June was packed with events and activity across the UK, Ireland and further afield for the TravelMedia.ie team.
Dalkey Book Festival
From June 12th–15th, Dalkey came alive for the 2025 Dalkey Book Festival. Visit Portugal were one of the sponsors of this year’s festival and hosted a number of well-attended events throughout the weekend. Three sold-out talks with a Portuguese theme were held on Saturday:
Portugal, the new European Tiger – A panel featuring Afonso Cruz and Carla Mateus discussed Portugal’s cultural and economic renaissance.
Revolutions – A compelling discussion on revolutions in Ireland, Portugal, and Ukraine with Filipe Ribeiro de Meneses and Diarmaid Ferriter.
Books That Changed the World – An inspiring panel with Afonso Cruz, Fintan O’Toole and Merve Emre.
Outside of the talks, Visit Portugal also offered free cultural activations at the Corner Note Café including wine tastings, Portuguese music, olive oil samplings and literary sessions. These activations brought a wonderful taste of Portugal to the heart of Dalkey.
Connect Barbados 2025
Michael travelled to Barbados to attend Connect Barbados 2025, the island’s premier B2B marketplace for tour operators selling Barbados holiday products. Held annually, Connect Barbados invites travel trade partners from key source markets including the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada and Europe.
TravelMedia.ie supported the BTMI team on the ground, with Han Talbot travelling with Michael to record podcasts and content for the Welcome Stamp programme. Irish journalist Mark McCadden also attended and was recognised with an award. In between meetings and panels, delegates got to enjoy the very best of Barbados.
TBEX Québec 2025
Michael also travelled to Canada to attend TBEX North America 2025, held in Québec. The global travel media conference brought together bloggers, journalists, influencers and travel brands for workshops, speed networking and destination fam trips. A fantastic opportunity for connecting with creators and destination marketing organisations.
ATOMICON 2025
Michael then joined hundreds of business and marketing professionals at ATOMICON, one of Europe’s biggest content and social media marketing conferences. With inspirational keynotes and practical breakout sessions, it was a valuable learning and networking opportunity.
SXSW London 2025
Later in the month, Michael and the BTMI team were in attendance at the first-ever SXSW London, a spin-off of the iconic Austin-based event. The new European edition delivered a mix of culture, creativity and innovation, with panels on AI, storytelling and future trends.
Big Travel Trade Event
Susan represented TravelMedia.ie at The Big Travel Trade Event 2025, hosted by NI Travel News at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast. Over 500 travel agents and suppliers attended for two days of speed networking, entertainment and training sessions. Highlights included axe-throwing with Attraction World, paint-and-sip with Virgin Voyages, and a Spanish-themed dinner with the Spanish Tourist Office. The event wrapped with Jet2holidays’ ‘Battle of the Bands’ closing party.
Taste of Kildare Launch
Colm and Darragh attended the Taste of Kildare launch event at Naas Racecourse. Returning on August 16–17, this year’s festival will showcase the best of Kildare’s food, drink and artisan producers with demos from celebrity chefs like Rachel Allen and Derry Clarke. A vibrant weekend is in store for all attendees.
Stay tuned for more updates from July!