Organization Name

The consortium of Irish Festivals in North America is trying to come up with a new for their organization - there are over 30 festivals represented to date and include festivals and events from the United States and Canada, along with representation from Ireland.  There are hundreds of Irish and Celtic festivals in North America and we need to be inclusive.

Any ideas for names?

To blog or not to blog...

As I venture into this brave new world (for me at least), I am humbled by some of the clever and relevant blogs on the internet.  I will follow their examples and set a few of my own.

I was recently at a Conference of Irish Festival Directors and Organizers in Kansas City.  The talent, wisdom, and creativity are inspiring to me as I enter my 19th year as the Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Irish Festival.  The conference covered such topics as entertainment, sponsorship, volunteers, strategic planning, marketing and surveys, viral marketing (see, I was paying attention and started my blog!), risk management and more.  The musical showcases were delightful with bands representing a variety of genres - trad, ballad, Irish rock, and everything in between.

Kansas City is a grand place, with their own brewery (Boulevard Brewery) and  very hip and happening Power and Light District complex with bars and restaurants and an outdoor stage all under a heated roof.  We had dinner at Raglan Road - the Irish pub in town.  I was fortunate enough to be spirited about town by Barbara who has a mutual love of family history and heritage.  She took me to the Harry S Truman Library for a couple of hours - just enough time to see the original "The Buck Stops Here" sign and learn of his challenges during his presidency close up.  Thank you Barbara for your generosity of time and friendship!