Monday 07 March | 9.00 am - 10.45am | Drive Growth By Digitising Your Business | Digitalisation can drive efficiency and effectiveness in your business. Discover how to automate processes, improve efficiency and connect your software applications to streamline operations. Learn from companies who have already digitised and seen the benefits. And find out about the Local Enterprise Office Digital Voucher that can help kickstart the digitalistion process in your business.
Hosted by Joan Mulvihill Digitialisation Lead at Siemens, this event will be entrepreneur led and feature an interactive panel discussion | FREE
Book here
Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office Dublin City
|
Monday 07 March | 2 pm to 3.30 pm | Food: Consumer Trends in 2022. Hear from Ireland’s leading food experts | What changes in consumer behaviour can the food industry expect this year? How will this affect your food business? What
opportunities await? Join us to hear the latest Bord Bia research and a panel of industry experts discuss trends and insights into how the consumer will behave for 2022 and beyond.
This dynamic event for the food industry will interest existing and start-up food producers, farmers, and food operators | FREE Book here [Open to all. Organised by LEO Limerick] |
Monday 07 March | 7pm to 8.45pm | Retail: Adapting and innovating in an ever-changing trading environment | Retailers are, without doubt, some of Ireland’s most resilient and innovative entrepreneurs. The trading environment is constantly changing and retailers not only change with them, but lead on innovation.
This Spotlight event, designed for retailers, focusses on managing change, developing innovative practices, anticipating customer needs, using multiple channels to reach customers and future trends.
Hosted by Retail Consultant Miriam Simon, this inspiring and dynamic session features retailers, Retail Excelle nce and industry experts. Duncan Graham, Managing Director, Retail Excellence:
Originally from Nottingham Duncan has a wealth of experience in Irish retail since his arrival in Cork in 1996 where he spent 2 years with Marks and Spencer in Cork before relocating to Dublin. In 1999 he moved to Brown Thomas in Grafton street where he spent 3 years as General Manager before taking on a role as CEO in the fashion industry. For the last 8 years Duncan has worked as Retail Director for Specsavers covering  Ireland, Scotland and Spain.
Orla McDonnell Business Consultant / Coach:
Orla works with Retail Business Owners & Professionals to Create a Leaner, more Efficient Business & Produce Better Profit Margins. She is passionate about helping retailers to transition their retail bu siness by maximising opportunities.
Founder of OMD Consultancy - a business agency dedicated to the retail sector, Orla brings vast experience and knowledge working with both independent and big-box retailers in the UK & Ireland.
Her clients have benefited from her knowledge and application of Lean Six Sigma & Digital Marketing tools to improve performance in their retail business.
After pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Limerick, Jean McCabe created the Willow brand and established her first fashion retail store in Ennis in 2007.
A successful on-line presence willow.ie followed in 2017. Jean is former President of Ennis Chamber of Commerce, winner of Retail Excellence Store of the Year 2019 and is Vice-Chair of the board of Retail Excellence. Jean is passionate about independent retail & the retail experience.
Aidan Harte, Optimum Results:
Deeply involved in his two business for over 26 years, Aidan brings a valuable perspective to the work of improving the performance of SME Retailing. His Consumer Research company, ‘Customer Perceptions’ has processed over 1.5 million Mystery Shopping / customer feedback reports while Optimum Results has delivered skills & performance development services to some 22,500 SME Managers across 21 Countries.
Aidan holds an MSc i n Executive Leadership and is a qualified trainer and business counsellor. He a graduate & Fellow of both the Marketing Institute of Ireland and the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants & Business Advisers and is a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership & Management. | Free
Book here
[Open to all & organised by Local Enterprise Office Louth] |
Tues 08 March | 10am-12pm | Internationalising Your Business: Developing Export Opportunities in a Digital Age
| This dynamic session, is packed with novel and creative digital approaches to export development. Designed for businesses who have achieved success locally through improved e-commerce capability, but are now seeking to expand their trading capability into target International markets.
Part A : Innovative workshop where you will learn unique tools for mapping, researching and engaging export markets and scaling business growth. Part B : Panel discussion facilitated by Sam Marchetti of ConsortiaCo, which will feature Enterprise Ireland Export Development Advisors and entrepreneurs who are already leading the way. This session will be led by Business Innovation Strategist, Sam Marchetti.
Sam is Founder of ConsortiaCo with 11 years of experience in business development, sales strategy, training and development initiatives for public and private sectors. He brings a blend of technical expertise with the latest innovative methods for modern day sales through Design Thinking, Peer to Peer development and creative business growth strategies. As Director of ConsortiaCo & Social Enterprise International, Sam is involved in numerous EU and International consultancy and mentoring programmes across green transition, sustainable enterprise, wellbeing and business growth. He is a mentor and business advisor across 40 national and international panels for SME Development. | FREE Book here [Open to all. Organised by LEO South Dublin] |
Tuesday 08 March | 2pm-4pm | From Good to Great: Using Lean for a Competitive Edge | Many of us in the business world are Swans; on the surface we glide effortlessly across the water while beneath, we paddle furiously just to keep going. Many more of us are the “Mighty Oz”, all powerful and in control. The appearance is of seamless automation and flow, but in reality our teams are manually pulling lever to keep the show on the road.
