IMO to downsize annual meeting

THE Irish Management Institute has postponed its annual two-day conference this year, replacing it with a less glitzy think-tank at its headquarters.

The postponement will be a blow to the five star Ritz-Carlton hotel in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, which had been booked for the conference.

This is not the first time the event has been postponed. It was also put on hold during the foot and mouth outbreak.

Four years ago the conference moved to the Marriott Hotel in Druids Glen, Co Wicklow, after almost 50 years when it took place mainly in Killarney.

Members said at the time that they did not want to travel to Killarney anymore and they wanted the event over two days and not three.

In recent years, numbers had fallen sharply from the highs of the peak years of the conference of 700-800 to closer to 300.

Tomorrow, however, just 90 people are expected to attend, according to a spokesman for the management institute.

The Taoiseach will still address the conference as its guest of honour.

Last year the conference was under the spotlight as former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was speaking at it a day after he announced he would be stepping down as leader of the Government.

Despite the downgrading of this year’s event, it has still managed to attract some high-profile speakers such as Vodafone chief executive Charles Butterworth, managing director of Peter Mark, Barry Dempsey and former eircom chief executive and chairman of the IMI Dr Phil Nolan.

The event, at the IMI’s conference centre in Sandyford, Dublin, will be chaired by broadcaster Olivia O’Leary.