A-Z Directory of Services
Welcome to Taste of Dublin A-Z directory of services. Here you will find all relevant information on this years festival.
Admission to the Venue
All members of the Public require a ticket to gain admission to the venue and they are date and session time specific.
Tickets for the event are for sale on www.tasteofdublin.ie
All staff and participants (exhibitor staff, feature staff, sponsors, contractors, etc.) will require a badge/wristband to gain admission during event days. Exhibitor and staff entrance is located on Merrion Square North.
Audio Visual
Mongey Communications are the official Audio Visual contractors for the event. If you require any equipment for hire during the event please contact Dermot O’ Brien on 086 170 6600 or email gina.kearns@mongey.ie
ATM Banking Facilities
The nearest ATM machine is located at the AIB branch at 1-4 Baggot Street. However, all food and drink vendors must accept contactless payment.
Baby Changing Facilities
Baby changing facilities will be provided beside the main block of toilets which are positioned beside Merrion Square North.
Carpet
All marquee stands will be fitted with a marquee floor and standard carpet.
If an exhibitor wishes to have a specific colour of the carpet, this can be done at an additional cost to the exhibitor of €12 per sq.m.
Please contact Jordan at operations@equinoxevents.ie prior to Friday 16th of May if you wish to book an alternative carpet colour.
Cleaning
It is the responsibility of the exhibitor to maintain their stand in a tidy condition at all times. We would like to highlight that this is an outdoor event located on a grass sub-base and therefore the cleaning of stands can be a challenge.
Cleaners will circulate the venue throughout the event open days emptying event bins and removing rubbish. At the end of every session cleaners will remove any rubbish left in front of stands for collection. All rubbish must be securely tied in bin bags.
Please ensure that cardboard boxes are broken down and deposited in the large recycling bins for collection.
Code of Practice
Stands must be manned at all times during the open period of the event and all exhibits remain open during the event open hours.
In order that no discourtesy is shown to last minute visitors to the event, no dismantling of any displays or exhibits until all visitors are clear from the venue on Sunday 15th June.
Complimentary Tickets
Complimentary tickets will be as agreed within your contract.
Cooking on Stands
Cooking on exhibitor stands is permitted but must be agreed in advance by the Organisers. Please contact Jordan at operations@equinoxevents.ie
There are strict Health and Safety measures in place in respect of this. Please see section on Food Hygiene and Safety in this manual.
If you are cooking or serving food on your stand you must complete a Form 3: HACCP.
You will also need to order additional power to your stand to facilitate the power requirements of your cooking equipment.
Credit/Debit Cards
All food and drink vendors will accept contactless payments. If attendees arrive with cash, they can use the ‘contactless bank’ to transfer their cash to a to food and drink vouchers at the Box Office.
Disabled Facilities
The event site is not easily navigated by wheelchair users, however ramps are in place and accessible toilets are available at the event.
Accessible toilets are located at the main block of toilets near Merrion Square North. Limited accessible parking is situated around Merrion Square Park.
Disposables
Taste of Dublin is endeavouring to be a green and sustainable event. With this in mind, all exhibitors must use compostable, recycled or recyclable material.
Exhibitors intending to use their own glassware must use compostable glasses and NOT glass.
Distribution of Literature
Distributing material such as printed cards, circulars or articles is permitted from your own stand but not in open spaces such as front of house or in front of another exhibitor’s stand. Print material promoting any product other than that which the stand represents is prohibited.
EHO – Environmental Health Office
All Restaurants, Exhibitors and Food units that are selling, sampling or retailing food and drink including pre-packaged food, drink and loose products, who are currently not registered as a food unit/stall and are trading at the event must register with the HSE and provide us with their HSE registration number. This is a legal requirement. When completing your premises registration, you DO NOT register to the Merrion Square Park.
If you need any assitance with this, please contact Jordan at operations@equinoxevents.ie.
