Ireland business travel information

Doing business in Ireland

Within the EU region, Ireland’s economic exceptionalism continues to stand out, particularly the country’s inviting business environment and continued attractiveness to foreign investment. There are significant opportunities within the marketplace for small-to-medium sized exporters.

Successful exports include state-of-the-art products and parts and components for products in the information and communication technologies sector, pharmaceuticals, medical and healthcare devices, travel and tourism, engineering/design, and financial services.

The current economic downturn presents opportunities in select market segments. Growth sectors for exports include consumer and sporting goods, building and construction products, hotel and restaurant equipment, food processing equipment, industrial machinery, energy&power generation, and air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.

The Irish Government seeks to sustain its strategy to refashion Ireland as a R&D-centered, innovation-based, knowledge-intensive economy. Regardless of the recessionary landscape, this strategy will be a deciding factor in Ireland’s ability to attract continued investment from R&D-focused companies. The Irish Government “Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation” indicates a long-term commitment to build on Ireland’s R&D strengths.

Along with healthy birthrates and the recent spike in migration to and from Ireland, the country has begun to add a continental European and multicultural flair to a once relatively homogeneous population—opening the door for products and services suiting different and more exotic wants and needs.

Product tip: Power charger for you USB devices Very convenient can be a portable, long lasting battery power for all USB-compatible devices such as iPods, iPhones, cellular phones, digital cameras, PDA’s, Bluetooth headsets and others. With a portable power charger you can recharge you USB device anywhere.

In case of emergencies

Before you go on your business trip to , Ireland you should always get a travel insurance with a complete coverage.

Make sure your health care insurance is sufficiently covered.
Maybe this is already covered in your regular health care insurance but often you will need to cover this with the travel insurance. Also a good travel insurance should cover the costs of travel for a relative in case of seriously illness or an accident.

The business trip travel insurance should also cover the costs of search, rescue and repatriation.
When you go on business trips on a regular basis, the easiest way to get insured is with an annual multi-trip insurance.

Keep in mind that you can also use this insurance for your pleasure trips so don`t forget to include to insure your leisure activities.

Language should be no problem when you are in need of urgent care because everyone speaks English.

For emergency help you can contact:
St. James’s Hospital
James’s Street
Dublin 8
tel: 01 410 3000

Business Etiquette and Protocol

If your are planning a business trip to Ireland it is a good idea to know at least a little about the culture and etiquette in Ireland. Use these business etiquette tips as a guideline only. There are too many social, personal and business nuances in Ireland to be considered. There is no uniform approach possible for all occasions.
For more in-depth information I suggest you buy and read the "Global Business Etiquettes" book.

• Communication:
  Use formal names, professional and academic titles at first but expect to go on a first-name-base very soon.
  Irish are sometimes direct, sometimes not at all. It depends on the situation.
  Be very modest, never brag about anything.
  Use humor if you have a flair for it.
  You will never hear a "no" although the real answer is a "NO!". Be aware of understatements.
  Never interrupt somebody.
  Dress formal and conservative in the first meetings. The dress-code depends on the branch you are working in.
  


• Meetings and negotiations:
  Be very punctual, if you suspect you will late, call and explain the situation.
  Never cancel a meeting at the last minute.
  Shake hands with everyone upon arriving at the meeting and leaving and smile a lot.
  Remain standing until invited to sit down or others do so.
  Some time is spent to getting to know you before the business conversation begins.
  Agenda’s are not strictly followed and a meeting can take much longer then planned because discussions tend to be very long.
  First appointments are more socially oriented, Irish would like to know you a bit better at first.
  Keep your presentation as short as possible, to the point, accurate and precise, do not exaggerate.
  Follow up a meeting with a letter with all agreements outlined.
  


• Table manners:
  If unsure on how to behave, mimic the behavior of others.
  Wait until you are appointed a seat.
  Avoid alcohol if possible, otherwise drink little.
  Put a napkin on your lap, eat not too much but finish your plate.
  Keep your hands above the table when eating.
  After finishing your plate lay your knife and fork parallel on your plate with the handles to the right.
  Thank your host at the end of the meal.