Meet In Cork
Different. Friendly. Proud. Cultural. Progressive. Quirky. Charming. These are some of the words frequently used by visitors to describe Cork, Ireland’s compact second city, beautifully located on the southern coast between fertile farmlands and bountiful sea. A University City, with a centuries-old heritage of learning and progress at its core, and a love of food and the arts in its soul, Cork is a very special place which will certainly have your delegates talking long after your event is over. Come meet in Cork and get away from “business as usual”.
1: Sustainability
Cork seeks to lead the way when it comes to implementing environmental, economic, and social sustainability programmes throughout the region. As part of our commitment to sustainability the Cork Convention Bureau joined the world’s leading destination sustainability ranking system, the GDS-Index, in 2018 with a vision to benchmark our activities and continuously improve our sustainability activities throughout the region. The Cork Convention Bureau works with its members to provide the most sustainable conference experience possible for our visiting delegates. See more on our dedicated sustainability page.
2: ACCESS
3: HOTELS & VENUES
Hotels
Cork boasts an array of superior standard hotels providing top quality accommodation. Cork offers just over 8,500 beds, approved by Fáilte Ireland – The National Tourism Development Authority.
Hotels in Cork range from the luxury 5-star experience to more affordable budget accommodation.
Visitors can opt to either stay in and amongst the atmosphere of the city centre which has an abundance of hotels, hostels and B&B’s to choose from, or relax and unwind in some of the resorts, hotels or traditional B&B’s in the wider Cork area, which can be easily accessed by car, bus or taxi from Cork Airport.
VENUES
Cork offers world class conference venue facilities designed to meet your needs and surpass your expectations.
When choosing a destination and venue for your conference in Ireland, Cork is the premier destination for business, academic, corporate and association conference delegates – with a proven track record.
Cork hotels boast state-of-the-art conference facilities, fully equipped to cater for groups of from 6 all the way up to 1,000 delegates, making Cork the perfect destination for a convention in Ireland.
4: A CAPTIVATING CITY
Cork is an exciting and inspirational city eager to extend a warm welcome to business tourists and delegates from across the globe. Scoring high on essential criteria such as suitability, accessibility, facilities and services, Cork is constantly evolving and adapting to meet the needs of its inhabitants as well as its visitors.
Cork delivers in its own inimitable way, a breath of fresh air, a truly unique city that’s steeped in tradition yet young at heart. In the historic, compact city centre there is a lot to see and do. Whether you have just one day or an entire week, we can help you make the most of your free time here in Cork.
5: Food
Cork is widely regarded as being the Food Capital of Ireland.
Graced with a coastline teeming with an array of fish, as well as possessing some of the best farmlands in the country provides the talented chefs and consumers of Cork with truly remarkable, high quality fresh ingredients with which to indulge their culinary talents and tastes.
With three Michelin starred restaurants, one of the most highly regarded vegetarian restaurants in Europe, an indoor, permanent food market described by acclaimed chef Rick Stein as “ the best covered market in the UK and Ireland”, and a thriving selection of cafés and coffee shops, Cork offers visitors a unique culinary experience.
Cork also hosts an array of annual, mouth-watering foodie festivals that are guaranteed to satisfy even the most discerning palates. From the Murphy’s Cork Oyster and Seafood Festival in the City Centre to Feast; an East Cork food festival based in the town of Midleton, the festival is a fresh blend of conversations, dinners, produce, markets, foraging, mixology, producers, landscape, heritage and storytelling. A Taste of West Cork Food Festival not only celebrates the local food but is a celebration of everyone who helps along the way bringing these culinary delights from farm to fork. Whether you’re a carnivore, herbivore, vegan or just a “fussy eater”, Cork is guaranteed to have something that will tickle your taste buds.
6: People
Cork – One of the friendliest cities in the world
In 2018 Cork was voted the third friendliest city in the world by Condé Nast Traveler’s annual reader survey, ranking just behind San Miguel de Allende in Mexico and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Every year, Condé Nast Traveler asks its readers to decide on their favourite cities around the world, in its Readers’ Choice Awards Survey and Cork stormed its way to the top of the list paving the way for Europe.
Condé Nast has advised visitors to Cork to “set aside some time to browse the local art galleries and load up on goodies at the English Market”. As you wander through the 230 year old market place, be sure to stop and speak with the traders and stall owners who make Cork’s English Market the magical place that it is. Oozing with charisma and passion for their trade and goods, the English Market Traders are only too happy to share their stories and knowledge with all who grace them with their custom.
Cork – A hub of educational opportunities / Where learning never stops
Named Irish University of the Year on five separate occasions, University College Cork has been producing graduates and scholars for over 175 years. In the latter part of the 00’s UCC was restructured from it’s original seven faculties and split into four colleges: Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Science; Business and Law; Medicine and Health; and Science, Engineering and Food Science.
The University has also been ranked in the top 3% of universities worldwide for its research capabilities. Innovation and Knowledge transfer is driven by UCC’s Office of Technology Transfer, an office of the University dedicated to commercialising aspects of UCC’s research and connecting researchers with industry. Recent spin outs from the college include pharmaceutical company Glantreo, Luxcel Biosciences, Alimentary Health, Biosensia, Firecoms, Gourmet Marine, Keelvar, Lee Oncology, and Sensl.
Over the years UCC has acquired a number of well-established Irish institutions across various sectors including the Irish Management Institute and Tyndall National Institute, one of Europe’s leading research centres in integrated ICT (Information and Communications Technology) hardware and systems.
Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), one of Ireland’s largest institutions with its primary campus located in Bishopstown, offers course in Business, Engineering, Science, Computing, Humanities, Media, Art, and Music. CIT has an enviable record of providing students with excellent employment opportunities and a firm basis for future career development.
Also located on the CIT campus is Rubicon. The Rubicon Start-up professional team provide access to a wide range of Start-up Supports for Entrepreneurs who want to start, grow and expand their business. The Incubator is the centre of a thriving entrepreneurship eco-system in Ireland. Entrepreneurs are supported by experienced start-up professionals. The Bishopstown location provides a community for entrepreneurs where access to funding, advice and market opportunities in a proactive environment.
Adding to the catalogue of educational institutions in Cork is the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI). NMCI is Ireland’s primary provider of training to those seeking careers in commercial shipping. The college is situated on former Department of Defence land in Ringaskiddy, County Cork, and has been welcoming students since 2004.
It’s no surprise that Cork produces such a wealth of highly educated professional.
Cork – Bursting with culture
Cork boasts a wealth of year-round cultural havens such as Nano Nagle Place, Crawford Art Gallery, the Glucksman, and St Finbarrs Cathedral, to name but a few. Each has its own unique offering specialising in art, sculpture, design, architecture, history, and much more.
Not forgetting the mind-blowing number of festivals held in Cork each and every year. Enjoy the musical delights of the annual, highly acclaimed Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, bust a move at Indiependence Music Festival, satisfy your soul at Soul in the City and immerse yourself in Cork culture at the Cork Folk Festival.
But it’s not all about the music – Cork has festivals to meet everyone’s taste. The West Cork Literary Festival attracts an incredible line-up of authors year in, year out. The Cork Harbour Festival celebrates Cork’s expansive maritime offering. Cork Heritage Day gives visitors an opportunity to go behind the scenes and explore some of Cork’s oldest buildings and learn of their history. Cork Midsummer Festival is a grand celebration of the arts. And of course we’re not forgetting Cork Culture Night – which is quite self-explanatory!
Be sure to check out www.purecork.ie to see what festival coincides with your visit.