‘Food Business’ is defined by Regulation (EC) 178/2002 (laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety) and means any undertaking, whether for profit or not and whether public or private, carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of production, processing, sale and distribution of food and drink.
Exhibitor Stand Signage
All exhibitors will receive a fascia name board for the front of their stand, on which company name and stand number is printed. If the Organisers are not informed of the preferred stand name, then the company or trading name will be used. Please indicate stand name on Form 1.
First Aid
There will be first aid cover at Taste of Dublin during the event days from 11:00 to 23:00. First Aid cover will also be available during build and break days from approximately 08:00 to 18:00. This will be detailed in the production schedule.
If first aid is required during the build period, please make yourself known at the Production Office (Organiser’s Compound) or to the nearest member of the Operations team or Security. First Aid is located beside the Organisers Compound inside the venue.
Furniture Hire
The Organisers have appointed the following company as the official exhibitor’s furniture contractor for the event:
National Event Hire
Unit 14
City Link Business Park
Forge Hill
Cork
Contact: Catherine Larkin
Tel: 1800 579 579
Fax: 021 4319799
Email: catherine@neh.ie
Website: www.nationaleventhire.ie
Details of stand furniture available for hire together with a price list can be found at the back of the manual under Form 5. If you require additional furniture please refer to their website. Furniture ordered will be delivered directly to your stand onsite.
Gangways
All gangways within the event have been approved by the Local Authority. Under no circumstances can any part of your stand, furniture or exhibits project beyond the boundary of your stand. All gangways must remain unobstructed and accessible at all times. Any exhibitor who has too much stock to fit onto their stand should purchase storage to hold the excess stock.
Health and Safety
Please refer to the section of the manual on Health and Safety/Rules & Regulations.
Ice
Ice will be available to all exhibitors and restaurants at the event.
Ice must be ordered before May 23rd 2025.
Ice can be picked up daily from the ice van located in the Cold Storage Compound. There is a charge of €12.50 (incl. of VAT) per bag of ice.
Invoices will be issued after the event. Ice is obtainable in 10 kilo bags and a choice of either crushed or cubed.
Insurance
The organisers require Exhibitors to have adequate insurance protection when attending the event. All exhibitors must have a minimum of €6.5 million Public/Product Liability cover and €13 million employer’s liability and must extend their liability to a green field site for the duration of the event.
Our Insurance Company requires Form 2 to be sent to your Insurance Broker and completed. Please have your broker return the completed form to the organisers by Friday 16th of May.
If you or your broker has any questions on this form, please contact;
Paula Copeland
Arachas Corporate Brokers Ltd
T: +353(1) 213 5000
E: paulacopeland@arachas.ie
We recommend you not only insure yourself from liability from 3rd parties we suggest you protect your property from loss or damage and protect your expenditures against abandonment and cancellation or curtailment of the event due to reasons beyond our control.
Licensing
Taste of Dublin is licensed for all exhibitors to sell alcohol for off-site consumption only and sampling on site. However, there are strict guidelines in place regarding the management of this, please see Responsible Alcohol Policy in the Health & Safety/Rules & Regulations section.
Any exhibitor selling or sampling alcohol must say so in Form 1.
Lost Property
Any items lost should be logged with us in the Organisers Office at your earliest opportunity or email operations@equinoxevents.ie.
Marketing
Taste of Dublin is backed by a comprehensive marketing and promotional campaign.
The above the line campaign will also include advertising in print, radio and online.
To complement this above the line campaign a thorough email and online Marketing campaign has been developed to communicate with visitors, to promote ticket offers, share event news, and competitions run with our partners and exhibitors.
Please help us grow our social media presence and follow us via our social media accounts:
www.instagram.com/tasteofdublin
Stay tuned to our social media and repost/ re-tweet/ share to your story and add swipe up links or links in your bio where possible to tasteofdublin.ie.
#TasteOfDublin25
Taste of Dublin assets: Taste of Dublin logos and images can be emailed to all exhibitors in a marketing pack at the link HERE.
