The juxtaposition of culture, art and heritage with innovation, technology, medtech and artificial intelligence creates a powerful environment for new thinking in Galway, a seaside city on the west coast of Ireland, according to Olivia Breene. It’s also the host destination for MPI’s 2027 European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC), Feb. 20-23, 2027.

“Galway consistently punches above its weight,” says Breene, president of the MPI United Kingdom and Ireland Chapter who led the vision and championed the city as EMEC host. “It is an internationally recognized medtech hub and home to some of the world’s leading medical device companies, outstanding universities and a highly skilled, innovative workforce. Yet, it is also a city rich in culture, food, music and creativity—a compact, walkable medieval city full of character where delegates can move from cobblestone streets to the wild Atlantic of Galway Bay in minutes. Its connectivity makes it highly accessible, while its scale creates the conditions for more meaningful encounters.”

Breene, president and CEO of Lateralus B, had always wanted to bring EMEC to Ireland, but moving from Dublin to Galway five years ago gave her a much deeper personal connection to the opportunity.

“Living here, I saw first-hand the city’s ambition, creativity and energy, and I became determined to advocate for Galway as the perfect place to do EMEC differently,” she says. “As the global event industry, and as part of the MPI community, we define ourselves by the impact we create and the lasting influence we have on people, organizations and destinations. I wanted to use this opportunity to showcase the importance of regional cities and to advocate for their role as the future lifeblood of our sector.”

Redefining what community can mean

People want to experience something new and challenge convention, according to Breene, and that is exactly what the MPI United Kingdom and Ireland Chapter wants to embrace.

“They want to feel the culture, immerse themselves in communities and learn from practice rather than observation,” she says. “For too long, it has been assumed that major international events must take place in capital cities or in destinations already familiar to delegates. We wanted to challenge that assumption. Regional cities distribute economic impact, create opportunities for local communities and offer an authenticity that a capital city cannot always replicate. Galway demonstrates that community is not a limitation; it is an asset. In many ways, regional destinations are the new luxury: the opportunity to feel welcomed, connected and genuinely part of a place.”

Bringing EMEC to Galway is “walking the talk,” according to Breene, showing what a regional destination can deliver when it has the right vision, infrastructure and partnerships behind it.

“We are redefining what community can mean in business events—not simply as an audience, but as an active participant in the experience,” she says. “That is why we will design EMEC for participation, not observation. There is excitement in the surprise of a new place. When you take people somewhere they may not have considered before, their thinking begins to shift before the first session starts.”

Proud to represent

Breene says building the case for Galway as EMEC host city meant combining the practical evidence—venue capacity, accommodation, connectivity, local expertise and stakeholder support—with the emotion and sense of place that make the city so distinctive.

“My role was to take that instinct and give it structure: shaping the narrative and articulating what makes Galway genuinely different. A city of 80,000 that thinks like a capital,” she says. “Yet, Galway also knows how to deliver at scale. The city welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, including more than 450,000 people to the Galway International Arts Festival and more than 150,000 visitors to the world-renowned Galway Races. These major events demonstrate that Galway is tried and tested, with the infrastructure, expertise and hospitality to manage large international gatherings while preserving the warmth and personality of a smaller city.”

That ability to offer both scale and intimacy is what makes Galway—a UNESCO City of Film that also holds European Region of Gastronomy status—so compelling, according to Breene.

“An exceptional partnership made the bid possible,” she says. “Ciara Gallagher and the team at Fáilte Ireland provided invaluable support, strategic guidance and national expertise throughout, and their commitment to developing business events beyond Dublin was instrumental in demonstrating that Galway would have the full strength of Ireland’s national business-events infrastructure behind it.”

Support also came from Niamh Stack of the Galway Convention Bureau, the Galway City Council, Tourism Ireland and The Galmont Hotel, Breene says, alongside many dedicated individuals, including John Neary, Sally Anne O’Brien, Karen Jones and Carlo Boersma.

“I am immensely proud of the MPI United Kingdom and Ireland Chapter and of everyone who contributes to its strength,” she says. “It will be a pinch-me moment to share this with Ciara Feely, who takes over the presidency next year—another Irish woman at the helm.”

Galway is not simply a destination Breene is presenting—she lives in Oranmore, 6 kilometers from the city—it’s a place she knows, values and feels proud to represent.

“It’s home, and I can’t wait to welcome the global MPI community to experience it,” she says. “This was never just about securing a conference. It was about showing our global community what a regional Irish city can deliver.”

The city becomes a campus

EMEC Galway is not the EMEC you know, but the one the industry needs, according to Breene.

“Curated by Lateralus B in partnership with Lori Pugh, the global education team, Hannah Leah (VP of education for our chapter) and the MPI United Kingdom and Ireland Chapter, EMEC 2027 lands on the edge of the Atlantic with one clear ambition: to challenge everything you expect from an industry event,” she says.

Breene say the topics that matter most—leadership, artificial intelligence, medtech, sustainability, resilience, inclusion and the future of face-to-face events—will be delivered across the entire city.

“Walking dialogues through medieval streets. Trust explored around a shared table. Innovation inside Galway’s medtech and startup community. Resilience felt through a wild Atlantic Ocean dip at dawn,” she says. “The environment where education is delivered directly impacts how we retain it—so we are reimagining every space.”

The Galmont Hotel will be a living demonstration of how to activate and redefine hotel spaces, Breene says, challenging the norm of what a conference venue can be.

“Ballrooms become collaborative hubs. Corridors become connection points,” she says. “Every meter is an opportunity to learn, engage and experience differently.”

Learn more about MPI’s 2027 European Meetings & Events Conference in Galway, Ireland, Feb. 20-23.