Chamberlink issue 6 2017

chamberlink ISSUE 06 2017

Cork Excels

Outstanding Achievement

Pure Cork

Digitial Heroes

Don’t get lost in the jungle Simplify your cloud storage with Viatel

Storage-as-a-Service www.viatel.com

CONTENTS

09 >>

BUSINESS NEWS 4

Ditch Your Carbon Cup Print

5

<< 17 Connecting Cork 2017 in focus

17

In 2017, other highlights include the Taoiseach spoke to a record breaking Chamber event in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, with 400 people in the room and over 500 tuned into our Periscope live video feed.

Our international team hosted multiple delegations showcasing Cork and helping SME’s to access markets overseas. We ran training on topics from GDPR to diversity in the workplace. We reached out with 1,900 tweets which had 10,000 likes. @ CorkChamber was mentioned over 7,000 times. In Cork there’s always time for a good natter!

In listing highlights I must mention our home grown Dan and Linda Kiely winning the Outstanding Achievement in Business Award. And of course to all of the winners in our Cork Digital Marketing Awards taking technology and digital communication to a new level.

As Cork businesses, we all know that success does not breed complacency. We must continue to make the right moves

BUSINESS FEATURE GJ Moloney announces Senior Appointments

6

INFLUENCE 8 9

Call to expand the Cork Public Bike Scheme Ditch Your Carbon Cup Print

GROW 10 Breakup in Brussels 11 Exploring New Markets FEATURE 12 Connecting Cork - 2017 in focus

Networking in the New Year As 2017 draws to a close we take time to reflect on the year that was….. one where our region saw direct transatlantic flights being launched, confirmation of the M20 route and agreement of local Government reform. To achieve all of this Cork pulled together and we would like to acknowledge the commitment of the Airport team, the members who supported our M20 lobbying and our local authorities who have reached a historic agreement.

Pure Cork Member Spotlight with Moore Stephens

to ensure that we are prepared for the future. We must progress flood defences in our City and County. We must secure progress on our events centre. We must ensure that the position of Cork as Ireland’s second City is recognised in the substance of the National Planning Framework,The Vision for Ireland 2040. As the second city region Cork must develop with a highdensity core and corridors serviced by quality diverse transport that ensures our quality of life remains exceptional as we continue to grow. In the coming weeks the Government will publish a €100 billion investment plan, which needs to reflect Cork’s potential.

We are also aware that it is an uncertain time but trust that Cork Chamber will stay engaged with Brexit throughout 2018, with Chambers Ireland, Eurochambres, government and MEP’s to ensure that the issues that matter to Cork and our members are recognised and elevated as we move towards substantive negotiations.

COVER STORY 13 Cork’s Second City Status must be recognised 14-15 Outstanding Achievement

BUSINESS SKILLS 16

BiznetCork Skillnet - building Capabilities, Competencies & Confidence

NETWORK 17

Upcoming Events

SNAPPED 18-19 Recent events 20-21 Jingle & Mingle

AWARDS FEATURE 22-23 And the 2017 Digital heroes are...!!

CONNECT 24-26 New Connections 27 60 seconds with Pat Desmond, SimoTech 28-29 Members News

CONNECTIVITY & BUSINESS INNOVATION Finally I would like to thank you for all your support in 2017 and on behalf of the Chamber team we wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas, we are looking forward to working with you throughout 2018!

Conor Conor Healy, CEO conor@corkchamber.ie

30

Connectivity: A Key Enabler for Business

At a time of giving and prosperity we ask you to pause to take a moment and consider those less fortunate and of course Shop Local!

Cork Chamber, Fitzgerald House, Summerhill North, Cork T23 TD90 T: 021 450 9044 E: info@corkchamber.ie W: www.corkchamber.ie

Chamberlink is published by Cork Chamber and is a bi-monthly publication exclusive to members. The opinons expressed in Chamberlink are not necessarily those of Cork Chamber, neither do they accept any responsibility or liability for any legal implications arising there from. Registered in Ireland no. 13918

Chamberlink sponsor

business news

PURE CORK Visit Cork’s has been established to promote Cork as the most compelling visitor destination in Europe. This public-private partnership has been established and supported by the City and County Councils to promote Cork as a destination for leisure and business tourism through a single unifying proposition.

Visit Cork has been working tirelessly to deliver on the Growing Tourism in Cork – A Collective Strategy. One of the key actions of the strategy was to create a brand management system to ensure all activities are aligned with the Maritime Haven proposition.

A brand project was undertaken with the engagement of DesignWorks, a highly experienced destination brand agency.

The project objectives were to develop and design a strong destination brand for Cork that gives everyone a powerful sense of identity and brings our unique proposition to life. A brand that will engage and entice visitors to explore and stay in Cork.

The Pure Cork brand is • TRUE to the history, culture and operational capabilities of all involved in tourism • COMPELLING for the right audiences, supporting the wider place brand strategy for the county • SUSTAINABLE and genuinely differentiated from “competitor” offerings • OWNABLE and naturally acceptable to our stakeholders including local tourism businesses and citizens, who individually will become its best promoters.

The Pure Cork brand is for everyone. It is a source of inspiration and supports the actions of those who contribute to the development and growth of tourism in Cork. It is the best platform to communicate all that Cork has to offer to motivate visitors to choose us as their destination.

Pure Cork is a sustainable destination brand that believes in having a positive impact on local communities and our natural environment. Already over 20 businesses and organisations have adopted the brand and it was launched to the Cork IHF members at their Tourism Ball in November. Destination Manager Ursula Morrish is very happy to provide the brand assets and we encourage you to review and download the Pure Cork Brand guidelines. www.purecorkbrand.com

Celebrating Cork Ambassadors

Joleen Cronin Photography

Cork Convention Bureau (CCB) hosted its annual Cork Conference Ambassadors Awards The prestigious ceremony paid special tribute to 33 ambassadors, including six special category winning ambassadors, who have helped secure more than €13 million for the local economy over the past 12 months and who were instrumental in bringing almost 9,000 delegates to Cork in the past year, approximately 80% of whom were international guests.

Chairman of Cork Convention Bureau Seamus Heaney, said: PAGE // 4

chamberlink

“This is our fourth year of celebrating the extraordinary efforts of our Cork ambassadors in bringing valuable business tourism to the city and county. In the past ten years, almost €75 million has been generated in Cork as a result of business tourism and more than 75% of all business events that come to Ireland come here with the help of an ambassador. It is wonderful to be able to pay tribute to our Cork ambassadors tonight, to acknowledge their dedication to Cork and to give them the recognition they deserve.”

Member Spotlight with Moore Stephens

Nestled along one of the Cork’s expanding business quarters is Moore Stephens, a Chartered Accountancy firm which has attributed its increased workforce to a recovering economy.

Managing Partner Ned Murphy and Eoin Lehane, Partner spoke about how Moore Stephens is growing on Leeside and the issues facing the company and their clients. As a multi-disciplinary practice, it provides routine compliance services like auditing, accounting, taxation, tax returns and sole trader returns which altogether account for more than 70% of its income.

Mr Murphy, who splits his time between the Dublin and Cork offices, said that confidence has returned to the market and there’s an indication that the economy is recovering.

He said: “There’s more belief and confidence out there. That’s reflective of our own growth as a company and our employee numbers which have increased by about 10% in the past year.

We employ 75 people in Cork now.”

Speaking about staff however, Mr. Murphy said “that the feedback Moore Stephens are getting across the board from clients, is that Irish employees are now looking for wage increases, which in the past few years hasn’t been the case. Also, attracting and retaining good talent is another challenge for all employers.”

Moore Stephens also specialise in a few niche areas like working for the Credit Union. Mr Murphy, who was recently appointed as the firm’s Managing Partner, said that the Credit Union is an important area for Moore Stephens to specialise in at the moment.

Their business relationship started a few years ago when Moore Stephens began reviewing loan books but now the company is more involved in strategic reporting like that of corporate governance, risk assessments and internal audits.

Meanwhile Mr Lehane is running some initiatives at the moment in the agriculture and dairy sector in terms of co-ops, marts and business development.

He said: “In terms of growth and opportunities for the practice, we see that as one of our areas of growth. It’s

Ned Murphy, Managing Partner, Moore Stephens going well and we’re getting a lot of traction on it.”

Both Mr Lehane and Mr Murphy also believe that personal taxes are too high in Ireland and the country would be more appealing for executives to work in if these were lowered.

Mr Lehane said: “Personal taxes are very high compared to international levels and that has an impact on attracting executives into Ireland from environments with low personal tax.

That’s a problem, there’s no doubt about that.”