Please note that only official TOD logos and images supplied are permitted to be used in promotional material. If you have any queries on the marketing, please contact Nina Massey nina@equinoxevents.ie
Taste Database: Want to receive all the festival updates straight to your inbox? You can sign up now to our weekly newsletter HERE.
PR: A full PR Campaign has been developed and will include editorial, media relations, competitions, and interviews.
Advertising: If you are placing advertising in publications prior to the event, use the adverts to drive people to see you and your products at Taste of Dublin by mentioning your involvement and where they can see you at the event e.g., Visit us at Taste of Dublin 2025 to find out more.
Online: Using a banner or the Taste of Dublin logo on your website helps to maximize awareness of your presence at the event.
Competitions and Promotions: The marketing campaign has numerous promotions and competitions running in a wide variety of publications and providing prizes is a great way of securing coverage within the media. If you have any prizes you would like to provide in association with Taste of Dublin, please contact Nina by email nina@equinoxevents.ie.
Minors
As required under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 and associated Regulations.
Under no circumstances are children of 18 and under (including babies in arms or toddlers) allowed into the event area during build/set up or breakdown.
Music
Exhibitors intending to play music on their stand (CD’s tapes, DVD’s, Video or live music) during the course of the event, are required by law to obtain a music licence from both PPI (Phonographic Performance (Ireland) Ltd) and IMRO (Irish Music Rights Organisation).
The licence is required from IMRO to authorise the public performance of the music (the royalties are paid to the composer). The license from PPI authorises the use of the sound recordings (royalties are paid to the record manufacturers).
It is the responsibility of the Exhibitor to apply for these licences for the duration of the event, failure to do so will result in a fine by IMRO and PPI.
Please contact the IMRO licensing department at info@imro.ie or on 01 661 4844. www.imro.ie PPI can be contacted at info@ppimusic.ie or on 01 280 5977. http://www.ppimusic.ie/
The Organiser reserves the right to alter musical output considered to not be in keeping with the nature of the event. We also ask you to respect the close proximity of your neighbouring exhibitors.
Organisers’ Office
The Organisers’ Office is located in the Organiser’s Compound beside Merrion Square East which is the east side of the venue.
All requests for items or assistance during the build and event days should be requested via the organisers’ office. The number of the organisers’ office will be given to you on arrival on site. If you have any queries prior to this, please contact Jordan at operations@equinoxevents.ie.
Parking
There is NO Parking on site during the event.
In the vicinity of Merrion Square and the surrounding roads there are limited pay & display spaces. The nearest car park is Q-Park Setanta. The car park is open 24 hrs.
A discounted parking rate of 20% will be applied for the month of June, please use our promo code “TOD2025”.
Please use this code by booking in advance on the Q-Park website HERE.
Alternative car parks in the area include:
Q-Park Dawson Street
Grafton Car Park
Q-Park Stephen’s Green
As there is limited parking around Merrion Square. We strongly recommend securing parking or using public transport during the event open days.
The following Bus Routes serve Merrion Square;
100X, Dublin Via Airport
2, Wexford
4, Harristown
7, Parnell Square
7A, Mountjoy Square
27X, Clare Hall
120, Ballsbridge
120A,E,F, Merrion Square West
126E, Merrion Square West
126U, UCD
130, Merrion Square West
15A, Limekiln Ave
15B, Stocking Ave
15D, Whitechurch
26, Liffey Valley
503, Ormond Ave
Please visit https://www.dublinbus.ie/ for real time information.
The nearest DART Station is Pearse Street, which is approximately a 10 minute walk.
Recycling
There will be various waste segregation points located throughout the venue for Recyclables, Compostables and General Waste. We ask all participants to fully co-operate with us in this process.
During build, cleaners will be circulating to remove packaging etc – please make sure all such waste is in the aisles and a final sweep of the site will take place one hour before opening. Your co-operation in that last hour in terms of not generating waste would be greatly appreciated.
