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In framing its ads, she says that Diageo has focused on areas that promote responsible drinking such as drink driving - “The message was to show consumers what irresponsible drinking can do.”

All drink company ads have to be run past Central Copy Clearance in Ireland; however, there is no interaction between drinks companies and CCCI. Ms Davies Ryan says Diageo’s own code is stricter than any legal requirements anyway. Ms Davies Ryan does not feel Diageo and the drinks industry get a fair crack of the whip from the Irish media. “The balance is not always there,” she explains. “The anti-drinking lobby’s point of view tends to be taken as Gospel without giving the drinks industry point of view as well,” she argues.

Diageo Ireland recently announced funding of €1.5 million to University College Dublin’s Geary Institute; however, Ms Davies Ryan feels this was cynically received by sections of the media. The funding will contribute to a major 3 year study on the health risk and behaviours of hazardous drinking in young adults with the objectives of identifying and testing methods of addressing this behaviour.

Those who do not agree with the drinks industry approach to sensible drinking through its marketing and advertising campaigns would argue that it is no more than a ploy to stop Government putting a health tax on alcohol. Some seem to believe that price and the harder it hits the pocket is the most effective way to solving the binge drinking problem. Ms Davies Ryan does not agree. “We’re already the highest taxed drinks’ industry so that hasn’t worked in the past,” she argues.

Nor does she believe the Nordic approach of reducing available supply by shortening opening hours has much merit. “These solutions don’t work – you really have to go after the motivation and this is what we’re attempting to do in our ad campaign. We are showcasing the most negative aspects of what can happen to you if you drink to excess,” she says.

Beth Davies Ryan joined Diageo Ireland four years ago from Diageo North America. She is the first person to hold the title of Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for the Irish brewer, although she admits that the creation of the position at the time absorbed some other existing functions.

During her time at Diageo North America, Ms Davies Ryan was Director of Brand Public Relations, Events & Sponsorships for the Smirnoff and beer portfolios. Prior to joining Diageo, she was Director of Communications with DISCUS, the spirits industry's trade association in the. In this role, she served as spokesperson for the industry with the consumer media. Previous to this, she worked with the entertainment public relations firm Rogers & Cowen of New York and Los Angeles on a variety of accounts for blue chip companies including Microsoft, Kraft and Sony.

Celebrating a Successful Partnership

Lisa Kearney, IHF, and Victor Garland of In1 Solutions celebrating the second birthday of a very successful partnership between the IHF and In1 Solutions.

Irelandhotels.com recently celebrated its second birthday with its online booking partner, In1 Solutions. During that time, the website has driven over 25,000 bookings worth almost €5.8 million. In the first quarter of 2006 alone the booking figures have increased by 28% on the same period for 2005 and the associated revenue has jumped by 19% to almost €800,000.

As part of the IHF’s efforts to create highly visible marketing initiatives for golfing packages, www.irelandhotels.com will shortly launch an online golf tee-time booking facility for customers. This will provide visitors with the facility to arrange golf at the same time as they make hotel or guesthouse bookings.

AIB Bank has a dedicated Hotels & Tourism Team. This specialist team provides a comprehensive, relationship-based service and offers a full range of tailored banking products to the Hotels and Tourism Sector.

For further information contact: Tom Curran, Tel: 01 6411577

Dawn Farm Foods is a leading supplier of fully cooked meat products to blue-chip foodservice companies across Europe. In 2005, the company, which is based in Naas, Co. Kildare, launched its Grillers breakfast range, which includes fully cooked sausages, bacon and pudding. Recently, Dawn Farms received a Superior Taste Award for its Breakfast Sausage from the International Taste & Quality Institute (iTQi). Producers from around the world submit products to the iTQi for evaluation by a jury of renowned European Chefs, beverages experts and Sommeliers.

For further information contact: Ciaran O’Connell, Tel: 045 875555

Celtic is family owned and specialises in the provision of solutions for the hotel industry in Ireland. Celtic is the leading supplier of bed and table linen, workwear garments, dustmat services and cabinet roller towels. The company also provides hotel textiles, janitorial supplies and paper to many of Ireland’s finest hotels.

