FRESH Street 2019 which brought hundreds of delegates from around the world to Galway has won the Fáilte Ireland CARA award for 2023.
The event took place from 22 – 24th May 2019 in Galway City and Inis Oírr and brought together over 280 delegates from 21 different countries and from 4 different continents.
In advance of the seminar, a 2-day private meeting was hosted by the Arts Council of Ireland for policymakers across the world.
Over 12 policymakers arrived from the UK, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Latvia and France to share and discuss topics of mutual interest.
Making it a local event on a global level which examined the incredible power of making artistic work for public spaces.
The award was presented to the Director of ISACS (Irish Street Art, Circus and Spectacle) Network Lucy Medlycott at a ceremony honouring the contributions of 104 Conference Ambassadors to the Irish economy.
“ISACS are beyond thrilled to receive this award out of the blue for the wonderful FRESH Street event which we held in partnership with Circostrada and Galway 2020 back in May 2019,” said Lucy Medlycott.
“It feels particularly special to get this kind of recognition for an event whose significance was slightly eclipsed by the ensuing pandemic.”
“We are super grateful for the acknowledgement of the value of these art forms in our cultural landscape by Minister Martin and Failte Ireland and especially the Meet in Galway team.”
The ambassadors were acknowledged for their expertise, industry knowledge and unwavering commitment to successfully hosting an international conference in Ireland between 2018 and 2022.
Collectively these conferences have contributed €125 million to the Irish economy and have made a positive impact on our nation.
Fáilte Ireland’s Conference Ambassador Programme was developed to support individuals who want to host an international conference in Ireland.
The programme provides assistance and financial support at every stage of the event, from the initial bidding, through to the marketing and promotion of the event.
Ambassadors are sector leaders or influencers in their field and since the programme was established in 2009, Fáilte Ireland has supported almost 3,000 ambassadors in their bids to host conferences and events worth more than €2 billion.