As for the last Budget, Mr Murphy has also seen how the 4% increase in stamp duty has already had an impact on the markets. “We do a lot of receivership work here and we can see where bidding on certain commercial properties has fallen ever so slightly because people now have to factor that into their costs,” said Mr Murphy.

Another challenge Moore Stephens is advising its clients on is Brexit. Both Mr Murphy and Mr Lehane said they are already warning their clients about what effect it may have. Mr Lehane said that it was difficult to know how to prepare for Brexit because no one knows what the exact outcome is going to be.

However, he warned: “Our clients are going to have to start focusing on the likely consequences of tariffs, VAT, customs and supply chain management.”

Eoin Lehane, Partner Moore Stephens Mr Murphy said it was important for business, especially those in the food sector, to plan ahead. He said that some of their clients are already looking at reducing their dependency on the UK market.

Moore Stephens are both great promoters of Cork saying it’s a great place to live and work while also advocating accountancy as a brilliant career choice.

Moore Stephens and UCC have close links and in the past few years the MANAGING PARTNER practice has developed an initiative with UCCANNOUNCEMENT where the company has been approved for placement. Mr Murphy said that this initiative is going very well while Mr Lehane said he was very happy with the talent from UCC. Moore Stephens are well connected across all levels of business and Mr Lehane described it as being nicely integrated with the city.

Leading Accountancy firm Moore Stephens is pleased to announce the appointment of Ned Murphy as the firm’s Managing Partner.

Moore Stephens a leading Irish of accountancy and He said: “I iswould seeowned us provider as a weather advisory services and is ranked in the top 10 Irish accountancy practices.

Ned splitsof his how time between Corkis and Dublin offices, which vane thethe city doing.

This is in comprises of 7 Partners & over 120 staff. terms of the client base that we have A Chartered Accountant, Ned has been a partner with the firm for the which is Ned across allthesectors, bigandand small. past 15 years. heads up firms Recoveries Restructuring team and as well as being an Insolvency expert, he advises many clients in the area of turnaround strategy. Ned also leads the firm’s Corporate Finance department and is actively involved in fundraising, debt structuring and due diligence across a broad range of sectors including hospitality, leisure /tourism and manufacturing.

“I think if the city is doing well, we do well and if the city improves, we improve.”

Ned is a native of Bere Island and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from UCC

MOORE STEPHENS Moore Stephens – Dublin Ulysses House, Foley Street, Dublin 1 Republic of Ireland T +353 1 888 1004 F +353 1 888 1005 W www.moorestephens.ie

Moore Stephens – Cork 83 South Mall, Cork Republic of Ireland T +353 21 427 5176 F +353 21 427 7305 W www.moorestephens.ie

chamberlink

PAGE // 5

Business Feature

G J Moloney Announces Senior Appointments New CEO points to Cork’s potential to become a stronger competitor with Dublin G J Moloney, the Cork and Dublin based legal firm, has announced two senior appointments. Kieran Coveney has been appointed CEO and Jerry Canty has been appointed Joint Managing Director, with specific responsibility for the Cork office. Gerald Moloney, who manages the Dublin office, is the other Joint Managing Partner. Kieran Coveney was Head of Business Banking for Bank of Ireland in Cork for many years prior to joining G J Moloney.

Commenting on the appointments, Gerald Moloney said: “These appointments are strategically important for the Firm as we develop and grow the business across our corporate and private client disciplines.

We are taking the opportunity to build on our strong presence in Cork and our long established and growing presence in Dublin. Kieran’s appointment as CEO is a new departure for a legal firm which typically in Ireland has a lawyer at the helm. His experience in business banking and senior management positions is already bringing a new dynamic to the practice and will enhance our ability to service our clients and drive the business. His expertise and market knowledge will undoubtedly assist our growth ambitions.”

He continued: “Jerry has operated in the Cork market for many years building a successful property practice in the firm as well as establishing a strong reputation for delivery. I look forward to working closely with Kieran and Jerry to significantly expand our practice in both Cork and Dublin.”

Commenting on his new role Jerry Canty said: “G J Moloney is a firm that I have been working with since 1992 and I am absolutely delighted to be leading the Cork Business in the next stage of its development. In G J Moloney we pride ourselves on our standards of professionalism and delivery for our client base. In my new role I am

PAGE // 6

chamberlink

G J Moloney has a history in Cork going back over 100 years with the current business dating from 1982.

Located at City Quarter, the Firm also has a full- service office at Lower Pembroke St. Dublin which for the past 28 years has been managed by Gerald Moloney.

The Firm has a strong regional, national and international corporate and private client base. It specialises in commercial litigation, business and commercial law, commercial property, security, employment, probate and licencing.

committed to both maintaining and enhancing these standards for both existing, and new, clients as we continue to grow the business in the local economy and beyond as it gathers pace and momentum.”

He concluded: “I’m looking forward to working with the team at G J Moloney.

We have a clear ambition to support the Cork business community across all of our specialist areas in tandem with growing our private client base.”

Commenting on his appointment Kieran Coveney said: “I’m joining G J Moloney as CEO at a time when the regional economy is demonstrating significant signs of improvement. The greater Cork area currently has a catchment population of 500,000. This could grow to 650,000 within 25 years as Census 2016 indicates a further acceleration in the national population. Cork will benefit exponentially from the wide diversity of indigenous, national and multi-national businesses, increased investment in our third level colleges and enhanced access through our port, airport and improved motorway network. The region has the potential to become an even stronger competitor to Dublin for talent, investment, facilities and quality of life. This is in the national interest because the incessant pull towards Dublin is definitely not sustainable for current and future generations.”

The Firm has also announced that Munster Rugby Captain and Irish and Lions player Peter O’Mahony has become an Ambassador for G J Moloney.

For further details on areas of expertise please go to www.gjmoloney.ie

Pictured (l-r) at the G J Moloney offices in Cork are Jerry Canty (Joint Managing Partner), Kieran Coveney (CEO), Peter O’Mahony (Ambassador) and Gerald Moloney (Managing Partner).

chamberlinK PAGE // 7

influence

Call to Expand the Cork Public Bike Scheme Since its commencement in 2014, the Cork ‘Coke Zero’ public bike scheme has been hugely successful, clocking up 720,000 trips in just two and a half years, five times more trips than the total number seen in Galway and Limerick, and with more than 10,000 annual subscribers by mid-2017. The call to expand the scheme to connect more locations has been growing, and Cork Chamber has been relaying this message at every opportunity highlighting the demand for an expansion. To support this message, we undertook a business member and public survey last October.

In brief, 62% of responding business members indicated the use of private car when accessing or travelling through the City, followed by 15% cycling. Of those using the scheme, 27% of those surveyed use the Public Bike scheme to access and travel between meetings, a percentage that Cork Chamber believes could be grown substantially. Most significantly, 85% of those surveyed stated that they would use the scheme if it was expanded to further locations, with 55% indicating that an expansion was of high priority.

The top three locations identified

by Cork Chamber members for an expansion of the scheme, listed by the response frequency are Blackrock & Douglas, CIT and Blackpool.

A public survey conducted via the Cork Transport and Mobility Forum on which Cork Chamber is a member, found that 60% of the participating general public indicated the expansion of the bike scheme was high priority with 46% stating that they would be more likely to use the scheme if there were additional station locations. The top three locations were Blackpool, County Hall and Blackrock. Of those surveyed, 32% of respondents cycle when accessing or travelling through the City, with 29% of respondents indicating the use of private car. Here again, Cork Chamber believes that the potential is there to increase the percentage PAGE // 8

chamberlink

usage of sustainable modes. The most frequent motivator for use of the Public Bike scheme was leisure purposes at 30% closely followed by access and travel between meetings at 27%.

Cork Chamber compiled this data to support a formal request for an expanded scheme to the National Transport Authority highlighting the recently published draft National Planning Framework, Ireland 2040, which describes Cork City as an emerging medium-sized European Centre of growth and innovation.

To build on the successes to date and grow Ireland’s metropolitan profile, the draft report highlights the importance of growing a competitive and sustainable urban environment.

A key element in growing sustainably is to grow strategically, to invest in our sustainable and public transport networks. Cork now has a public transport infrastructure requirement that is greater than ever and it is critical that more commitment is gained in the development of public and sustainable transport delivery in the light of growing urbanisation, future population projections and our national commitment to Climate Change mitigation.

To date, locations outside of Dublin City have been continuously underfunded in the provision of public and sustainable transport modes, limiting the choices of commuters and residents alike growing the

unsustainable dependence on private single occupancy car usage. To ensure that we are developing cities of the future, it is clear that focus needs to rest on the continuous development and enhancement of such schemes.

