REVEALED: Full list of ‘Local Enterprise Week’ events to help your business grow
LOCAL Enterprise Office Kilkenny has unveiled a series of exciting events to support local new start-ups, growing SMEs and anyone thinking of setting up their own business.
The events will take place during the fourth nationally co-ordinated ‘Local Enterprise Week’ between March 4 and March 8.
They include an afternoon ‘master class’ with Seanie Walsh, a highly successful e-commerce and social media expert and the County Final of the Student Enterprise Programme.
The week will culminate in a celebratory evening event to mark International Women’s Day. The Local Enterprise Office, in conjunction with Network Ireland Kilkenny, Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and Bank of Ireland, will host a panel discussion based on the theme ‘Making it Happen’, followed by a evening meal in Anocht Restaurant at Kilkenny Design Centre.
Tuesday, March 5
As part of Local Enterprise Week, the Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny is presenting an opportunity for businesses to learn how they can boost ecommerce sales and improve their digital strategy by offering the Ecomm Maze Masterclass.
This half-day, fully immersive, digital consulting session, which will take place on Tuesday afternoon, March 5 from 1.45pm to 5.30pm at the Newpark Hotel, will be led by V353’s Creative Director Seánie Walsh and will be part masterclass, part workshop.
Wednesday, March 6
On Wednesday more than 100 enterprising students will participate from across the County will compete in the Student Enterprise Programme in the Lyrath Estate Hotel. Each school hosted their own final and a number of businesses were chosen to represent their school in the County Final.
There are three categories – Junior, a competition for 1st year students, Intermediate (2nd & 3year students) and Senior (4th, 5th 7 6th years). This event will be broadcasted live on KLCR96Fm and is open to the public from 1pm. The successful winners here will progress to represent Kilkenny at the Student Enterprise Programme National Final which will be held on Friday, May 3 at Croke Park.
Friday, March 5
The week will round off with a celebratory event as part of International Women’s Day on at 4pm in Anocht Restaurant, Kilkenny Design Centre. This event will be all about empowering women to step up to the challenge, be ready to seize opportunities and the panel of speakers will outlining how they did just that both in their careers, businesses and within the community.
Making It Happen is the theme of the event and each speaker has their own unique story to tell. The panel includes Siobhan O’Dwyer; Global Marketing Director, Kingspan and formerly 3sixty Marketing, Kilkenny; Marguerite Brosnan; Managing Director, Bank of Ireland Insurance Services & Director of Transformation, Noreen Murphy, Co-founder Billy’s Tearooms Ballyhale, and finally – just back from the Oscars’ Ceremony in Los Angeles – is Yvonne Ross of Yvonne Ross Jewelers.
The event will take place in Anocht Restaurant Kilkenny Design Centre from 4pm and will be followed by a celebratory evening meal. The event is open to female across all walks of life including budding entrepreneurs, SME owners, professionals, people involved in non-profits, charities, arts and the public sector.
Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny, said: “We would encourage every start-up and small business owner to make it their business to check out and participate in the events taking place in their locality.
“It is important that anyone starting or growing a business is fully aware of the extensive range of enterprise supports that are available to them.
“Small businesses continue to be the backbone of our local economy, with huge potential to grow and create jobs,” she added.
*For further details about these events, visit the Local Enterprise Office website www.localenterprise.ie/kilkenny
