A MAJOR international conference will bring €3million to Limerick’s economy this summer.
The University of Limerick’s Kemmy Business School (KBS) will host The Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics’ (SASE) annual conference, which will see over 1,500 delegates from around the world descend on the Treaty for the four-day event.
People will attend from countries including Argentina, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, South Africa, most EU countries, and more, with the estimated benefit to the local economy expected to be around €3million.
Previous SASE conferences have been held in New York, Chicago, Kyoto, Amsterdam, and Rio de Janeiro.
The theme of the Limerick conference is ‘Disrupting Neoliberalism’, and will hear new research concerned with how work, technologies, economic systems, and cultural lives are impacted by global forces.
Conference organiser Professor Tony Dundon, of UL’s Department of Work and Employment Studies, said the conference will “align strongly” with the university’s faculty.
“The aims of the conference align strongly with a UL faculty whose research engages with wider societal issues for a fairer world of work and improved social justice,” Professor Dundon said.
Professor Finbarr Murphy, Dean of KBS, also welcomed the conference, saying: “This conference showcases the quality of scholarship and global reach of KBS and UL in advancing knowledge for better sustainable lives while enriching wider communities and policy impact locally, regionally, and internationally.”
Karen Ronan, general manager of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, added: “The Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau and Fáilte Ireland is delighted to support this prestigious conference coming to Limerick.”
“The scale of this conference, bringing 1,500 delegates from more than 60 countries, will bring significant economic benefits for the hospitality industry and entire tourism infrastructure in the Shannon region with knock-on effects for the wider economy. Each conference delegate is worth €1,883 to the local economy so you can see quickly how valuable this segment of tourism is to the region,” Ms Ronan concluded.
The SASE conference will take place at UL’s Kemmy Business School from June 26 to 29 this year.