There is clear demand for the expansion of the scheme and Cork Chamber believes that this should be prioritised and undertaken in the short to medium term, and will continue to work towards this.

Michelle O’sullivan // policy & research executive

e: michelle@corkchamber.ie // t: 021 453 0132

thank you Policy Committees!

Cork Chamber would like to thank everyone who contributes to our impactful Policy Committees.

The Economic and Enterprise Committee, chaired by Eoin Gunn, AIB Bank, focuses on advancing strategic economic and enterprise policy.

The Transport and Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Tony McGrath, PM Group, is focused on developing strategic transport and infrastructure policy.

In addition, we would like to thank those who volunteered to our Budget 2018 Committee chaired by Paul O’Connell from Quintas.

DITCH YOUR CARBON CUP PRINT In Cork Chamber we’ve been busily working to find ways to decrease our carbon footprint. We are all selfconfessed coffee lovers, and so we thought here is our chance to make a change.

Recently there has been growing media attention on the introduction of a ‘latte levy’, a step being considered

by Government aimed at changing consumer habits, and reducing waste to landfill, similar to the plastic bag levy introduced 15 years ago. In Ireland, it is estimated that over 2 million disposable coffee cups are currently sent to landfill every day. Even when you think you’re doing good with a paper cup, most of these are coated with plastics and can’t be recycled. Foam cups are made up of non-biodegradable petroleum based plastic and so ultimately end up in landfill or as water and land based pollution. Ireland had the sixth highest level of municipal waste per capita in the EU in 2014 at 586kgs per person compared with an EU average of 475 kgs. Since 2012 our municipal waste has been on the rise again, most likely as a result of economic growth. However on a positive, the level of municipal waste recovery is increasing.

Now we’re not saying you’ll never see a Chamber staff member with a disposable cup in hand, sometimes it’s simply unavoidable, but as part of our daily routines we’re hoping to make a change and adopt a reusable solution.

Maybe it’s that cup of coffee (or tea, not to discriminate) on the way to work, every little helps in changing our personal carbon footprint.

So with this in mind, Cork Chamber met with a group of hugely inspiring 4th and 5th year students from Charleville CBS Secondary School. The Charleville CBS ‘Ditch Your Carbon Cup Print’ (DYCCP) environmental project came 3rd in the world in the Social Responsible Business category at the Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship World Cup finals in

Naoimh Frawley and Donna Miskell from Cork Chamber with 4th & 5th Year students from Charleville CBS. Odessa, Ukraine, in August of this year, after being awarded ‘Most Innovative Project 2017’ by Eco Unesco and selected to represent Ireland.

As part of the project, the students had organised a DYCCP week in Charleville with the goal of the week to foster a culture of prevention and reuse.

An onstreet and online survey was undertaken gauging public sentiment towards environmental concerns as CO2 emissions, carbon footprint, and the likelihood of changing behaviours in favour of using a reusable takeaway cup.

Of those surveyed 68% of the 900 plus respondents noted that they had not used a reusable cup, with 43% sighting the inconvenience of this.

Interestingly however when asked about the likelihood of adopting a convenient collapsible reusable cup, 66% of respondents added that they would use this. The students then researched where to find a collapsible reusable cup and successfully sourced the Stojo cup (sip, stow and go).

In Cork Chamber, we have been hugely impressed by the motivation and dedication of the students and teachers of Charleville CBS in their goal to play a part in changing consumer behaviours and are delighted to be supporting this initiative. We wish the students all the success in growing this project and urge like-minded businesses looking for an environmental action to champion into 2018 to get in touch.

Non- Domestic Water Tariff Consultation Set for 2018 A project for the establishment of a new Non-Domestic Tariff Framework has been publicised by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). The CRU have indicated that they intend to publish proposals for public consultation in 2018. We will let members know as soon as the dates become available and will arrange a member meeting with Irish Water at this point to better understand and discuss the proposed changes.

We encourage members to engage with the Chamber and the CRU during consultation.

Further details are available on the CER website www.cru.ie chamberlinK PAGE // 9

GROW

Breakup in Brussels: Negotiating Damage-Limitation Sarah Thatt-Foley reflects on a Brexit Mission to Europe With Brexit negotiations moving through a critical phase, Cork Chamber took part in an Irish Chamber delegation to Brussels, which focused on raising awareness about the impact of Brexit on Ireland and future trading opportunities for Irish business.

Over the course of a two day visit, we met with Irish MEPs, the Irish Ambassador to the EU Declan Kelleher, Chambers of Commerce from across Europe, Enterprise Ireland, and representatives from the Brexit Negotiation Team responsible for protecting Irish and European interests amidst the UK departure from the EU. In a meeting with Nina Obermeier who oversees Irish interests within the Brexit negotiation taskforce, we were updated on progress made in the first phase negotiation round which focuses on three core areas: EU citizen’s rights, the UK’s financial settlement, and the Irish issue. We heard how the EU Commission is undertaking a mapping exercise of the areas of all-island cooperation, of which there are over 100 different examples; showing the complexity of

Northern Ireland leaving the EU. With both parties now past phase 1 talks, it may be possible to negotiate an outline trade deal before March 2019. However, from a legal perspective the EU cannot commence any official talks on trade until such time as the UK has formally left the EU (post 29th March 2019).

The challenge facing the taskforce is explained by how Brexit differs from all previous EU talks as there is no precedent for this type of negotiation.

Usually, the EU seeks to move countries to regulatory convergence with improved outcomes for all. Yet, on this occasion the EU is negotiating a move from full regulatory compliance to potentially significant divergence in the years to come.

“Normally, we are looking for a win-win in negotiations. But in the Brexit negotiations, we are negotiating a lose-lose situation and ultimately what happens will be bad for both. What we are negotiating this time is damage limitation” as an EU spokesperson summarised the mammoth of the task ahead.

Silver Lining: New Trade Deals

Amidst uncertainty on the future nature of Irish-UK trade, it was reassuring to hear directly from the EU Commission about the new trade policies they are working on.

Since its inception, a cornerstone within the EU has been promotion of free trade. A recent report published by the Directorate General for Trade found that free trade agreements (FTAs) benefit European business and consumers. For example, the Mexico FTA saw a 416% increase in trade while the Chile deal has seen growth of 170% in exports.

However, research also highlights untapped opportunities within existing agreements. Within the EU, 30% of exporters do not claim preferential treatment, meaning that more needs to be done on communicating the benefits to EU business already in existence.

Japan, Mexico, Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay), Chile and Indonesia were highlighted PAGE // 10

chamberlink

as trade deals to watch in the coming months along with a new Investment Agreement with China (the first of its kind anywhere in the world). This is good news for Irish business. The Japan deal could be completed by year-end and this deal alone will remove €16bn annually in tariffs, provide access to Government procurement tenders, and be particularly promising for the agrifood sector.

Mercosur, on the other hand, would open market access to 260 million consumers and could bring 8 times the benefits to business than the recently signed EU-Canada Trade Agreement.

Car parts and pharmaceutical sectors are among the priority sectors focused on within this deal, but the agreement would also bring 35% tariff reductions on clothing and 28% reductions on milk tariffs. Effectively, this would result in EU exporting industries becoming much more competitive than other parts of the world.

The team also emphasised that a no deal scenario is not in interest of the EU. “The EU is determined to strike a deal and is not out to punish the British electorate. We regret the position, but respect the vote” as the Brexit negotiator put it. This message was repeated by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney when he spoke at our Dublin dinner, saying: “What is good for Britain is also good for Ireland (…) while of course we accept that Britain has the right to make a democratic decision on its own future, certainly Britain does not have a right to decide on Ireland’s future by its own vote. That is something that needs to be negotiated.”

So the EU has put onus on the UK to come up with what it calls ‘flexible and imaginative solutions.’ And so, with Brexit settlements now over the first hurdle, here’s hoping that the negotiating teams won’t stumble at the next.

Meanwhile, TTIP talks between the EU and US is on hold until 2020 or until a change in US administration takes places. Interestingly, the EU experience working on TTIP showed the difficulties trying to negotiate a trade agreement between the huge EU market and that in the US. Not only do the TTIP learnings demonstrate the benefits of EU membership to Ireland in trade relations, it also highlights the level of complexity which lies ahead for Britain should they opt to negotiate their own trade deals in the future. *** Next year, the EU Commission will launch an outreach campaign targeted at SMEs to highlight how they can benefit from FTAs. Should any Cork business be interested in sharing their export stories as part of this campaign, please get in touch with Sarah in the policy team on sfoley@corkchamber.ie.

Exploring New Markets: Linking with Lille

Interview with Olivier Charras, Project Manager & Direct Marketing Manager at Nord France Invest

Why Hauts-de-France?