Businesses across Ireland are facing these challenges head-on by adopting Lean Thinking. By focusing on what the customer values, they identify and eliminate waste and inefficiencies from what they do. If you have ever sat at your desk or workstation and thought to yourself “there has to be a better way”, then this event is for you. This event will provide a hands-on introduction to Lean Thinking, showing you how to spot waste in your processes. We will set out the many supports available to businesses to Grow Lean and hear from local businesses who will give an insight into the real and tangible change introducing LEAN principles to their business. Award-winning Lean Coach, Stuart Nelson of Jigsaw Better Business will deliver an interactive workshop on Growing Lean. You will also meet 4 business owners, sharing the challenges they faced in their business, and explain Lean Thinking has transformed their business. Discover the supports available for implementing this in your business from Head of Enterprise at LEO Kildare Jacqui McNabb, while Robert Hernan of Enterprise Ireland will explain the Lean for Micro programme. Hosted by Stuart Nelson of Jigsaw Better Business, this afternoon event will leave you with clear, practical ideas on how do things better, smarter, cheaper and together. Using the lessons from this practical workshop you can improve profits, customer service and employee engagement. Improve your business by attending this event! | FREE Book here [Open to all. Organised by LEO Kildare] |
Tuesday 08 March | All Day | International Women’s Day 2022 | International Women’s Day 2022 takes place on Tuesday, 8th March with a theme of #BreakTheBias. Local Enterprise Offices across the
country will be staging events during the week to mark the occasion. Watch out for local events in your area! | |
Wed 09 March | 9.00 am – 11.00 am | Going Green: Small Steps, Big Impact
| Join Local Enterprise Office Cork North and West to discover how small steps can lead to a positive impact for your business, your customer, your carbon footprint and the environment. Featuring keynote speaker Dr Tara Shine of Change by Degrees and hosted by Jackie Gowran of Business Weaving, Going Green is about taking one step at a time.
Learn what changes you can make in your own businesses to drive change from managing your carbon footprint to sustainable and flexible work practices.
- It is aimed at small business owners or employees of small businesses, across all sectors.
- This event will feature a keynote address and Q&A with leading environmentalist Dr. Tara Shine.
- Inspiring stories of Irish businesses with an emphasis on those with “Green Roots” as well as those with “Green Branches”.
• Dr Tara Shine, Change by Degrees, her passion for and knowledge of climate change, the environment and development issues has taken her across the seven continents of the world in many different capacities. Tara is deeply committed to highlighting and addressing the difficult truths about our impact as human beings on the planet and on each other. Her mission is to help people to create and realise a positive vision for the future, based on respect for rights, sustainability and equity.
• Jackie Gowran, Business Weaving Jackie is a business coach, trainer and mentor with over 30 years of experience ,who specialises in nurturing individuals, blending traditional business training with a holistic, intuitive approach. She helps business owners overcome obstacles, build their confidence and develop an aligned business.
• Attila Magyar, Mamukko, is a brand of upcycled lifestyle bags and accessories. They are husband and wife team, Nora, a seamstress, and Attila 6th generation leather worker. They use local materials as well as ocean-race sails, decommissioned rubber life rafts and airplane parts combining with upcycled or top quality Italian veg tan leather.
• Susan Owens, Native Denims, is a Dublin based company, which opened their doors in 2018 at the Chocolate Factory due to a demand for quality and sustainable garments. They are proud to be rekindling what was once a thriving industry but sadly began to diminish from the early eighties due to “fast fashion” where price was valued over quality. They produce slow denim fashion for a sustainable future.
• Sean O’Sullivan, Badly Made Books badly made books is a contemporary Irish bookbinders printers, designers & stationery manufacturers based in Cork city specialising in high-quality, low-impact books. They manufacture and distribute recycled paper books all over Ireland and internationally.
| FREE Book here [Open to all. Organised by LEO Cork North and West]
|
Wed 09 March | 11:00 am–12:30pm | Agile Ambition: Funding for Innovation | The Agile Innovation Fund gives small companies rapid access to funding to develop new technologies, new products or to respond more quickly to develop new market opportunities. Companies can access up to 50% to support new product, process or service development projects, up to a total spend €300,000. Smaller projects may also qualify for 50% grant aid.
This event tells the story of two companies who have successfully received this support and provides valuable insights into the online
application process. | FREE Book here
[Open to all. Organised by LEO Galway] |
Wed 09 March | 2:00 pm–4:30 pm | Intellectual Property: First Steps in Protecting Your Business | Learn how to identify intellectual property in your business or processes. Aimed at technology, manufacturing, processing and creative industries, this event will help you understand the first steps you need to take in protecting your IP assets.
Discover the supports available to you through the Enterprise Europe Network, your Local Enterprise Office, Enterprise Ireland and other agencies. And don’t miss the opportunity for a one-to-one consultation session with one of our IP experts. | FREE Book here
[Open to all & organised by the Enterprise Europe Network & LEO Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim & New Frontiers North West] |
Thursday 10 March | 9.30 am 12.30 pm | Future Proofing Your Small Business Using Smart Tech Tools
| Want to work smarter not harder in future? Technology is ever-changing. Business owners are invited to this tech pitstop to learn about emerging technologies that can help futureproof any business.
