€18,000 was spent on Mayor’s “vital” trip to Boston
The Waterford delegation participating in the South Boston Parade, which had an attendance of over one million.
Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Seamus Ryan, Metropolitan Mayor, Cllr Adam Wyse, Councillor Joe Kelly and Waterford City and County Council CEO, Seán McKeown recently went on a five-day trip to Boston to promote Waterford and strengthen the economic and cultural ties of the two cities.
Throughout the visit, the delegation met with key stakeholders including senior IDA Ireland officials in Boston, members of the Boston Irish Business Association and senior executives from global companies such as State Street and CarGurus. The delegation also met with Waterford woman Sharon Cunningham, CEO and co-founder of Shorla Oncology, at the company’s US Headquarters in Boston.
Mayor Ryan noted that the visit reflected “a strong mutual understanding and shared commitment between Waterford and Boston to deepen cultural appreciation and expand economic opportunity".
The overall cost of the visit was €18,114.82 and included accommodation, transfers and gifts to Boston hosts, which comprised of locally sourced Waterford artisan products.
In a recent statement to the Waterford News & Star, the South-East IDA explained that the companies that work with them ultimately choose their own locations as to where they want to be based in Ireland. The IDA said that whilst they do promote Waterford, the decision is ultimately up to the company.
However, the IDA believes that Waterford Airport will have an influence on whether companies choose to base their Irish offices in Waterford.
Cllr Kelly told the Waterford News & Star that: “They were very impressed that the airport was due to open in 2027, they felt that was one of the keys that could unlock a lot of potential.”
He continued that the IDA felt that “executives of companies like to be able to fly into an area, have two hours of meetings, and fly out again as opposed to being stuck in traffic for two or three hours trying to get somewhere.”
The IDA told the delegation that the airport will be a “big part” in their promotion of Waterford and the broader South-East region.
Mayor Wyse also said that the meeting with the IDA was “very, very positive".
Cllr Kelly also spoke to the Waterford News & Star about the trip. He said the trip was “busier than I expected".
He said: "From a council point of view, they wanted to get everything they could out of the visit because of the cost involved in the visit.”
Cllr Kelly believes that the visit will “pay dividends in a couple of years”. He said that the delegation “achieved what we wanted to achieve” but that the “real proof” of their success will happen in years to come.
“We pushed the case all the time for investment in Waterford.”
Cllr Kelly said that when they met with CarGurus, an IT Car Rental Company that currently only has an office in Dublin, they told the delegation: “They are planning an expansion in Ireland, but they said Waterford wasn’t on their agenda but now that we’ve met them, Waterford will certainly be brought into the picture in terms of the possibilities.”
Cllr Kelly believes that making connections in person is crucial to Waterford’s success: “They realise that people have taken the time to come from Ireland to visit Boston to sell Waterford, and they put a value on that. There’s not a huge value on a Teams meeting or video meeting.” In reference to the cost of the trip, which came close to €20,000,
Cllr Kelly said: “You have to be there to experience it and understand it. It's not a waste of time or money; they’re hard-working trips, but I believe vital in promoting Waterford and increasing the prospects of employment here.”
Mayor Wyse told the Waterford News & Star: “If we weren't there and another local council was there, we could lose out on hundreds of jobs and potentially millions of euro."
Both Cllr Kelly and Mayor Wyse told the Waterford News & Star that the delegation of five travelled to Boston in economy seats and stayed in a "modest" hotel.
Cllr Kelly explained that Waterford City & County Council CEO Seán McKeown used several key talking points when promoting Waterford to businesses in Boston.
The first was the airport: "They all said this was a huge link and a huge step forward.”
They also promoted the North Quays development and the Glassworks development. Cllr Kelly said that they promoted those spaces as “high-end offices" and they also made sure to include in their presentation that Waterford was named Ireland’s best place to live. According to Cllr Kelly, a lot of the American businesses advised the delegation to “keep selling our message, more than we already are because it’s a good story to sell".
Mayor Wyse said that housing is another feature of Waterford that makes it attractive for US companies. He said: “As a councillor, I know fine well that there’s a huge amount of people looking for housing, but it's nowhere near what it's like in Galway, Dublin or Cork.”
Mayor Wyse told the Waterford News & Star that because of the “tumultuous” situation in America, “there are a lot of companies thinking of waiting out the current presidency, they’re looking for bases that are very safe and very neutral".
Mayor Wyse also said he was surprised to learn that companies in America come to Ireland for the weather.
He explained that there has been an increase in American in storms, monsoons, and wildfires.
"We have none of that here”, he said.