As a whole, France is the second largest European economy and has always been an important market for Irish exporters across a variety of sectors.

Hauts-de-France makes sense for Irish companies with sights on both France and Mainland Europe because of its strategic importance. Hauts-de-France lies in a triangle that links three of Europe’s main cities: London, Paris and Brussels. With excellent road and rail links, and a close proximity to Calais, the Channel Tunnel, Charles de Gaulle and Brussels Airports, it is a strategic location for Irish companies seeking partners in or expansion to Mainland Europe. The region alone has access to 78 million consumers, within a radius of 300 km.

It’s of little wonder that more than 1,800 international businesses have opted to set up a manufacturing plant, logistics centre, or sales and marketing office there.

Hauts-de-France offers a wide spectrum of set-up solutions from the Channel Coast, right down to the Paris Region.

In the context of Brexit, the Single Market ports of Calais and Dunkerque will prove to be viable options for Irish companies shipping products directly from Ireland to Mainland Europe; thus avoiding potential future customs duties that could be incurred by transiting via the UK. Calais is France’s main port for the traffic with the UK and is home to the Eurotunnel Calais Terminal.

Meanwhile Dunkerque is France’s 3rd largest port, with ferry connections to/ from Dover.

What are the main business sectors in Hauts-de-France?

The main sectors in Hauts-de-France include mobility; food and health; green business; information, communications and technology (ICT); advanced materials; and customer service. Of particular relevance to Cork is that the region is home to Europe’s leading nutrition cluster and thus, is a strategic location for health, nutrition or food businesses. It is also at the forefront of the ICT industry, a pioneer in retail and e-commerce.

•

•

About Oliver:

Olivier Charras is Project Manager and Direct Marketing Manager at Nord France Invest and specialises in food and drink, nutrition and tertiary services.

Is there value-for-money for Irish companies exploring Hauts-deFrance?

In short, yes. The region offers huge value-for-money for Irish exporters.

Based on a 2016 EY survey and a comparative study carried out by ourselves at Nord France Invest, key value differentiators include: • Operating costs average at a rate of 13% lower than European counterparts for a broad spectrum of businesses • Payrolls costs are also lower than those of other competing regions in France • As a location, it is ranked amongst the top 3 most attractive regions for real estate costs

Its prime office space is up to 50% less expensive, on average, when compared with our French and European competitors Real estate is as much as 19% less expensive for production facilities and 28% less for logistics services than other locations in France

How can I acquire a business or set-up in Hauts-de-France?

If you’re an international business interested in acquiring a French company, we can help you by giving you customised support. Similarly, we can also assist you in finding the right solution for your direct set-up of a sales & marketing office, manufacturing unit or distribution center. We have also developed a specific offer to assist companies in the recruitment of their first employee on the ground (for example your future Country Sales Manager), able to finalise market studies, define the best market approach and boost your business development. This recruitment is usually key to make your future expansion projects in Mainland Europe and in France a real success!

What makes Hauts-de-France unique for Irish companies?

Hauts-de-France’s strategic location, as a gateway to France and to Continental Europe, is noteworthy and in the context of Irish companies, it offers a viable option for market diversification, particularly for companies who may be exploring other markets in light of Brexit.

Enterprise Europe Network

Innovative Irish companies looking for new markets are encouraged to explore the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) for new opportunities. Cork Chamber is a partner in the EEN project, a project which operates in over 600 offices across the EU and beyond. The EEN can support ambitious businesses looking to grow through innovation and international expansion.

EEN can help you to: • Learn about new markets • Find international manufacturers and suppliers • Identify potential agents and distributors • Find new technologies and partners for collaborative R&D To learn about more EEN supports, contact Eimear@corkchamber.ie chamberlink

PAGE // 11

FEATURE

Connecting Cork 2017 in Focus As 2017 comes to an end, we are reviewing the Connecting Cork initiative, which has seen the Chamber proactively engaging with government bodies, the Irish diaspora, industry representatives and potential investors at regional, national and international level to highlight the Cork story, promoting Cork as a top-class location for business and investment.

The primary focus of the initiative in 2017 has been on the International Financial Services sector. These activities have been driven by the Chamber’s Financial Services (FS) Forum, which is comprised of 20 members that represent the wide depth and breadth of the FS sector in the Cork region, as well as the local agencies that support the development of economic growth in the region.

During our regular communication with the Department of Finance (DFIN), we have highlighted how our activities are supporting the national IFS 2020 strategy, by promoting the regional solutions available to the Financial Services (FS) sector. This resulted in a request from the IFS 2020 Team in DFIN that we brand our ‘Cork for IFS’ promotional materials with the IFS Ireland brand, so that they are formally aligned with the national brand. Our activities were recognised as a regional best practice in the IFS 2020 Q1 Progress Report and representatives of Connecting Cork were also invited to present our initiative at a number of national fora, including the government’s IFS Brexit sectoral dialogue in Dublin Castle (April 2017), the Department of Finance Regional Consultation Forum (Gorey, Co. Wexford, October 2017) and the inaugural Scottish-Irish Finance Initiative (Dublin, October 2017).

Engagement with Irish Funds, the body that represents the funds industry in Ireland, throughout the year, resulted in Cork FS Forum hosting the first ever Irish Funds Council meeting to be held outside Dublin.

Eoin Motherway, Chair, Cork FS Forum, Patrice McDonald, Non-Exec Chair/Director of IFS & Tech companies/Former CRO of Barclays, and Michael Hodson, Director of Asset Management Supervision, Central Bank of Ireland at a Cork FS Forum Industry briefing.

There were also four FS industry-related announcements for Cork during the course of 2017, from Willis Towers Watson, Alter Domus, Beechbrook Capital and Hengtian Software, a Chinese company that signed a Strategic Agreement with UCC in September to collaborate in the development of technology products and services in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Delivering the Connecting Cork Message Globally to: • •

• • • •

•

Business professionals and audiences in three continents, from Ireland to the USA, UK, Australia and China 3000+ people at national and international events that we have sponsored or spoken at in New York, Boston, Chicago, Cork, Sydney, London, Dublin, San Francisco, Shanghai 1600+ people at events with a targeted Financial Services audience 200,000+ people/organisations reached with Connecting Cork messages via social media Mandarin version of ‘This is Cork’ video shown at Hangzhou International Sister City Mayors’ Conference 2017 and Shanghai Consulate Reception Inbound delegations and visitors from San Francisco, Boston, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Shandong, New Brunswick have received our collateral and seen our promotional videos Media reach 230,000+ and value of media coverage €21k+

Michael Wilson, Senior Advisor, Paul O’Neil, Director and Robert Williams, Chairman of Hengtian, Eoin Motherway, Chair, Cork Financial Services Forum, Mark Hutchinson, Professor of Finance, UCC, and Albert Ma, Chief Innovation Officer, Hengtian.

Cork Chamber would like to thank the members of the Cork Financial Services Forum and all of our industry sponsors and supporters for enabling us to promote the Cork story to such a wide audience.

They include JCD Group, O’Callaghan Properties, Morgan McKinley, KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, EY, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Cork City Council, Cork County Council.

PAGE // 12

chamberlink

cover story

Cork’s Second City status Must be Recognised Government must recognise the position and ambition of Cork as Ireland’s second city and the driver of a thriving Southern Region.

This is the main message from Cork Chamber at its 7th annual Dublin dinner, which was held last month in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, in association with EY. The dinner was attended by more than 600 people from across Cork and Dublin’s business, political and diplomatic landscape.

In his presidential address, Chamber President Bill O’Connell spoke about the development of Ireland to 2040 and Cork’s place within it. Referring to the importance of all of Ireland performing to its best, Mr. O’Connell said: “In Cork, Ireland has a strong second city region, and the positon of Cork as the driver of a thriving Southern Region must be recognised in the content and substance of both Ireland 2040 and the National Investment Plan.”

The initial Government 2040 paper set out how it is in Ireland’s national interest to promote growth outside of Dublin, to alleviate pressures in the Greater Dublin Area and to create more opportunities elsewhere. “Against this objective, Cork Chamber does not consider the draft growth targets for cities other than Dublin to be ambitious enough. With the current proposed figures, existing economic imbalance across Ireland will perpetuate, which has a real risk of threatening the attractiveness of our country for future investment and jobs growth”, Mr. O’Connell reflected.

Looking at the potential of Ireland’s second city region for future population growth, the Chamber President said: “Ireland’s city regions, and particularly Cork as Ireland’s second city, have a role to play in ensuring that they complement, reinforce and invigorate our capital city for all our benefit.

