that night, but chose to walk across 20 feet of burning amber instead.  My feet actually felt cold and I felt like I was walking on snow.  This was a fantastic event that I would highly recommend. 

Venue – the Ambassador Hotel, St Luke’s Cross, Cork. – Highly recommended.  Very flexible to work with and nothing was a problem.  We had a bowl of delicious stew afterwards that was almost as good as my mother’s- a very close second.

For more photos on the night check out the photo blog of Roger Overall

Check out other team building suggestions that I have tried…

Venue Review – The Clarion Dublin Hotel IFSC – Financial Services Centre

Conference Facilities Clarion IFSC, Pegasus Room

I stayed overnight at the Clarion Hotel recently and had a great experience, it is very much accommodates the business traveller and is a great Conference venue and Meeting hotel in Dublin City Centre.

What I loved –

 *Lolly pops and water on each conference table

 * Natural light through-out

 *Power shower

 *Personal wake-up call – that was bang on time.

 * High Powered Hair dryer

First impressions and location — The Clarion Hotel is a great Dublin business hotel, it is located in the IFSC and convenient to the O2 Music Venue and close to the Dublin Convention Centre opening in 2010. It is also -

• within walking distance to the heart of Dublin City Centre

• will have a Luas line on its door step next year

• the fact that it has its own car park is a big advantage, I do feel however that signage from the car park to the hotel could be improved as the car park elevator does not lead directly to the hotel lobby.

The atmosphere is business like and professional, all staff were attentive to my needs, in particular Joe who escorted me to my car and carried my  bags.  He has been in the hotel industry for over 10 years and is a true hospitality professional. 

Conference and Event Space -

There is a choice of up to 3 rooms for groups of up to about 80-110, with plenty of break out space –

• all rooms are airy with lots of natural light
• the needs of the meeting organiser have also been thought of with registration facilities outside each and a meeting tool kit in each room
• Free Broadband facilities
•  ceiling mounted projection system which can display, laptop, DVD and VHS display and of course climate control

For me the  Columbia room in the basement was my favourite with plenty of space out side the room for tea/coffee facilities.  No rooms are far from the restaurant/bar  area which makes networking at tea/coffee break time easy to do.  Overall there are  10 rooms ranging in size from 4 to  110 theatre style.

Accommodation –

The Video says it all really.  If you are a light sleeper, request an “internal” room, not over looking the Quays as early morning traffic may disturb you.  It didn’t wake me up but I am not a light sleeper!  I had a great nights sleep, beds and duvets were very comfortable.

 

Great size gym with exercise classes and a lap pool

 

This Dublin City Centre business hotel is well equipped with a large gym and swimming pool  and I particularly like the fact that there are exercise classes that guests can join each evening.  You can also avail of a choice of newspaper delivered to your door in the morning. 

Overall I found the hotel to be well thought through for business, conferences, meetings and events and I met a guest who stays there every week so that is always a great reference.  Joe was very accommodating and assisted me to my car with my baggage and refused to accept a tip.  I very much liked the genuineness of his guest service.

Check out other independent hotel reviews I have done -

Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links – Portmarnock, Dublin

All Fired up for a fire walk on Friday – build confidence, get more business!

 

I am arranging a Fire Walk for Business Network International this coming Friday in Cork, March 20th.  It is designed to eliminate all the negative thoughts out there right now and turn your negative energy into positive energy.  Think about it, if  you can overcome your fear of burning your feet, you can do anything!  Just what you need to go out there and get new business in this recession I say.  

How to get involved – sign up on line or email me – ciara < at> find a conference venue <dot> com.  If you email me your number I can call you to answer any questions you may  have.  You can also contact me by filling out the contact us form on my website.

Details -

When – this Friday, March 20th at 5pm -   We will be serving food afterwards and we are all staying for a few drinks.  I am sure we will need to quench our thirst….

Where – Ambassador Hotel, Military Hill, Cork City

Cost- 90 euro – this is substantially reduced from €300 per person

The Ambassador Hotel is a great venue for this, it will take place out in the car park where there are panoramic views of Cork City.  We will also have a private bar afterwards.  It is a great opportunity to meet like minded people, network and look for business opportunities.

Quotes from others who have done this -

“I was so excited that I had overcome my fears”
– Kate Deegan

“A fantastic confidence boost and great fear eliminator”
– David Woodford

“It was the best experience I’ve ever had”
- Mary Lynch

Brian Moore of Peak Potential is the facilitator – he will have a team of professionals trained to carry this out.   Brian is doing this training with  top companies in Ireland to help keep staff motivated and ahead of the competition.

If you like this as a team building idea – check out the following

Charity work -

 

 

Why Hotels should blog for business – Hotel Website Marketing

 

Yes, it is true, Ciara always wears her wedding dress. Wedding Ciara and Conference Ciara at the Blog awards

Recently myself and Ciara Crossan of Weddingdates.ie held an event in Dublin for hotels – it was  a free seminar on blogging for business and what it can do to increase business.  Our expert blogger on the night was Keith Bohanna- Internet consultant and techie who is in denial!  Keith is a down to earth guy who gave an excellent talk on the dos and dont’s of blogging and made it all very interactive and easy to grasp.    Keith himself would also consult with hotels on how to start a blog and how to increase conversions on your website once you get the traffic there!  This is a photo of Keith.

