A Conference In Kilkenny
October/06/2008 Ireland Journal
Last October I had the pleasure of presenting two programs at the Irish PPA annual meeting in Athlone. Jim and I enjoyed Ireland in October so much that we decided to return at the same time in 2008. This would also allow me to catch up with "The Irish Six," who had visited with me in Illinois last April. I was eager to hear about their progress, and Jim would finally get to meet the four he did not know. And when we learned that our good friends Beverly and Tim Walden would be the featured speakers, we were delighted with the notion of getting together with them in Kilkenny. On the evening before the convention, here are Jim and me with the Waldens, at left, along with Mary McCollough, Maria Dunphy, and Robert Allen. Maria, who lives in Kilkenny, and Bobby, who is from Dublin, helped to organize the conference this year, and their hard work paid off in doubling the number who attended last year's meeting.
The Conference took place at the exquisite Lyrath Estate, which once belonged to an English nobleman.
The estate, which sits on substantial acreage that includes manicured gardens, pasture land, and even a helicopter landing area, has been modernized to allow it to serve as an elegant hotel, convention center and spa.
Here I am with "The Irish Six" in a quick take by Tim Walden.
The group treated Jim and me to a wonderful Thai food dinner in the hotel, during which we got updates on everyone's progress, had quite a few laughs sharing pictures we made during last April's trip to Illinois, and took a look at new marketing materials. Beverly got a real kick out of seeing Suzanne's new fold-out business card that was created and printed at Marathon from a template that she designed for the Walden's Bellagrafica line. In the photo below, Bev and Suzanne compare their cards. What a fun reminder that Bellagrafica is international!
Jim felt right at home at the Lyrath Hotel, which offered a very comfortable area for smokers: The three-sided room was nicely furnished, and the open wall was a great ventilation system.
During the conference, Maria and I met at her studio to review the progress she had made in updating her business since formally taking it over from her father. Eventually the studio building will read "Maria of Kilkenny." I was delighted to see the front window filled with pet portraits Maria had created during a very successful "Dog Days of Summer" promotion. Pet photography will be a major focus of Maria's brand. You can read more about Maria and her dad in the blog entry I made on October 10, 2007, when I first visited the studio.
Maria is in the midst of a huge redesign of the studio space on both floors of the building. The newly covered couch and chair in the viewing area are a good indicator of the boutique feel the space will have when it is finished. I promised Maria I will return to see the new look.
As we were leaving the studio, I noticed that the pet portrait exhibit in the studio window has been a hit with more than just human viewers!
The Conference took place at the exquisite Lyrath Estate, which once belonged to an English nobleman.
The estate, which sits on substantial acreage that includes manicured gardens, pasture land, and even a helicopter landing area, has been modernized to allow it to serve as an elegant hotel, convention center and spa.
Here I am with "The Irish Six" in a quick take by Tim Walden.
The group treated Jim and me to a wonderful Thai food dinner in the hotel, during which we got updates on everyone's progress, had quite a few laughs sharing pictures we made during last April's trip to Illinois, and took a look at new marketing materials. Beverly got a real kick out of seeing Suzanne's new fold-out business card that was created and printed at Marathon from a template that she designed for the Walden's Bellagrafica line. In the photo below, Bev and Suzanne compare their cards. What a fun reminder that Bellagrafica is international!
Jim felt right at home at the Lyrath Hotel, which offered a very comfortable area for smokers: The three-sided room was nicely furnished, and the open wall was a great ventilation system.
During the conference, Maria and I met at her studio to review the progress she had made in updating her business since formally taking it over from her father. Eventually the studio building will read "Maria of Kilkenny." I was delighted to see the front window filled with pet portraits Maria had created during a very successful "Dog Days of Summer" promotion. Pet photography will be a major focus of Maria's brand. You can read more about Maria and her dad in the blog entry I made on October 10, 2007, when I first visited the studio.
Maria is in the midst of a huge redesign of the studio space on both floors of the building. The newly covered couch and chair in the viewing area are a good indicator of the boutique feel the space will have when it is finished. I promised Maria I will return to see the new look.
As we were leaving the studio, I noticed that the pet portrait exhibit in the studio window has been a hit with more than just human viewers!