Cork embodies the Taoiseach’s and Government’s vision of a ‘Republic of Opportunity’, with Cork identified as having the greatest potential for growth relative to its current size compared with any other part of Ireland. Our vision for

Bill O’Connell, President Cork Chamber during his address at the event. Picture: Finbarr O’Rourke the future of Cork focuses on reaching a population of 850,000 people and creating another 120,000 jobs by 2050.”

He then went on to reference Manchester and the ambitious investment in infrastructure in the UK. “We believe that Cork and the Southern Region are to Ireland what Manchester and the Northern Powerhouse are to the UK” before calling for investment in high speed rail to enable a “game changing” one hour train journey between Cork and Dublin.

However, the President also referenced housing as a challenge to the realisation of Ireland’s future, saying: “If the high density, vibrant cities of Ireland 2040 are to become a reality we must quicken our pace and grow up rather than out. We call on Government to actively stimulate brownfield development which is key to the vision of sustainable high density urban growth, yet all but absent in its development.”

hectare Docklands as possessing a unique potential, not only in an Irish but an international context: “Its development will prove the vision of Ireland 2040 and showcase the collaboration between Government and industry to make Ireland and Cork THE most attractive location to live, set up and invest.”

Responding to Bill’s comments, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney TD in his key note address maintained that the draft 2040 strategy does not lack ambition for Cork. “Cork city and county is likely to be asked to accommodate about 20% of the population growth over the next 20 years. We currently have 10% of the population. Cork will be the fastest growing region in city and county in the country for the next 2-3 decades” the Minister said, adding that nothing in our life time has been as ambitious as that before.

Speaking about opportunities to reform Irish cities as inspiring places to live, work and visit, the Chamber President concluded by singling out Cork’s 220

chamberlink

PAGE // 13

Cover Story

Outstanding Achievement– Linda & Dan Kiely Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner, held in partnership with EY With a record-breaking attendance of over 600 business leaders, political decision makers and dignitaries, a rousing and impassioned address from our keynote speaker, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney TD, and the exciting presentation of this year’s ‘Outstanding Achievement in Business Award’ to Voxpro co-founders Linda and Dan Kiely eliciting not one, but two standing ovations, it is safe to say Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner 2017 was indeed bigger and better than ever!

The main message of the evening was the importance of a strong second city region for national growth and within that context, Cork Chamber President, Bill O’Connell called on Government to recognise the position and ambition of Cork as Ireland’s second city and the driver of a thriving Southern region.

Cork Chamber and partners have been promoting Cork as Ireland’s strong second city destination for financial services through the Connecting Cork project over the last 12 months and have produced a fantastic video promoting the region. Make sure to log on to connectingcork.ie to see it!

This impactful message gained strong traction in the national media and amongst our political stakeholder base adding momentum to our campaign at a critical time for Cork and for Ireland.

Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner 2018 will be held on Tuesday 20th November so mark the date in your diary now!

Cork Chamber honoured Voxpro founders Linda and Dan Kiely with the ‘Outstanding Achievement in Business Award’ at Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner 2017.

Pictured are John Higgins, Partner with event sponsors EY; Bill O’Connell, President of Cork Chamber; Linda and Dan Kiely and Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber.

Picture: Finbarr O’Rourke

PAGE // 14

chamberlink

#1

#2

#3

#1:

#2: #3:

#4:

#5: #6:

#7: #8:

#6

#4

Bill O’Connell, Cork Chamber President; Lord Mayor, Cllr. Tony Fitzgerald; Ann Doherty, Cork City Council; Deputy County Mayor, Cllr Ian Doyle and Conor Healy, CEO Cork Chamber.

Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade, Simon Coveney TD speaking passionately about Cork and Brexit.

Aine Collins, Cork Foundation; Conor Clune, Deirdre Clune MEP; Paula Lenihan, Voxpro and Anne Marie Hallinan, Flynn Hotel Group.

Richard Martin, Ronan Daly Jermyn; Ray O’Doherty, OSG Vericlaim; William Oppermann, MPSTOR and Gearoid Gilley, VHI Healthcare.

Brendan O’Driscoll, Voxpro and Hannah Scully, Royal Hospital Donnybrook.

Gillian Keating, Ronan Daly Jermyn; Siobhan Bradley, SW Regional Skills Forum and Ruth Buckley, Cork City Council.

Darina Allen, Ballymaloe House and Tara McCarthy, Bord Bia. Ursula Morrish, Visit Cork with Orla Flynn, CIT. Picture: Finbarr O’Rourke

#7

#5

#8

chamberlinK

PAGE // 15

BUSINESS skills

BiznetCork Skillnet – building Capabilities, Competencies & Confidence BiznetCork Skillnet is committed to meeting the ever-changing learning and development needs of the talented workforce in Cork.

With this in mind, we have a fantastic range of courses available for 2018 in the areas of: • • • • • • •

Management Development Leadership & Mentoring Communication Skills Core Professional & Transversal Skills Performance Development & Critical Thinking People & Performance Management Data Protection (GDPR)

The network is uniquely positioned to be able to respond to training needs in an efficient and cost-effective manner and we also offer bespoke training solutions.

If you would like to discuss the training needs of your organisation & your employees, please do not hesitate to contact Aoife Dunne, Training Manager, on 021/4530141 or aoife@corkchamber.ie

“I’m getting great feedback from some of the folks here onsite regarding the BiznetCork Skillnet courses. You’ve a great portfolio of courses lately, which is really helping a lot of folks here move up the ladder and have a global impact. Great for business and great for Cork.” Jillian Mallon, VMWare “I attended the Performance Management, Recruitment &Selection and the Be Better @Grievance & Disciplinary Seminars as part of the learn at lunch programme offered by the Chamber Business School in association with the HR Suite. “I am the HR manager of an SME and I found the information I got from attending these courses invaluable.

As we are a company with a lot of young employees developing within the company this course proved to be a valuable resource for the newly promoted managers and supervisors within the company who also attended the performance management course. We all agreed that it was an excellent tool in helping develop time and performance management of their teams and I would definitely recommend the course to anyone hoping to develop their teams skill sets.” Audrey Finn, Mardyke Entertainment Complex

www.corkchamber.ie/training PAGE // 16

chamberlink

Aoife Dunne // Business School Manager e: aoife@corkchamber.ie // t: 021 453 0141

Network

Upcoming Events

Attending events affords your business the opportunity to meet with potential suppliers, meet new clients, build on existing relationships and hear inspiring speakers. To book go to www.corkchamber.ie

Marketing the Ultimate Driving Machine

in association with MII Wednesday 24 January Cork International Hotel €15 members / €25 non-members Cork Chamber, in partnership with MII Cork, invite you to get in the driving seat of innovation this January as we host Paulo Alves, Managing Director of BMW Group Ireland. Mr. Alves will share with guests the BMW ethos of ‘practice what you preach’ when it comes to bringing their brand value, innovation, to life.

The BMW Innovation Strategy, with customers as the driving force, is key to the success of this global brand.

Providing customers with a brand experience, rather than a simple deal on a car, is a primary focus for Alves.

His incredible passion and enthusiasm for the brands’ engineering and design permeates the organisation at every level, both in terms of the product range and the development of an immersive consumer experience. This enthusiasm will no doubt be emulated through his presentation at the event so make sure you book early to hear it for yourself!

Please visit www.mii.ie to book your place today.

Networking MasterClass Wednesday 17 January 12pm – 2pm The Imperial Hotel €20 per person. Exclusive Member Event.

We know it can be hard to get back in to the swing of things at work after the Christmas break which is why we want you to shake off the January blues and kick-start 2018 at our hugely popular annual ‘Networking Masterclass’.

At this event networking expert Caitlin O’Connor from Accelerating Performance will walk you through everything you need to know in order to fully utilise any networking opportunity that should come your way.

Annual Dinner 2018

You will learn about building networks and the most important things to remember in order to build relationships with your network.

Whether you are allergic to networking or are just looking for some ways to get the most out of your business connections this is the event for you!

Friday 2 February City Hall Yes, it has been a year already! Cork Chamber’s spectacular Annual Dinner returns in February. It is the largest event in the Cork Chamber calendar and continues to be the most sought after ticket in town. We look forward to once again welcoming close to 1000 people to City Hall for the ultimate black tie networking event. chamberlink

PAGE // 17

Snapped

Out & About

It has been a very busy couple of months at Cork Chamber! Here is just a taste of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been going on. See the full photo galleries at www.corkchamber.ie

Counting Connections The November Business After Hours was hosted in AIB 66 South Mall. #1: #2: #3:

Vicki Crean, AIB and Orla Flynn, Deputy President Cork Chamber.

Mary Lenihan, Cork ETB and Lorraine Leahy, AIB Carrigaline.

