Schools

Welcome to our Event

We are delighted to welcome back all our guidance counsellors and their students this year, and remind you to book as soon as possible to secure your preferred time.

We would like to remind you that bookings for the exhibition can only be made through schools, and at the beginning of every academic year we will contact the school guidance counsellors to alert them that the booking system is open. The ticket price remains at €5 per student (visiting teachers go free with their group) and all bookings are final.

Whether or not you have visited the exhibition before, we would ask you to please read the FAQ and bring the Guidelines to the attention of your students before visiting.

Book Tickets

Event Programme

Monday
Exhibitors Set-Up

Exhibitors only

10am. – 5.00 pm.:  Open for the erection of display units and delivery of materials.

Exhibitors not setting up on Monday may arrive at the exhibition halls from 8am on Tuesday 18th October (Stewards available from 8.30am only).

Tuesday
Event Day 1

1st Session: 9.20 a.m. - 10.25a.m.

Exhibitors Coffee Break: 10.25-10.45

2nd Session: 10.45a.m. – 11.50a.m.

3rd Session: 12.00a.m. – 1.05p.m.

Lunchbreak: 1.05 – 1.50pm

4th Session: 1.50p.m. – 2.55p.m.

Wednesday
Event Day 2

5th Session: 9.20 a.m. – 10.25a.m.

Exhibitors Coffee Break: 10.25-10.45

6th Session:  10.45a.m. – 11.50a.m.

7th Session:  12.00a.m. – 1.05p.m.

Lunchbreak: 1.05 – 2.00pm

Dismantling of stands – all stands to be dismantled and materials collected or shipped by 3pm at the latest.

Guidelines for Students and Visiting Teachers

  • All visitors (teachers and students) must enter and exit through the conference centre of the hotel at the rear of the building only. Security personnel will be in place to prevent access through the main hotel.

  • Students are not allowed to enter the exhibition without their supervising teachers; any students arriving after their group has entered will not be permitted to enter.

  • Any student leaving the conference centre during their allotted session will not be re-admitted.

  • Students arriving in their own cars will not be allowed to park in the hotel grounds.

  • Smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited in every area of the conference centre, including toilets and covered outside spaces.

  • The exhibition takes place over two floors and all students must use the stairs to go between both halls. Students will not be able to access the lifts unless they are using crutches or a wheelchair. Security personnel will be stationed near the lifts on each floor and will assist these students as required.

  • School groups should remain on their bus until five minutes before the start of their session. When ready, they will be guided by security to join a queue leading to one of two entrances. Upon entry they will be guided to their primary exhibition hall by a steward, and they are required to follow this direction to assist with crowd control.

  • Students should be advised that they will be expected to continue always moving throughout the exhibition halls. Any students who are found sitting on stairs, near stands or in the entrance foyer, or gathering in the toilets, will be instructed to move on.

  • Students must comply with instructions given by exhibition organisers, security, and stewards at all times. Any student failing to comply with this guideline will have to be removed from the conference centre by their supervising teacher. Any student who is thought to pose a danger to others will be removed by security.

  • Students must be mindful of their belongings at all times. The exhibition organisers do not take any responsibility for items that are mislaid during the course of the exhibition, nor can they look after any belongings for individuals who are visiting the exhibition stands. Any items found by stewards or exhibitors will be taken to the information desk. After the exhibition visit, it is up to the school to contact the organisers to check the lost and found for any missing items as we cannot take responsibility for tracking down owners of lost property.

  • Exhibitors have been asked not to distribute items such as sweets or lollipops as the waste generated can cause problems in high-traffic areas. If students are given these items, we would be grateful if they would refrain from unwrapping them until they have left the conference centre.

  • An information desk will be manned by volunteers in the conference centre foyer on the ground floor to assist students during their visit.

  • Students are advised to bring a suitable small empty bag with them to help them carry around the materials they will collect from stands. Any prospectuses they gather which they later decide may be surplus to their requirements can be left on a collection table in the foyer before they leave (these will be returned to the correct stand to cut down on unnecessary waste and to ensure that each exhibitor has sufficient materials for all visiting students).

  • To ensure the smooth running of each session, guidance counsellors and teachers must remain in the exhibition halls with their students throughout their allotted session. At least one member of teaching staff (generally the person signing in for registration) must be contactable by mobile phone for the duration of the visit should any issues arise.

FAQs

  • When the booking system goes live, all Guidance Counsellors will receive an email with a link to the online booking form. All other information can be found in this FAQ section. If there is currently no Guidance Counsellor in your school, the Principal or Deputy Principal may book tickets. In this instance, our advice is to check the website in September to submit a timely booking form.

  • All tickets are allocated on a first-come first-served basis, and if the selection has been greyed out on the booking form then it means that the session is fully booked. If you have a preferred session you will need to book as soon as possible to ensure you are allocated the time that is right for you. As numbers are strictly controlled for each session, we cannot override the system for any individual school as this would result in overcrowding.

  • We cannot override the system in this way and strongly recommend you secure your bus booking before you book your tickets.

  • Each school is required to limit their booking numbers to 200 per session to ensure that a small number of large schools do not dominate popular times. If you have larger numbers you may book them in during a different session; this will entail making two separate bookings which will generate two separate invoices.

  • All ticket sales are final, and we do not give refunds for students who have not turned up or who have cancelled in advance. As always, we advise that you book conservatively and allow for this inevitability. If you have a small number of extra students on the day, we will allow for a purchase of up to 10% of your overall booking total. (ie. If you have booked 80 tickets, you may purchase another 8 tickets at the information desk before your school enters the exhibition.

  • As with previous years, we accept cheque payment and direct bank transfer. You will have the option of selecting your chosen method of payment during the booking process. Unfortunately, we are not currently accepting credit cards.

  • Preliminary lists will be available at the start of October and will be emailed to all Guidance Counsellors. As exhibitors are constantly fluctuating, please remember that these lists may change before the actual event. If there are significant changes, we will email a finalised list the week before the event. Any last-minute changes will be displayed at the exhibition information desk on the ground floor.

  • From 2023 we will not be posting tickets to schools to cut down on waste and unnecessary expense. When you arrive at the exhibition centre, please come in five minutes ahead of your session with your invoice details and check in at the information desk. A volunteer will process your registration and will advise you of the next steps. Your students will need to remain outside until this is completed.

  • No. All students must enter together as a group as booked by their school. Students arriving late will not be permitted entry. Students travelling to the exhibition by themselves in this way should also be advised that they will not be allowed to park on the hotel grounds.

  • No. The times for student entry are tightly controlled and the exhibitors must be allowed to focus on the students during their session. We advise parents to visit the individual colleges and universities during their parents information evenings for appropriate and timely information.

  • We do not allow students to visit the exhibition without their school group and appropriate supervision, so students cannot attend by themselves or with a parent.

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