Alternatively, you can deposit waste in the back of house area where industrial bins will be situated. Otherwise all waste must be kept out of public view. Waste can be left on front of your stand for collection outside show times.
Refrigeration
The Organisers have appointed the following companies as official refrigeration contractors for the event:
National Event Hire (See Form 5 for National Event Hire ordering information.)
Refrigeration Rentals Ltd. (To hire from Refrigeration Rentals visit their website or contact them directly.)
Please note all power will be turned off by midday Monday 16th.
Re-Stocking of Stands
Re-stocking is permitted using trolleys before the first show and during the break between shows. The storage areas will be accessible throughout the day to re-stock by hand as necessary. Trolleys cannot be used during show open times when the public are inside the venue. All re-stocking during show times must be hand delivered.
Rules and Regulation
Key Exhibitor Rules (as per signed contract)
All exhibitors retailing for onsite food or drink consumption must accept contactless payments only.
Exhibitors are not permitted to accept cash for onsite food or drink sold.
Sampling Exhibitors are permitted to offer the following maximum size sample quantities:
Food sample – bite size/canapé size only.
Wine sample - 30ml (Circa 1 oz)
Beer sample - 50ml (Circa 1¾ oz)
Spirit sample - 5ml (Circa ¼ oz)
Non-Alcoholic Drinks (Juices, Smoothies…etc) - 100ml (Circa 3½ oz)
Tea/Coffee/Hot Drinks - 150ml (Circa 5 oz)
Sampling in excess of these quantities is prohibited unless agreed in advance and in writing with Elltide Ltd. An additional fee for Product Placement may be applied.
All drinks exhibitors will be issued with a Responsible Alcohol Policy prior to the show and will be required to comply with the conditions outlined in this policy (copies of this are available on request prior to signature of this agreement if required).
Staff are not permitted to roam around the venue sampling/selling/distributing flyers.
Exhibitors will be charged for any damage to their marquees.
All exhibitors must stop serving the customers as soon as the event is closed for the session. Continuing to serve past the session close time may result in a financial penalty and/or Gardaí intervention.
Food exhibitors are not permitted to sell food for consumption on site except in specific circumstances as agreed in advance and in writing by Taste of Dublin. Exhibitors selling food for onsite consumption are subject to a pre-arranged income split and must comply with restaurant signature dish size and signature dish price.
Food exhibitors are permitted to sell food for off-site consumption.
Food Exhibitors are required to adhere to all Health and Safety regulations as outlined by the EHO.
Permission may be granted for special terms and amendments of these rules at the discretion of the event organisers.
Security
The Organiser has appointed the company below as the official onsite security company for the event. There will be 24 hour security cover at the event from 8am on Wednesday 4th June until 12noon on Monday 16th June. However, exhibitors should ensure their goods are safeguarded at all times, particularly during the build, breakdown and overnight. If you require a static security guard or alarm on your stand please contact them directly:
Integrity Security: (01) 524 0933
Sink Units
Plumbed sink units (double and single) can be ordered by contacting Alex O’Neill, the official plumbing contractor on 087 257 2077.
Please note plumbed sinks require use of a double socket. A plumbed double sink costs €635.00 + VAT and a plumbed single sink costs €480.00 + VAT (including power at €90 per unit). A limited number of hand wash sinks are available from National Event Hire (Form 5) at a cost of €235.00 (Sink - €145, Power - €90).
A single socket is required for the hand wash sink. These are allocated on a first come first served basis. The activity on your stand will dictate what hand wash, equipment wash, water and waste requirements you will require.
PLEASE NOTE: It is the responsibility of all participants to ensure that they adhere to ALL FOOD HYGIENE LEGISLATION. The following is merely a guideline to these requirements. For further details you should refer to Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Environmental Health Office and Standards for Best Practice in the IS340.