Tina Neylon, Psyched with Carsten Schnier and Aileen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donovan, ACS Anchor Solutions.

#1

#3

#2

The Art of Business The October Business After Hours was hosted in the Glucksman Gallery. #4: Barbara Anne Richardson, Cork Chamber; Fiona Kearney, Director The

Glucksman; Tina Darb, Triskel Arts Centre and Conor Healy, Chief Executive

Cork Chamber. #5: Kay Looney, CIT and David Merriman, Bank of Ireland. #6: Stephen Twomey, Willis Towers Watson and Rhona Geary, UCC Commerce Society

#4

#5

PAGE // 18

#6

chamberlink

#2 #1

New Members The November New Members Breakfast at The Montenotte Hotel. #1: Barbara Anne Richardson, Director Membership Development & Services, Cork

Chamber with John Ryan AIB. #2: Christine Gould, Optimizing Service Results and Zola Sookias, Investanalitix. #3: Carmel Cremin, AIB and Joy Meade 1st Choice Lettings. #4: Mark Exshaw, Nat Ross and Chamber Ambassador with Giada Chiara Angeli, Translit

and Christine Gould, Optimizing Service Results. #5: Daniel Fleming and Edvinas Maciulevicius, Aperture Media. #6: There was plenty of new connections as the new members chat before they pitched

to the group.

Pictures: Gerard McCarthy

#4

#3

#5

#6

chamberlink

PAGE // 19

Snapped

Jingle and Mingle Annual Christmas Lunch in association with O’flynn exhams solicitors The festive season got in to full swing on Friday 8 December as over 320 people attended Cork Chamber’s Annual Christmas Lunch, held in association with O’Flynn Exhams Solicitors, at Fota Island Resort.

On arrival guests were greeted by fabulous decorations, the wonderful aroma of mulled wine and the delightful sound of local orchestra group Musica.

The buzzing atmosphere of the drinks reception carried through to the ballroom where guests enjoyed a four course feast that would give Christmas Dinner a run for its money!

Everyone then had a chance to sit back and relax as the special guest speaker, satirist and impressionist Oliver Callan took to the stage. In a hilarious address Oliver channelled some of Ireland’s best known figures from the worlds of politics and sport as well as poking some good-natured fun at Corkonian clichés!

The event finished with the legendary Christmas raffle and it was almost a case of ‘one for everybody in the audience’ thanks to the outstanding generosity of the many members who donated prizes.

The proceeds of the raffle will be shared by three member charities, Bumbleance, Cork Simon and St. Luke’s Home, who were selected at random on the day.

The event was run in partnership with the Cork branch of the Marketing Institute of Ireland and a great mix of members from both organisations attended the event.

O’Flynn Exhams is a leading commercial law firm based in Cork that provides a full range of legal services to both national and multinational clients as well as the State sector.

wwww.ofx.ie

#2

#1

#1: Bill O Connell, President Cork Chamber; Barbara-Anne Richardson, Cork Chamber; guest

speaker Oliver Callan, Maressa Mills, Chair Marketing Institute of Ireland Cork Branch and

Richard Neville, Managing Partner O’Flynn Exhams Solicitors. #2: Sarah Coughlan, O’Flynn Exhams and Clodagh Sheehan, Accuro. #3: Mícheál Sheridan, Mercy Hospital Foundation, Liam Casey, John Paul Construction and

Tony O’Regan, Tony O’Regan Associates. #4: Mary Coyle and Orla Hegarty, Irving Oil. #5: Rory Noonan, Evening Echo, Diarmuid O’Leary, Red FM and Jonathan Healy, Healy Communications. #6: Megan Pardy and Ciara Flaherty, Springboard. #3

#5

#4

PAGE // 20

chamberlink

#6

#7

#9 #8

#7: #8:

#9: #10: #11: #12: #13:

#11

Oliver Callan entertaining over 320 guests at Fota Island Resort.

Josie O’Kelly, Fota Island Resort; Gillian Hennessy, The Collins Press; Karen Fleming, The Hayfield Manor Hotel & President of Network Cork; Sinead O’Dea, Griffith College and Ciara Wilson, The Salon Shop.

Cathal McCarthy and Ciara Russell, Gas Networks Ireland with Des Lynch, O’Flynn Exhams Solicitors.

Grace Bulman, Poppulo and Katrina O’Mahony, Team Work.

Kevin Cullinane and Daragh Hanratty, Cork Airport.

Amy Horgan, Midelton Park/Oriel House Hotel and Janice McConnell, Midelton Park Hotel.

Guests jingled and mingled to the sounds of Musica.

Pictures: Darragh Kane

#12

#10

#13

chamberlink

PAGE // 21

FEATURE

And the 2017 Digital Heroes are……..!!

Cork’s Digital Heroes were celebrated at the 2017 Cork Digital Marketing Awards in Pairc Uí Chaoimh on the 26th October last. With over 260 of Cork’s best digital minds in the room, the event rewarded their creativity and innovative approaches to digital marketing across 18 categories, Website, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. This year two new categories were added; Digital Superhero & Best Use of Digital

Marketing to Showcase Cork; both aimed at displaying what makes Cork a great place to work, live and play.

Himalaya Yoga Valley Cork were declared as the overall 2017 Cork Digital Marketing Champion, whilst also taking home the prize for Best Use of Video (30 or less employees) & Digital Superhero.

Himalaya Yoga Valley deliver affordable, accessible and authentic yoga to

everybody in Cork. Their corporate social responsibility programme; Yoga in the Park has raised over €40,000 in the last 4 years for the Cork Simon Community.

Himalaya Yoga Valley impressed the judges with their creativity and sense of fun built on a clear strategy. Their digital marketing has also had a real world social impact that is going to inspire other businesses and organisations.

#1 #2

#1: #2: #3: #4:

#5:

#3

#4

PAGE // 22

Winners of Best Website for a Micro Business Opus Creative.

Himalaya Yoga celebrate at at Cork Chamber Business School BiznetCork Skillnet Digital Marketing Awards.

Winner of Best Website for a New Business Rebel Chili.

Eoin Motherway, Paul McGuirk and Colette Quinn, Shine Centre with Aoife Dunne, Business School Manager Cork Chamber.

MC Deirdre O’Shaughnessy with Aoife Dunne, Cork Chamber Business School Manager, Barbara-Anne Richardson, Director of Membership Development & Services and Jennifer Bryan, Cork Chamber Business School Executive.

Pictures Darragh Kane

#5

chamberlink

Cork Digital Marketing Awards 2017 Winners: 1.

Best Website - New Business: Rebel Chilli 2.

Best Website – Micro Business (2 or less employees): Opus Creative 3.

Best Website - Small Business: Coco Beauty Spa & Clinic 4.

Best Website - Medium Business: Griffith College 5.

Best Website - Large Business: Poppulo 6.

Best E-Commerce Website: Irish Primary Principal’s Network/TextAParent.ie 7.

Best Use of Instagram or Snapchat (Business with less than 30 employees):

Dan Sweeney Health & Fitness 8.

Best Use of Instagram or Snapchat (Business with 30 or more employees):

Ballyhass Lakes 9.

Best Use of Twitter (Business 20 or less employees): Crawford Art Gallery 10. Best Use of Twitter (Business with 20 or more employees): Cork International Hotel 11. Best Use of Video (30 or less employees): Himalaya Yoga Valley Cork 12. Best Use of Video (30 or more employees): Kearys Renault 13. Best Use of Facebook – New Business: Mouse Hub Ltd. 14. Best Use of Facebook- Small Business: Enibas 15. Best Use of Facebook - Medium Business: Cork’s Red FM 16. Best Use of Facebook - Large Business: Cork Airport 17. Best use of Digital Marketing to Showcase Cork: Cork’s Red FM 18. Digital Superhero: Himalaya Yoga Valley Cork

Overall Digital Marketing Champion: Himalaya Yoga Valley Cork chamberlink

PAGE // 23

Connect

NEW CONNECTIONS

We welcome the following new members - connect and do business Advertising/Marketing/Market Research Carmody Consultancy Businesses are focused on everything they can do to grow and gain market share. At the heart of this is your customer data, however the ability to identify and interpret this data is something that businesses constantly struggle with. We can furnish you with the tools and processes to take the complexity out of this activity and make it easier to drive key business decisions to enable growth.

Contact: Grainne Carmody T: 086 8974455 E: grainne@grainnecarmody.com W: www.grainnecarmody.com DigiGuys Media DigiGuys Media is a full service creative digital media agency which specialises in video cotent, social media planning and influencer marketing.