This dynamic, innovative workshop, delivered by Noel Davidson, aims to help small business owners, assess if they are using enough, easily available, smart tech tools to save time and work more efficiently. | FREE Book here Open to all. Organised by LEO Wicklow]
NOTE: This is part 1 of a 2 part series. Session 2 takes place on Thursday 24th March from 09.30-12.30hrs. By registering for the 10th
March, you are automatically registered the second session |
Thursday 04 March | 2.00pm – 4.00pm | Social Media Mashup: Future Opportunities For Your Business. | Now more than ever it is important that businesses include social media as part of their business strategy. This dynamic event is for owners and managers who want to ensure they optimise their social media activity and prepare for future trends. The line-up for this event features the Tweeting Goddess herself, Samantha Kelly as well as serial entrepreneur Jordan Casey and creator of Waterford Whispers News Colm Wilkinson and Paul Dower of Waterford in your Pocket. Hosted by Tereseanne O’Reilly, this lively discussion will include which apps you can use to enhance your social media offering, the importance of blogging and vlogging, digital marketing and future trends such as influencer marketing, long form and snackable content.
At this event you will discover the true power of social media for your business and leave with lots of tips and tricks that you can start using straight away to benefit your business This event is hosted by Teresanne O’Reilly:
Teresanne is the founder and managing director of The Forest, a web design and brand strategy company that works with small and medium sized businesses to build beautiful websites and develop content marketing strategies to build brands that sell. With over a decade of experience in commercial radio and digital media, effective and strategic communications are her forte. Teresanne also holds a First Class Honours Masters Degree in Digital Marketing from Waterford Institute of Technology. Find her on Instagram: @TforTeresanne & @theforest.ie
And features a host of expert speakers: Samantha Kelly, Tweeting Goddess:
Samantha is a Twitter expert, Author, International speaker,  TEDx speaker, award-winning social media strategist, trainer, events specialist, community builder, and founder of the International Women’s Inspire Network. Mentioned in many global publications and lists including Forbes.
Jordan Casey, Serial Entrepreneur:
One of the world’s youngest serial entrepreneurs Jordan is a BAFTA nominated 20 year old self-taught programmer. Since the age of 9, Jordan has founded several different technology start-ups and bec ame the youngest iOS app developer after releasing his game into the iTunes store which went to number one on the iTunes charts. Along with running his own business he has worked on projects with corporations like Google, Facebook and the European Union and has established himself as a global symbol for youth entrepreneurship becoming one of the most sought after international youth speakers, speaking at over 200 events spanning 30 countries reaching half a million attendees.
Colm Williamson, Creator Waterford Whispers News
Colm , is the creator of Waterford Whispers News (WWN) which is an Irish satirical news.
The site has been called Ireland's answer to U.S. satirical media company, The Onion, and has been the source of several satirical articles that gained international notability, including: North Korea Lands First Ever Man On The Sun, Confirms Central News Agency. WWN website originated from a Facebook page set up in June 2009.
Since 2014, Waterford Whispers News has published selections of their best stories, plus new material, in an annual year book and has branched out from a solely online format into a tour of live performances in Ireland.
Paul Dower, Waterford In Your Pocket:
Paul Dower started Waterford In Your Pocket as a Facebook page in 2014 as a way to promote the area as a great place to live, work and play using photos and videos. As time went on Waterford In Your Pocket started using Instagram, Twitter and a dedicated website and now has over 60,000 followers. Paul has worked with the LEOs across th e South East giving workshops in social media and digital marketing. | FREE Book here Open to all. Organised by LEO Waterford] |
| Fri March 11th | 11.00am -12.00pm | Boost Your Business Online: How to stand out from the crowd | This event is presented by Theresa Roseingrave and Cormac Ryan of BrandAmp: To put it simply, BrandAmp is a Marketing Agency made up of owners; Theresa & Cormac. With nearly 30 years of experience between them, they specialise in all things Branding & Digital Marketing. Theresa brings the “Brand” and Cormac adds the “Amp” (Digital Marketing). They have everything a business needs to take them to the next level. The pair had worked together for over 6 years and felt it was the natural step to join forces and create something of their own. For businesses that need to add “oomph” to their brand, BrandAmp is a first port of call..jpg "LEO Clare - Theresa and Cormac (Collage)") | FREE
Book here Open to all. Organised by LEO Clare] |
Friday
March 11th
| 2.00am -3.45pm |
Show Me The Money | Raising finance for your business can be a real challenge. Where do you start? Who is the right lender for your business? How do you
apply? How do you improve your chances of getting a positive decision?
Join us for an afternoon online seminar featuring financing experts and organisations that invest in small and start-up businesses, including the Local Enterprise Office, Microfinance Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, SBCI, the Credit Review Office and more | FREE Book here [Open to all. Organised by LEO Fingal] |