1. For stands not preparing food a hand sanitizer is sufficient. For example: a wine merchant/beer merchant using disposable glasses can tip unused wine/beer into a bucket and the hand sanitizer will keep hands bacteria free. Along with hand sanitizer we also recommend the use of disposable gloves.
2. Where coffee and tea are prepared on site using disposable cups a single sink with hot and cold water supply is required. Disposable gloves and hand sanitizer are also recommended.
3. Where there is preparation of fruit for cocktails a single sink with hot and cold water supply is required for the washing of utensils. This, along with a hand wash should adhere to the requirements of the EHO. We recommend all fruit is prepared off site and brought on site in suitable sealed containers.
4. Where there is preparation of packaged food for sampling (such as biscuits, chocolates, yogurt…etc) a single sink with hot and cold water supply along with disposable gloves and a hand sanitizer will adhere to the requirements of the EHO. The EHO may increase the requirements for water and waste on a stand, should they consider the preparation of packed foods to be extensive.
5. Where there is preparation of dairy products or raw meats on site (smoked salmon, cooked ham, cheese) a double sink with hot and cold water is necessary. The double sink facilitates the requirement of a sink for the rinsing of equipment (plates, cutlery, utensils etc) and a separate sink for the thorough washing of same. Hand wash can be performed in either sink, however sinks must always be cleaned and disinfected between uses. This, along with disposable gloves and a hand sanitizer should adhere to the requirements of the EHO.
6. Where there is cooking of food on site a double sink PLUS a single hand wash sink is required. The double sink facilitates the requirement of a sink for the rinsing of equipment (plates, cutlery, utensils etc) and a separate sink for the thorough washing of same. This, along with disposable gloves and a hand sanitizer should adhere to the requirements of the EHO.
Note: Any place that a hand-wash sink is required, it must always have hot water, soap and paper towels available and ready to use.
Staff
Noel Group
Since 1987, Noel Group has established a strong presence in the hospitality industry, collaborating with some of the most renowned names in the field. Their comprehensive range of services encompasses the provision of diverse hospitality staff, expert consultation on event management, and unparalleled customer service.
Should you require any staff for Taste of Dublin 2025 please contact:
Sarah Mulholland
Company: Noel Group
Position: Events & Hospitality Manager
M: 086-771-6098
E: sarah.mulholland@noel.ie
Staff Access (Event Days) – PLEASE NOTE, VERY IMPORTANT FOR 2025
In 2022, we moved to an electronic scanning system for our Exhibitor Staff Access. Details of this process is outlined below. The system is more efficient as it does not require us to gather staff names in advance nor will it require checking through lists of names on site.
It is your responsibility that your team is fully aware of this significant operational change. Capacities within Merrion Square are limited so we can only issue a fixed number of customer tickets and staff passes for any period. In recent years we have seen excessive demands for staff passes, with multiple requests for the same stands, both in advance and while on site. This has put pressure on capacities that could result in valid ticket holders being refused access on busy sessions.
We would ask that our Check-In team are shown courtesy as they will be required to work within the parameters of this system with no exceptions. The Organisers will not tolerate any abuse or anyone trying to circumvent the process. It is not the organisers’ responsibility if a participant’s staff turn up with no passes. If they do, they will be directed to contact their companies representative. If they are unable to make contact, their only alternative will be to purchase a pass. They will be sent to the main Box office on Hatch street in order to do this.
Staff passes are for staff working the on the Stand/Feature at the Event only. These should not be confused with the allocation of complimentary tickets that are for other staff members/employees/clients wishing to visit the Event and not working.
The number of Staff Passes is outlined in your original contract with Equinox Events.
Due to the limited capacity for the event, any additional passes need to be purchased and charged at €20 per day and will be issued as wristbands. The additional names and their roles will need to be provided. If you know you will need more staff you must build this cost in. Should additional staff turn up on the day, they will require to purchase the pass. We would ask for your cooperation in this.
You will be emailed the Staff Passes at the beginning of June, that you should distribute to your staff.