Contact: Shane Murphy T: 087 6842074 E: info@digiguysmedia.ie W: www.digiguysmedia.ie Architects/Town Planners Reddy Architecture + Urbanism Architectural Services Contact: Sean Kearns T: 021 4362922 E: cork@reddyarchitecture.com W: www.reddyarchitecture.com Arts Cristín Leach Art Critic, Writer, Broadcaster, Journalist, Lecturer, Panel Host.

Cristín Leach provides Visual art consultancy, media production, and event hosting.

Contact: Cristín Leach T: 087 9881970 E: leachcristin@gmail.com W: www.cristinleach.com The Lavit Gallery (Cork Arts Society) The Lavit Gallery, for over 50 years, has been promoting and selling the work of local, national, and international artists. We programme a series of exhibitions in our upstairs gallery, and display a wide range of fine art and craft in our downstairs gallery.We are a notfor-profit registered charity.

Contact: Aoife O’ Connell T: 021 4277749 E: thelavitgallery@eircom.net W: www.lavitgallery.com

PAGE // 24

chamberlink

Arts St. Peters Cork St Peter’s Cork is situated in the heart of the Medieval city and is Cork’s oldest church with parts of the building dating back to 12th century. Though no longer a religious venue, the building is still open to the public and is a wonderful place to visit, an oasis of culture and heritage in the centre of the city. The venue can also be hired for corporate events, private receptions and weddings!

Contact: Ian O’Leary T: 021 4278187 E: info@stpeterscork.ie W: www.stpeterscork.ie

Charities Society of St Vincent de Paul SVP provides support / financial assistance to families and individuals in need throughout Cork. The key areas of priority are; food on the table, heat in homes, education funding (to degree level) and housing support to assist struggling families stay in their homes & avoid homelessness. The society also provides 126 hostel beds, 28 Vincent’s shops & 81 social housing units.

Contact: Gerry Garvey T: 021 4270444 E: Gerry.Garvey@svp.ie W: www.svp.ie

Business Continuity Services Business Legal Business solutions for business challenges with an expertise in data privacy, GDPR, risk management, health and safety, and HR. Contact: Gail Chalmin T: 01 6363165 E: info@bizlegal.eu W: www.bizlegal.eu

Chemical/Pharmaceutical CyCa OncoSolutions Research and development of technology platform for effective and efficient delivery of drugs especially anticancer drugs to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.

Contact: Nusrat Jahan Mobassarah Sanghamitra T: 089 2347248

Charities Cluid Housing Association Clúid Housing is an award winning not-for-profit charity and the largest housing association in Ireland; providing over 5,500 affordable, high quality homes to people in housing need.

Contact: John O’Sullivan T: 01 7072088 E: josullivan@cluid.ie W: www.cluid.ie Jigsaw Cork National Centre for Youth Mental Health, Jigsaw Cork is a free, non-judgemental and confidential mental health support service for young people aged 12 - 25 living, working or studying Cork City. We provide guidance and support for young people who are going through a difficult or distressing time. We also provide advice and guidance for anyone who is concerned about a young person in their life.

Contact: Alex O’Keeffe T: 021 2452500 E: cork@jigsaw.ie W: www.jigsaw.ie/jigsaw_cork/

E: nusrat@cycaonco.com W: www.cycaonco.com Consulting Engineers/Quantity Surveyors BMD & Co Ltd An Irish based mechanical and process engineering company, with its head office and manufacturing facilities in Cork. Est. in 1974, we operate as a service and module solutions provider to the pharma, bio-pharma, chemical, brewing, oil & gas, power and utilities industries both in Ireland and internationally.

Contact: Mike Walsh T: 021 486-9500 E: info@bmd.ie W: www.bmd.ie HKM Chartered Quantity Surveyors Chartered Quantity Surveying & Project Management practice with over fifty years construction economic experience. Est. in 1964, we are renowned for our attention to detail and for the quality of expert advice which we bring to every project. With offices in Dublin and Cork, we are in a position to service projects in any location.

Contact: Alan Hurley T: 021 4397164 E: cork@hkm-qs.ie W: www.hkm-qs.ie

Consulting Engineers/Quantity Surveyors Econcertive Provider of Environmental support and certification for business and organisations, with focus on costsaving measures and sustainability improvement.

Contact: Phil Walker T: 051 428739 E: phil@ecocert.ie W: www.ecomerit.ie Education/Training/Languages AllTalk Training Online English language training to business clients in Germany.

Looking to expand client base and perhaps enter French and Spanish market in the future Contact: Brigid Farrell T: 089 4260622 E: brigid@alltalktraining.com W: www.alltalktraining.com CAPPA Centre CAPPA is a research centre of Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), conducting both applied and fundamental research on photonics for applications in areas as diverse as telecommunications, medical devices, food and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Contact: Liam Lewis T: 021 4335338 E: liam.lewis@cit.ie W: www.cappa.ie Colaiste Stiofain Naofa Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa is an educational institution in Cork. The college offers Further Education courses, including Post Leaving Certificates and offers an exciting and innovative range of specialist courses.

Contact: Siobhan McCarthy T: 021 4961020 E: info@csn.ie W: www.csn.ie Kinsale College Courses available for all ages on Childcare, SNA training, Horticulture, Multimedia, Film and TV, Art, Professional Cookery, Office Administration, Business, Healthcare, Outdoor education and English.

Contact: Liz Moynihan T: 021 4772275 E: lmoynihan@kinsalecollege.ie W: www.kinsalecollege.ie

Cork College of Commerce As the largest college of Further Education in Ireland, Cork College of Commerce offers a huge array of courses which are industry fit and great progression links to Higher Education.

Contact: Helen Ryan T: 021 422 2100 E: info@corkcollegeofcommerce.ie W: www.corkcollegeofcommerce.ie St John’s Central College of Further Education & Training The colleges offers innovative, dynamic and creative courses in the heart of the city. Excellent purpose built facilities, with professional experienced teachers, in an inclusive supportive and welcoming environment all combine to ensure that each learner achieves success.

Contact: Paula McCarthy T: 021 4255500 E: pmccarthy@stjohnscollege.ie W: www.stjohnscollege.ie The PowerUP Advantage The PowerUP Advantage offers specialist training for accelerating personal and business performance, in order to reach extraordinary goals. This is achieved through increasing meaning, enthusiasm, innovation and employee engagement. Training is offered in the form of: motivational talks, workshops & seminars and one-onone coaching.

Contact: Lyndon Friend T: 087 1207973 E: info@lyndonwaynefriend.com W: www.thepowerupadvantage.com Entertainment/Leisure/Tourism Elite SL Elite Pilates is Corks premier pilates studio with locations in Donnybrook, Carrigtwohill & The Kingsley Hotel. At Elite Pilates our goal is to share our passion for pilates by offering small group workouts in state of the art studios, that are both fun and effective.

We truly believe that Pilates is for everyBODY! Contact: Sian Horn T: 087 6117411 E: info@elitepilates.ie W: www.elitepilates.ie Financial Services/Pensions/ Investment Dan Kelleher Consulting Limited Financial consulting and financial services.

Contact: Dan Kelleher T: 085 7038888 E: dan@dkkelleherconsulting.com

Financial Services/Pensions/ Investment City Trust and Corporate Services Limited Licensed trust and corporate service provider, providing substance services including insourced employees, provision of directors and company secretarial services, bookkeeping, accounting and tax compliance Contact: Danny Cox T: 01 675 3144 E: dannycox@citytrust.ie W: www.citytrust.ie Dempsey & Associates Specialised Financial Consultancy service to Irelands Transport Industry Contact: Donal Dempsey T: 021 4891325 E: foden@eircom.net GRID Finance GRID Finance is the home of financial wellbeing. It is a place where Irish SMEs can access finance for their working capital, growth and expansion needs. We provide Term Loans, Merchant Cash Advance Facility (leveraged from your Credit/Debit Card Terminal), Leasing & Invoice Discounting.

Contact: David Doyle T: 083 0361880 E: david@gridfinance.ie W: www.gridfinance.ie Investanalitix An investment research, consulting & education company focused on corporate DC pensions, providing financial literacy/investment education courses for members.

Our online courses are designed to empower plan members to: better utilise their pensions; make informed investment decisions; get involved with the retirement planning process; and improve their retirement readiness.

Contact: Zola Sookias T: 086 2009730 E: zola.sookias@investanalitix.com W: www.investanalitix.com Microfinance Ireland Not for profit, government funded lending organisation providing small loans up to €25,000 to businesses who are having difficulty in accessing finance.

Contact: Ger Marshall T: 01 2601007 E: info@microfinanceireland.ie W: www.microfinanceireland.ie

Food/Drink A2B Living LTD An online technology based food and grocery company that sells and delivers products to user’s homes and or work places. From our website and App ordering mechanism, to our food making process. A2B Living’s new age algorithm, logistics optimisation and order management system epitomises the direction and attitude of our company.

