I just got off my flight from Newark Airport, and arrived in Dublin today. Getting to take a group tour of University College Dublin (UCD) campus with other EUSA students was definitely a highlight. Campus is beautiful and has lots of green space. I hope to go on some runs in the area soon! Even the drive from the airport to campus got me excited for all of the items on my Ireland bucket list.

For my internship this summer, I will be working in the incentive sales industry with Odyssey International DMC. In this industry, top sales executives at various companies can win a trip sponsored by their company. The goal of this is to incentivize reaching high sales numbers in efforts to win a spot on the trip. This is where Odyssey and other competitors come in. Their job is to plan incentive trips to Ireland through all land based activities and accommodations. That is, everything except for flights. 

One key strength needed for this industry is creativity. It is important to plan trips that stand out compared to something any tourist could book themselves. For example, the Guinness Storehouse is a popular attraction to visit in Dublin. Anyone can reserve tickets to visit online. Odyssey has worked to plan dinners and other events in the Storehouse to elevate the experience. This makes them a company worth investing in over one booking a trip themselves. They craft experiences that could not easily be re-created. 

Attention to detail is incredibly important as well. When booking venues, accommodations, transportation, and other services it is imperative to double check frequently. A small check in close to the event goes a long way to ensuring everything runs smoothly. Especially for larger client groups. 

This brings in the next skill: strategic thinking. The largest client group Odyssey hosted was 2,600+ guests in August of 2018 in Dublin. Hosting large client groups requires strategic thinking to figure out the most effective way to coordinate accommodations. For example, one hotel is most likely  unable to host all of the clients visiting. Therefore, a lot of consideration is required in how many hotels to book with and how close in proximity the client groups will be. Furthermore, you have to ensure that you are providing the experience a client wants and staying within their budget. If a client group has a smaller budget to work with, then every accommodation booked and event planned has to work to maximize the budget. This means carefully weighing each expense.

Finally, one should have strong written and professional communication skills. Building research proposals for clients is a time consuming task. It needs to be heavily researched and presented in a clear way. Featuring the big ideas without letting them get lost in too many details. Moreover, contacting accommodations and event venues in the area is the building of a shared business relationship. It is important to communicate effectively and maintain the relationship over time. 

My list of skills described in my blog post is not exhaustive by any means, but I tried to emphasize some of the main strengths needed for this industry. On top of soft skills, there are critical competencies needed to succeed within the incentive sales market in Ireland.

The first ideal competency is knowledge of Ireland overall. As a destination management company, this is the major point that comes to mind. Understanding Ireland’s geography, history, culture, and more is essential to planning successful events in the country. While I may be lacking in this area as a non native, I see Odyssey as the perfect opportunity for me to learn all about Ireland. What better way to experience a country than to work at a job centered around helping others explore it!

Another competency unique to this industry in Ireland is fostering connection within the community. Since Ireland has smaller farms and local businesses Odyssey strives to support them. Their aim is to reduce the negative impacts of tourism by supporting Irish businesses. This requires working to recognize how the needs of the business and the needs of other organizations can work hand in hand. Hosting a cooking class at a farm provides a fun experience for clients and draws in revenues for a family farm. This example showcases how connection within the community can positively benefit all stakeholders involved. 

I know that this list of skills and competencies is not comprehensive, but it is always good to have a starting point. Hail to Pitt and more blog posts to come!