Please note the entry points for staff will be listed on the passes. If they turn up at other gates they will be redirected to the correct gate.
On entry, their pass will be scanned by the Exhibitor Check in desk and they will be issued a wristband, which can then allow them to come and go.
If you have a staff member replacing someone on the day, the first staff member must return their wristband to the Exhibitor Check in desk, and a new one can be issued when the replacement staff arrives.
If you have a valid requirement for additional staff passes, please contact the organisers directly in advance. This cannot be done on site. An additional charge of €20 per pass will be required.
We hope that this new system will facilitate our participants who may have last minute staffing changes as the pdf can be sent on to any staff replacing the original staff.
PLEASE NOTE:
Staff Passes are issued to enable exhibitor staff to gain access to the event to work. Exhibitor Staff Passes are provided free of charge and should only be issued to persons working at the event. Exhibitor Staff Passes are NOT to be used as a means for gaining complimentary attendance at the event. The organisers have the right to deny entry to the event if Exhibitor Staff Passes are being misused. Fraudulent use of Exhibitor Staff Passes can result in a fine of up to €100 per pass.
Storage
Both dry and cold storage options are available to exhibitors at the event. All storage must be booked in advance. Please note that storage space is limited and should be booked no later than the 19th of May.
Deliveries to Storage will be via Merrion Square East where you will be directed to the Organisers Compound where storage is located. Vehicle access is very limited to this space so please liaise with the Taste Team on load in as we are working to strict load in schedules this year. The onsite forklift is also in high demand on site so please raise if this is needed in advance of arriving on site. We would advise having a trolly to help bring stock in otherwise
Any palleted deliveries for dry storage should be delivered on Friday 6th June between 10am-1pm and Saturday 7th June between 10am-6pm. Pallets that arrive on site must be removed by the Exhibitor, any pallets left in storage on Monday 16th June will be subject to a €30 disposal fee.
Dry storage costs €150 per sq metre or per pallet.
Cold storage costs €280 per sq metre equivalent.
A combination of a metre sq of both Dry and Cold Storage is available at a cost of €390.
N.B pallets cannot be dropped into the cold storage fridges, items have to be hand balled into the fridge onto the shelves, a staff member will be present to control and assist this.
Please note that power to cold storage will be turned off on Monday 16th at 12pm. Please ensure to collect all perishables prior to 12pm.
For any queries in relation to storage facilities contact Jordan at operations@equinoxevents.ie
Trolleys
No trolleys are allowed onsite during session open times and while public are in attendance. Exhibitors MUST bring their own trolleys for set up and restocking. Trolleys will not be available for rent on site. Please ensure that any delivery companies/couriers delivering goods to your stand also bring their own trolleys.
Water and Waste
There are no mains for water/waste. If you require water and waste facilities to your stand you must book these directly through Alex O’Neill who can be contacted on anoneill@gmail.com or 087 2572077.
Weather
All stands at the event can be exposed to wet weather. It is exhibitor’s responsibility to take the necessary precautions to prevent goods from being damaged. It is the responsibility of the exhibitor to make sure all exhibits are placed well within the stand space at the end of every evening. The marquee structures have front covers for use overnight to help protect goods from being damaged.
The organisers will monitor the weather for any potential adverse weather that may affect the safe running of the site. In the event of an area becoming boggy or waterlogged parts of the site may need to be closed this will only be done in extreme circumstances and for reasons of safety, please cooperate with crew and stewards in these circumstances.
In the event of high winds or predicted high winds the organisers will take down or secure any potentially hazardous items such as parasols, signage, light items etc. You may be asked to remove some of your items. In some circumstances sides and doors may have to be placed on restaurants marquees. In particularly high winds some marquees may have to be closed and evacuated, this will only be done in extreme circumstances and for reasons of safety, please co-operate with crew and stewards in these circumstances.
Under extreme adverse weather conditions there is a possibility the show may have to be cancelled or closed, of course we would keep all exhibitors informed at all times about the correct course of action at this time.