November 2018 saw an historic gathering in Alexandria VA of Irish Pub operators from all over the United States and Canada , along with the respective heads of Tourism Ireland and The Irish Food Board. The event was designed to workshop how a closer relationship between the operators and Irish State Agencies could have mutual benefit. The event was organized by Donal Ballance, a restaurant consultant from Toronto.

The workshop was a huge success with all operators agreeing that a more formal organization of the pub community would create opportunities for the sharing of knowledge and resource. The group ended the workshop with a reception in the Irish Ambassador’s residence in Washington DC where His Excellency Ambassador Mulhall thanked all the operators for contributing to the rich culture of Ireland across North America.