Almost 5,000 company employees taking part in the UK & Ireland Corporate Games in Limerick this weekend have booked out all hotel accommodation within a 25-mile radius of the city.
Irish companies, however, appear to have some way to go in the encouragement of employees in physical activities. Most of the entrants - about 3,000 - will travel from Britain, representing such companies as BP, Chase Manhattan Bank, Easyjet and Unilever. Accenture will have about 400 participants between British and Irish entrants.
While the foot-and-mouth scare has pushed numbers down on two years ago, when the event was last held in Limerick, the proportion of Irish entrants has risen. "Ireland is not familiar with the corporate games yet," Mr Gerry Lowe, chairman of the city's host committee, said. "They were introduced late."
During the weekend, Lough Derg will be used for water-based events such as dragon boat racing and match fishing; Co Clare for golf; and the new £20million arena at the University of Limerick for indoor events.
Mr Lowe added that up to £2 million will be spent in the local economy over the two days. Mr Brian McGann, a managing partner in BDO Simpson Xavier, Limerick, said the event had been fantastic for business contacts two years ago when his company entered the tennis competitions. "You are serious for the hour-and-a-half on the tennis court and then you are free for the social side of it. "It is the first event I have ever come across of real inter-firm, inter-company interaction. We are going to have great fun this weekend."
Shannon Aerospace has 132 staff members entering, the largest of any Irish company. Mr Shay Houlihan, the group leader, said three teams were entering the dragon boat racing on Lough Derg, which includes paddlers, a drummer and a professional canoe steerer. There are also entrants in the triathlon, rugby sevens and touch rugby, soccer and match fishing events.
"We have three golfing teams participating in individual and corporate team events in Woodstock in Ennis, and Ballyneety in Co Limerick," he added. The company employs 620 people at Shannon Airport, 500 of whom are members of its sports and social club.
Shannon Development also has two teams in the golf competitions. Ms Marian Hurley, a marketing executive at the National Technological Park, said there were 50 entrants from the company. She is on the volleyball team and represented the company in the World Corporate Games in Aberdeen last year.
"It really brings a bit of excitement into the city and a bit of social life, and a bit of motivation to the companies participating."
Ms Cathy Mansfield, of Boston Scientific, Cork, will be on the ladies soccer team. Four mens' teams are also travelling and "a competitive basketball team" who will be up against teams from the same company based in Galway and St Albans, England.
