24-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Kerry set to host US congressman Richard Neal and other world leaders at Global Economic Summit 2025
Mr Neal, a member of the Democratic Party who has ancestral ties to Ventry in west Kerry, represents Massachusetts's 1st Congressional District and will attend the summit at the Europa Hotel and Resort from May 26-28.
NASA's first chief economist, Alex MacDonald, and international medical secretary for Médecins Sans Frontières, Dr Maria Guevara, will also be in attendance at the event alongside the Taoiseach Micháel Martin, EU commissioner Michael McGrath.
The summit will cover a variety of important issues including globalisation, health equity and artificial intelligence.
A leadership workshop based on Kerry explorer Tom Crean's famous Antarctic voyage with Shackleton will also be held at the summit.
Hosted by Dr Kerrie O'Sullivan, IMI associate faculty, and featuring a powerful plenary from maritime archaeologist and intrepid explorer Mensun Bound, the workshop promises challenge participants to explore the values, vision and adaptability required to lead.
The upcoming conference was launched earlier this week by Kerry Mayor Breandán Fitzgerald and the MD of Global Economic Summit, Megan Cassidy, to officially launch the event at Killarney House & Garden in Kerry.
Mayor Fitzgerald said he is delighted to be welcoming the summit back to Killarney after the success of the inaugural event.
'This year's summit is set to include global decision-makers, business leaders, and experts from diverse fields, offering a unique platform for thought-provoking debates and collaborative solutions to the pressing challenges we face,' he said.
'Kerry's growing strength as a destination for business tourism further underscores our role in hosting such a significant event, highlighting our region's potential as a prime destination for international conferences & events.'
MD of Global Economic Summit, Megan Cassidy, said the success of last year's Global Economic Summit proves that Ireland can convene global leaders at this scale.
'The summit bottles Ireland's incredible speed of change – from an agri-economy to a European tech leader – and uses that as a catalyst for progress and partnership,' Ms Cassidy said.
'There is no better place than the beautiful surrounds of Killarney for fresh thinking and solutions. The partnerships we saw born at last year's retreat make us incredibly excited for GES25 when the world's eyes are on Kerry again.'
