Brian Stack

Brian Stack was born in Dublin and later attended Salford College in England, a college of marketing. He began his career at Aer Lingus, where he held various positions, including Sales Manager for the North of England and South of England. Stack then returned to Ireland, joining the Convention Bureau of Ireland, and in 1977 he moved to New York to work with the Irish Tourist Board. In addition to the position of East Coast Manager, he specialized in the promotion of convention and incentive travel to Ireland.

In 1984, Stack was appointed Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. In 1990 he joined CIE Tours International as President and CEO for North America. In 2007, Stack became Managing Director of CIE Tours International. He is now responsible for their global market. Brian was President of the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) and is Past Chairman of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). He is also Vice President of the Ireland-United States Council for Commerce and Industry, and a board member of the Irish American Cultural Institute, Tourism Cares and CIE Tours International. He is married to Anne-Marie with two grown children, Annalise and Jonathan, and two granddaughters.

Percy’s Tavern

Percy’s Tavern was opened in November 2011. It was founded by two Irish friends, one from County Down (Paul Burns) and the other from Dublin (Larry Watson). These two great friends met through the New York dart scene over 20 years ago and this New York City venture has been a life long dream for the two men. The tavern was named for Percy French, one of Ireland’s foremost songwriters and entertainers of the 19th century. He also became recognized for his watercolor paintings. Darts, food, drink and fun are what it is about and the customers always feel at home in Percy’s Tavern, especially when the traditional music sessions are in full swing. 2011 was a difficult year to open any business but these two are determined to make it a success.