For further information contact: Martin Murphy, Tel: 1890 235842 email: sales@celticlinen.ie

Edward Dillon & Co exclusively represents many of the great distillery houses of the world including Hennessy Cognac, Bacardi Rum, Gordons Gin, Jack Daniels and Southern Comfort. The company also represents many wineries of the world such as Wolf Blass of Australia, Fetzer of California, Bolla of Italy and Barton & Guestier of France. Edward Dillon & Co’s involvement with the Irish hotel industry includes the free customer service of a wine list consultation provided by Alan Crowley, the first Irish Master of Wine

For further information, Tel: 01 8193300

Gaelite has been providing signage solutions in Ireland for over 70 years and is one of the country’s largest and most successful sign design, manufacturing and installation companies. Key to our continued success has been our dynamism in staying abreast of changes in the market related to digital technologies and new materials. We respond with faster turn around times, more creative solutions and a strong commitment to deliver within a defined budget.

For further information contact: Sine Lynch, Tel: 01 2940066 email: s.lynch@gaelite.ie, Web: www.gaelite.ie

Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 on Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs came into force on 1st January 2006 with the EU Hygiene Regulations. The regulation modernises and harmonises microbiological criteria, which were previously contained in a number of commodity-based EC Directives. Most of these criteria remain unchanged in the new regulation; however, some no longer exist. In addition, new criteria have been introduced for a number of food commodities such as infant formula, pre-cut fruit and vegetables, sprouted seeds and ready-to-eat foods. The criteria outlined in the regulation are based on scientific risk assessment and are necessary for the protection of public health.

The Regulation applies to food business operators at each stage of food production, processing, distribution and retail (including caterers). Most primary producers are not directly affected by the regulation as criteria are only established for a small number of primary products, i.e. sprouted seeds, live bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and gastropods. However, primary producers may be indirectly affected if their customers require products meeting higher microbiological specifications. Additional requirements of this Regulation include environmental testing, shelf life studies and analyses of trends in test results.

As part of the official control of foodstuffs, competent authorities must ensure that food businesses comply with the Regulation. Compliance may be assessed using techniques such as sampling and analysis, monitoring, surveillance, audits and inspections. The European Commission is currently preparing a guidance document to assist competent authorities with this role.

Full details of the Regulation can be found at www.europa.eu.int.

Over the coming months, the eyes of the world’s media will be focused on the Ryder Cup and significant interest will be generated around the hospitality received by golf enthusiasts visiting our shores. With stories bound to emerge from Ireland about the rates proposed by hotels for the duration of the event, all of us in the hospitality business will be only too aware of the damage negative headlines could have on our image. As such, it is incumbent on us to ensure that nothing undermines our efforts to provide value for money to customers in the face of ever increasing costs.

All of us must play our part in ensuring that this enormous opportunity to showcase our country is used to our best advantage, particularly as this event has the third largest worldwide sporting audience. The holding of the Ryder Cup is a longterm investment in heightening the profile of Ireland’s hospitality industry, not a short-term opportunity to make excessive profits. I am confident, from my knowledge of the members of the Irish Hotels Federation, that the vast majority of us think in the same way. The responsibilities on this issue extend to all sectors of the community which will be providing goods and services for this world-ranking event.

We Irish love our golf, and that love is well catered for with courses scattered, like emeralds, all over the country. In Ireland, there are almost 450 golf courses to choose from. Some of these courses are known worldwide, others are known throughout Europe, while most are known only to those golfers living just around the corner. Our island is especially noted for its links courses and possesses almost 40 per cent of the seaside links in the world.

Hosting the Ryder Cup affords Ireland a golden opportunity to highlight these golfing gems and to promote the country as a golf holiday Utopia. Golf was never a cheap game but those who play it, like most people, get very annoyed if they feel they are being “ripped off.” Should that be the general feeling about Ireland following the Ryder Cup, the negative publicity resulting could cause our island untold damage in the current massive campaign to woo the holiday golfer.

The Ryder Cup and the huge media circus which travels with it, together with the numerous fans who will be visiting the country for the first time, offer Ireland a once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase the many, many delightful and positive things which make our island such a unique place to take a break. To miss that opportunity would be a grave mistake and one which would have damaging repercussions that could take countless years to overcome.

On a different note, hoteliers and guest house owners provide a high level of hospitality and care to their customers, and those of us licensed to sell alcohol also carry the duty to serve this product in a responsible manner. From time to time, we should reflect on how we carry out this onerous duty. I believe that in today’s environment we should place the responsible service of alcohol high on our priority list. An example of this would be to ensure that, at all functions and receptions in our premises, there is an equal opportunity for guests to obtain soft drinks. In planning such events with the function organisers, we should insist that they provide soft drinks alternatives for their guests. In this approach, we are making a statement of corporate social responsibility and influencing others to do likewise.

Annette Devine 
President