Recently at the Irish Blog Awards, I asked Damien Mulley – why hotels should blog for business.  This is the response.  If I sound a little tipsy in this it is because I was – it was about midnight and the party was in full swing!  I also asked the same question twice in my excitement at getting the feedback.    I also ran out of memory before Damien finished but I feel the important points are there. 

Damien gave a presentation for us also on blogging, it was held this week at the Malton Hotel – Killarney, just after the Irish Hotels Federation conference finished.  Ciara and myself were very chuffed to have him speak for us.  We had a great crowd there, in addition to the excellent topic that everyone was very interested in learning more about, Gavin Duffy of Dragons Den also attended.  He was impressed that we had such a famed speaker as Damien!  Yeah.  I was impressed we had a Dragon in the room!!  He relayed the story that he was in London recently and told a business associate he was looking for a top blogger.  He was told one of the best bloggers in Europe lives in Ireland - it was of course Damien,  is there no limit to the mans rep?  The presentation was excellent and very engaging, it ran way over as there were too many questions, so we will definitely have to do another one.    There are many opportunities for hotels to market their website, build their brand and profile online and convert more website visitors by blogging. 

A big thank you to Damien and Keith for sharing their knowledge with us and giving of their time.

If you are looking for advice on how to market your website more effectively, do get in touch.  This is all part of the marketing service offered by FindaConferenceVenue.com that assists hotels and venues in finding and booking more conference, meetings and events in Ireland.

For tips and ideas on how to arrange a conference or event – see these blog posts -

http://www.findaconferencevenue.com/Knowledge.aspx?tab=4&Id=27

Venue Review – The Westgrove Hotel, Conference Centre, Meeting Place…

Location – Clane, Co Kildare –

• 45 mins from Dublin
• 10 from Maynooth
• 15 from Newbridge

..Conference Centre Hotel near Dublin..

What I loved –

*Friendly welcome by Whalter  * 2 great sized meeting rooms for a conference and a lunch 
*Power shower   *Flexible meeting space   *  Private Garden area designed by Diarmuid Gavin

First impressions and location –

Located in Clane, Co Kildare, The Westgrove Hotel is located about 10 minutes from the N7 Newbridge exit and the N4 Maynooth exit so very easy to get to for delegates coming from the West and South and of course Dublin.  It is located beside a mini shopping centre with a Supervalu shop and pharmacy – which to some might be a disadvantage that it is not a stand alone hotel, but for me was very convenient for picking up a few things I had forgotten!  I also love the underground parking that leads directly to the hotel lobby as it saved me getting wet, and feels very secure – perhaps this is something that appeals to the female traveller more.

Accommodation –

All guest rooms are well appointed for the business traveller.  I stayed in a suite which was beautiful and very comfortable, on my tour of the hotel I took a look at the standard room which has the following features –
• Free Wi Fi
• Flat screen TV
• Convenient sockets for laptop and phone charger
• Comfortable beds with crisp sheets and big duvet

There are also long term stay rooms that feature a sitting room and a small kitchen, perfect if doing business in the area for a week .

Service –-

Room service was prompt and food was tasty.  Wake up calls were on time and my check in experience with Whalter was great.  He provided excellent service through out my stay – he had a broadband lead sent up to me promptly and I forgot my toothbrush and within 10 minutes I was provided with one along with toothpaste.
Conference and Event Facilities –

….Ideal for groups up to 430 theatre style….
The Conference Centre has its own entrance to the hotel, which I find to be a great advantage. The fact that there are 2 rooms, very convenient to each other that can both accommodate groups of 200+  is also a major benefit.  It means that meeting organisers have flexibility with being able to provide a private option for lunch and a gala banquet.  There is also a private bar located at the entrance to the main conference room so there is more than adequate space for networking over tea/coffee breaks and indeed works well as a pre-dinner drinks reception area.
Gaining access to the Conference Centre from the lobby of the hotel is not the most straight forward, if indeed a little awkward.  So I would advise using the main Conference Centre entrance.    Hotel staff guide delegates around the hotel if there is a conference taking place with break out space, so this can be overcome. On the 1st and 2nd floor there is easy access from the lobby to a number of rooms that are set up great for a meeting or executive board room gathering.  All rooms have natural light and share a wonderful space right outside for registration and networking. 

There are also multiple options when it comes to dining options, from something casual in the bar to the chic atmosphere created in the Exchange Plus.  Everything I tasted was delicious.

For feedback on other venues around Ireland, do feel free to contact me.  I am constantly reviewing venues for Conferences, Meetings and Events.

Ciara

Click here for other Hotels and Conference Facilities in the area -

Killashee House Hotel-Naas, Kildare

The K Club- Straffon, Kildare

Carton House- Maynooth, Kildare