We were delighted to be asked to attend by our friends Jennifer and Kevin at the Trust and celebrate the great work they have carried at out at this wonderful Irish Historic Attraction in our hometown of Cork.
The speeches by Minister Jimmy Deenihan and especially Lord Puttnam were enjoyable and very thought provoking.

Below is the official Press Release released for this event.

Fota House, Arboretum and Gardens logo

Lord David Puttnam, a champion of digital education in the UK & Ireland, will be keynote speaker at Fota House. Wednesday, 24th August at 10am

Fota House, Co. Cork, August 2011: The Irish Heritage Trust is mark the first anniversary of Fota Learning Zone with the announcement of a dynamic new partnership with Promethean, a global leader in interactive learning technology. The Irish Heritage Trust will celebrate the anniversary of Fota Learning Zone during Heritage Week 2011 (August 20th-27th), with the launch of three new learning modules which tie in with the curriculum. One of these, ‘Politics or Parlour Maids’, will encourage students to analyse and decide which historical source tells us more about life in a big house: social or political. Lord David Puttnam, a champion of digital education in the UK and Ireland, will be keynote speaker on the day and the new learning module will be officially launched by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht.

Under the partnership, Promethean has worked with the Irish Heritage Trust to develop educational resources to increase the interactive elements of the new modules. Promethean has created tailor made classroom materials such as downloadable lesson plans, as well as access to online workshops through Promethean Planet, the world’s leading interactive teacher’s resource site with over one million members. The Fota Learning zone will benefit from having a partner site on Promethean Planet to hold these resources, allowing students and teachers to access learning materials after their visit in the classroom and at home, and enabling Fota Learning Zone to enhance its visibility to Promethean Planet’s online community.

Promethean has also donated ActivExpression Learner Response Systems, handheld devices which enable students to work remotely and answer questions while on the go. These will enable students to learn interactively throughout the different rooms of Fota House.

Fota Learning Zone is a free digital resource for teachers and students based on Fota House & Gardens in Cork (www.fotalearningzone.ie). Funded with the aid of a grant of €28,000 from The Heritage Council in 2010, it is multidisciplinary in approach and has been designed to appeal to teachers and students of Transition Year and Leaving Certificate History, History & Appreciation of Art and English.

Jennifer McCrea, Learning & Access Officer with the Irish Heritage Trust, explains its appeal: “Teachers and students can enhance classroom-based learning by collecting and analysing on-site evidence via self-directed learning and project work. It enables students to learn in context in an historic house and helps them to understand abstract concepts on the curriculum. For example, Leaving Certificate students of English require a good understanding of the concept of cultural context and social setting. One way of comprehending this is to experience the living conditions and social rituals of landlords and servants first hand at Fota House. The Irish Heritage Trust has pioneered this unique method of engaging teenagers with heritage in a way that is real, rich and relevant.”

Ian Curtis, Head of Northern Europe at Promethean, said: “We were delighted to be contacted by the Irish Heritage Trust and asked to support Fota Learning Zone. Promethean Planet has grown to over one million members including over 14,000 in Ireland and our ActivInspire software has allowed the Irish Heritage Trust to create more interactive content and reach a wider audience. Having collaboratively built three modules which tie in with the Irish curriculum, more people can learn about Fota House and its heritage through the learning zone”.

“The ActivExpression devices Promethean has donated will enrich and enhance learning for students who visit Fota House. It will enable them to learn as they are walking around and ensure each student is able to take part in interactive learning.”

For further press information, contact: Evelyn Byrne, Irish Heritage Trust, evelyn@irishheritagetrust.ie

Promethean Press enquiries: Katie Eborall, Grayling PR (UK), katie.eborall@grayling.com

Some time back Jim and his lieutenants (Sally, Kathy, Maria take a bow) were ramping up their website and online marketing activity and we encouraged them to take TripAdvisor seriously and create a strategy to utilise all the goodwill and kind comments out there for Jim with the aim of driving new business especially from global markets.  Together it has beared fruit and it’s a massive endorsement for Jim’s business.  Well done Jim.

Granite target optimum visibility on TripAdvisor for our tourism clients as it consists of the biggest travel community on the planet and we are truly delighted with what the team at Atlantic Sea Kayaking have achieved.
TripAdvisor is the leading and most trusted content platform for tourists globally and it’s imperative that relevant business owners embrace Trip Advisor and tell tourists about their business and most importantly the experience clients will have. Any serious online marketing plan for a tourism related business must address TripAdvisor as a key target.

The Top ten list was recently published in a newsletter from TripAdvisor distributed to millions of subscribers.
The citation quoted by Trip Advisor in their newsletter was from a customer who had experienced
the “Glittering water and sky on a night kayak trip” with ASK. It was “One of the most amazing
things Iʼve ever experienced”.

TripAdvisor website’s alone have 40 million unique monthly visitors, 20 million members, and over 45 million reviews and opinions.

Some TripAdvisor Facts:

• 45 million reviews and opinions

• 40 million unique visitors in one month.

• TripAdvisor additionally features 20 million registered members

• TripAdvisor is now available in 20 languages, across 27 countries worldwide. In 2010 alone, TripAdvisor has launched new websites in eight markets globally – Turkey, Denmark, Mexico, Poland, Norway, Australia, Singapore and Thailand.

• TripAdvisor.co.uk site on its own boasts 4.5 million unique visitors per month.

• TripAdvisor through their Partnership Group have 100 contracted content partners – including jetBlue, Walt Disney World, Westin Hotels and Resorts, Visit London, Hertz, and AOL Travel – and over 14,000 unique websites have added a Trip Advisor self-service widget or badge.

Jim Kennedyʼs Atlantic Sea Kayaking (ASK) is West Corkʼs leading kayak tour guide, offering sea safaris, night paddles, foraging trips as well as courses and tuition.
Jim Kennedy is a Level 5 Irish and British Canoe Union sea kayak instructor. ASK is Irelandʼs premier sea kayaking company, it was established in 1995.
The company works with both novice and advanced kayakers in one of the most beautiful marine environments in the world.

“What an accolade to all the amazing and professional staff we are so lucky to have” said Jim
Kennedy, on hearing of the Newsletter. “And a very big thanks to all our friends who take the
trouble to sing our praises.”

• Visit Jim’s Atlantic Sea Kayaking Website

Users were directed to this page instead of the facebook wall page once the user had “Liked” the page.

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You know there are 100′s of thousands of people on Facebook every day but how do you sell your product to them?
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Examples

West Cork Hotel Facebook Application