In June, Irish
meeting, incentive and destination management firm Ovation Group
merged with the Geneva-based MCI Group, one of the largest meeting
and incentive firms in Europe.
As a result, Ovation’s
meetings/incentives divisions in Ireland will operate under the new
names of MCI Dublin and MCI Belfast. At the same time, MCI’s
destination management operations (including Barcelona, Spain;
Belfast, Northern Ireland; Berlin; Brussels, Belgium; Dubai, United
Arab Emirates; Dublin, Ireland; Geneva; and Zurich, Switzerland)
will be rebranded as Ovation International.
According to Padraic Gilligan,
co-managing director (with Patrick Delaney) of Ovations
Inter-national, the DMC brand will be launched in other locations,
starting with Italy in December and in Shanghai, China, and
Singapore next year.
Gilligan added that the new brand will
be like the San Diego-based PRA destination management franchise,
“which offers consistent delivery of a strong brand” in multiple
destinations, rather than like a DMC representation firm or
consortium.