Launch: "Universal Design for Customer Engagement in Tourism Services" A voluntary Standard and practical Toolkit

Who should attend?

The launch of this voluntary national standard and practical toolkit will be beneficial for all tourism professionals who are responsible for customer engagement, including key decision makers from:

  • Hotels and accommodation providers
  • Tourism attractions and destinations
  • Transport and travel providers to the tourism sector
  • Meetings, conference and event organisers
  • Policy makers, tourism promotion and Governmental bodies

Universal Design is the design of environments and services so that they used and enjoyed to the fullest extent possible by all people.

Date: Thursday 30th May 2013

Time: 11:00am to 1:00pm (including lunch)

Venue: The Guinness Storehouse, Dublin

Participants will receive print copies of the:

  • NSAI voluntary standard "IS 373:2013 Universal Design for customer engagement in Tourism Services”
  • "Universal Design Toolkit for Customer Engagement" on:
    • Business objectives and overview
    • Written Communication
    • Face-to-face, telephone and video communication
    • Eletronic and web based communication

The event will officially launch the voluntary standard and give a short overview of Universal Design and its application to the Tourism Sector - why it is important, how you can benefit and how to apply the Toolkit to make the process easy.

Speakers will include representatives from the Irish government, the European Commission and leaders in the tourism sector. A fun and engaging theatrical presentation will highlight some good, and some not so good, examples of customer engagement

Agenda

10:45 Registration and welcome refreshments

Master of Ceremonies: Conor Kenny

11:00 Welcome Message: Siobhan Barron,Director, National Disability Authority, Ireland

11:10 Official Opening: Senator Martin Conway

11:25 Launch of Standard "IS 373:2013 Universal Design for customer engagement in Tourism Services”: Maurice Buckley, CEO, National standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI)

11:30 Video Presentation: universal Design Toolkit for Customer Engagament" to support voluntary standard.

11:35 Address on behalf of the European Commission: Inmaculada Placencia-Porrero, Deputy Head of Unit, Rights of Persons with Disabilities Unit, DG Justice

11:50 Customer engagement – the international perspective:Peter de Wilde, CEO Visit Flanders and President of European Travel Commission

12:10 Customer engagement - An Irish Perspective I: Peter MacCann, General Manager, The Merrion Hotel, Dublin

12:20 Customer engagement - An Irish Perspective II: Maria Madden, Clew Bay Hotel, Westport

12:30 Customer engagement - the business case: Anthony Foley, senior lecturer at DCU business school

12:40 Theatrical presentation on good, and not so good, customer engagement

12:50 Closing Remarks: Dr. Ger Craddock, Chief Officer, Cetnre for excellence in Universal Design, NDA.

13:00 Lunch

Registration

Registration is free.Please register here.

Space is limited at this event and priority will be given to representatives of businesses in the tourism sector.