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The Western Development Commission (WDC) has welcomed the announcement that the Galway Stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race had an economic impact of €55.8 million, generated a global TV audience of 1.327 billion and a global radio listenership of 1.1 billion people. Lisa McAllister Chief Executive at the WDC was speaking after the launch of a Deloitte report ‘Impact & Media Report of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009’ by Let’s Do It Galway and Fáilte Ireland.
Ms McAllister said, “As the Government body responsible for promoting economic and social development in the Western Region, it was a natural decision for the WDC to support the race and festival. The Deloitte report shows that the economic benefits of the race and festival were also felt beyond Galway in the wider Western Region and other parts of Ireland.”
She added, “The WDC directly supported two initiatives; the LookWest.ie Pix.ie photo competition which saw 17,000 entries in the online photo competition and the Creative West Galway Art Trail which ran in 27 galleries and venues around Galway.”
Ms McAllister said that the LookWest.ie photo competition smashed all previous records for the number of entries in an online photo competition while the Creative West Galway Art Trail highlighted the talent of creative industries in the Western Region. She said that the level of engagement with both initiatives yielded excellent exposure for the WDC’s LookWest.ie campaign and for its work in promoting the development of the creative industries in the West of Ireland. “The sponsorship has had a strong legacy and has continued long after the event in the form of the photographic exhibition which is now touring nationally,” she added.
Ms McAllister said that the WDC looks forward to continued engagement with the ‘Let’s Do It’ concept which she said is a tremendous vehicle for communicating the opportunities that abound in the West of Ireland in terms of both the tourism sector and the creative sector.
For further information please contact:
Lisa McAllister, Western Development Commission, 086 771 9969
or
Angela Bane, Bane Mullarkey, 087 286 5217
Notes to editors on the Western Development Commission (WDC) The WDC is the statutory body promoting economic and social development in counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway and Clare. The WDC’s strategic goals are: Contribute to balanced regional development by ensuring that the Western Region maximises its full potential for economic and social development. Promote the benefits of living, working and doing business in the Western Region. Support the sustainable economic and social development of the rural economy. Provide risk capital to SMEs and social enterprises.
www.wdc.ie and www.lookwest.ie
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