Contact: Song Ye T: 021 4947888 E: info@a2bliving.ie W: www.a2bliving.ie

Compass Catering

A world-class provider of contract foodservice and support services, renowned for our great people, our great service, and our great results.

Contact: Niamh McCarthy T: 021 2019200 E: niamh.mccarthy@compass-group.ie W: www.compass-group.ie Mason City Centre Bar located on Tuckey Street . Serving the finest of cocktails and local beers. Showing all the major sports on our multiple TVs and Screens Contact: Michael Reidy T: 087 6884868 E: info@mason.ie W: www.mason.ie Food/Drink Vanwich Catering / Hannah’s Kitchen We are a catering company with our own range of Hannahs Kitchen products. We cater for parties - large and small - meetings, events etc. We also supply shops, schools, creches and offices with Hannahs Kitchen sandwiches and ready to heat dinners.

Contact: Audrey McSweeney T: 087 6773563 E: audrey@vanwich.ie W: www.vanwich.ie Graphic Design Babelfís Babelfís offers a unique approach to your commercial communication needs. We are a network of experienced specialists, offering a complete and coherent communications service to our clients.

Contact: Derek Shears T: 021 4971175 E: derek@babelfis.ie W: www.babelfis.ie

Healthcare Provider The Sexual Health Centre (SHC) A Not for Profit, Voluntary Sector/ Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO). The SHC is an innovative and creative organisation that facilitates people’s need for clear and unambiguous information and support regarding their sexual health, while advocating for positive social change.

Contact: Martin Davoren T: 021 4275837 E: martindavoren@sexualhealthcentre. com

W: www.sexualhealthcentre.com Hotel/Guesthouse Ballymaloe House & Ballymaloe Grainstore Irish country guesthouse & restaurant (+ events venue) located only 35 minutes from Cork city & airport. Family run by the Allens since 1964 & celebrated internationally as the home of Irish Country cuisine & warm hospitality.

Ballymaloe Grainstore is a modern multipurpose converted farm building with state-of-the-art conference facilities & hosting a full programme of annual events & concerts.

Contact: Fern Allen T: 021 4652531 E: marketing@ballymaloe.com W: www.ballymaloe.ie Logistics Exertis Supply Chain Services We are a leader in materials supply chain design & operation; delivering cost, capital & complexity optimisation for our global clients.

We work with companies of all size and industry including the technology, consumer electronics, industrial, med tech and pharmaceuticals sectors. We have operations across Europe, the US & Asia, partnering with thousands of suppliers and distributors globally.

Contact: Stephen Davis T: 01 4056586 E: supplychain@exertis.com W: www.exertissupplychain.com Management Consultants The People Practice Specialize in crystallising your thoughts to create forward momentum. Our work focuses on deep dialogue and critical thinking so you define what the powerful question is that has real meaning for you or your Business.

Contact: Sarah Abbott T: 087 2106432

E: sarah@thepeoplepracticegroup.com W: www.thepeoplepracticegroup.com

chamberlink PAGE // 25

Connect

NEW CONNECTIONS

We welcome the following new members - connect and do business Manufacturers Maison Danu Ltd (Brand name NADUR) Manufacturer of ethical, natural, luxury skincare.

Contact: Elizabeth Horgan T: 021 4868151 E: liz@bynadur.com W: www.bynadur.com Marine Leisure CH Marine Ltd Marine Commercial , Leisure and Safety product distribution.

Contact: Martin O’Donovan T: 021 4315700 E: martin@chmarine.com W: www.chmarine.com Property Management/Lettings 1st Choice Lettings A company dedicated to providing a superior level of customer service to both landlords and tenants alike.

Whether you are an experienced investor or a first-time landlord, we tailor our service to meet with your requirements. Our mission is to provide a suitable tenant for a suitable landlord.

Contact: Joy Meade T: 021 4294496 E: joy.meade@1stchoiceproperty.ie W: www.1stchoicelettings.ie Blackpool Management Ltd Management company for Blackpool Shopping District (Blackpool Shopping Centre and Blackpool Retail Park) Contact: John Hartnett T: 021 4391308 E: jhartnett@blackpool.ie W: www.blackpool.ie Choices Property Management One of Cork’s longest established letting & property management companies. Set up in 1993, we offer our clients a range of services from property acquisitions, letting, property management, block management, cleaning and refurbishments. Choices have thousands of satisfied clients since the company was formed, and continually strive to be Corks top agent.

Contact: Cormac Aherne T: 021 4272727 E: cormac@choices.ie W: www.choices.ie St. Patrick’s Woollen Mills Ltd. Property Rental Contact: Denis Murphy T: 021 4894851 E: patswool@eircom.net

PAGE // 26

chamberlink

Restaurant/Bar/Catering The Emporium Company Est in 2016, The Emporium Company is one of the largest hospitality operators in Cork, providing a wide choice of dining-out, bar and entertainment experiences. The Company focuses on delivering great service, quality and value to our guests.

Bars include Tradehouse Central (Ballincollig) The Hunted Hog (Castlemartyr), The Castle and The Riverstown Inn (Glanmire) and J.J Coppingers (Midleton).

Contact: Ronan Murphy T: 021 2340405 E: contact@theemporiumcompany.ie W: www.theemporiumcompany.ie

Oyster Tavern Bar & Restaurant A stylish & contemporary restaurant with a luxurious old world feel bar.

Located just feet away from the famous English Market, we are privileged to source our meat, fish & produce from daily. We serve breakfast, lunch & dinners, with a late bar & DJ on a Fri & Sat night.

We are pleased to welcome small & large group bookings, special family occasions & corporate entertainment Contact: Bob Kriva T: 021 735 5677 E: bob@oystertavern.ie W: www.oystertavern.ie Retail Pat McDonnell Paints Seven paint and decor stores throughout Ireland including two in Cork. Each store has highly knowledgeable staff, all the leading brands, along with free in-store colour consultation (by appointment) and a free delivery service. “We care more. We know more. We have more“ Contact: Richard Bradfield T:021 4320200 E: info@mcdonnellpaints.ie W: www.mcdonnellpaints.ie Services Celene Collins Interior Design Interior Design Solutions for Commercial & Residential Properties. Design Source & Finish projects from small to the large. We work alongside Engineers Architects & Builders. We source and design bespoke pieces for our clients.

Contact: Celene Collins

T: 087 2396140 E: info@Celenecollins.ie W: www.celenecollins.ie

Services Midleton Fitness Midleton Fitness is a way of life.

We are committed to health,well being of the mind & body.Through innovative fitness and lifestyle programs, our friendly, professional team will inspire and support you in your commitment to enhancing your quality of life. We endeavor to ensure you achieve your goals on your fitness journey.’Live life, love Fitness’ Contact: Jennifer O’Shea T: 021 4637777 E: info@midletonfitness.ie W: www.midletonfitness.ie

Software/Software Services Justaap Ltd Development of smartphone app technology for the hospitality sector and utility companies.

Our main focus is in customer service, intending to produce added value of end customers and allow companies and businesses have a productive dialogue and interaction with their customers via mobile platform and exploit the potential of the platform.

Contact: John Twomey T: 021 4391931 E: jtwomey@justaap.com W: www.justaap.com

MYSITTER LTD An online marketplace where parents can find and pay for babysitters and nannies.

Contact: Aaron Collins T: 087 3112807 E: aaron@mysitter.ie W: www.mysitter.ie

LuminHouse Building software products for the professional photography industry.

Contact: Ian Carroll T: 089 7072560 E: ian@luminhouse.com W: www.luminhouse.com

Optimizing Service Results Marketing Consultation. Christine has a 20 year track record in Marketing & Media Sales and more recently has expanded these skills and knowledge to include the Travel and Tourism Industry.

Contact: Christine Gould T: 085 1629850 E: christinegould@tpg.com.au Sherpa Kids Ireland We provide a safe and secure environment for the quality care of school aged children through a structured, well balanced programme onsite at the school.

Contact: John Miles T: 087 7718664 E: johnmiles@sherpakids.ie W: www.sherpakids.ie Software/Software Services iLine Software Solutions Specialise in the development and implementation of the iLine OEE performance/downtime management system for production lines. Our software provides manufacturing companies with actionable information enabling them to increase the productivity of their production lines.

Contact: Kevin Corr T: 086 8109254 E: info@ilinesoftware.com W: www.ilinesoftware.com

Milestone Solutions We are a dynamic, highly experienced Automation and Manufacturing Information systems consultancy. We also specialise in industry solutions such as Quality/Task/Asset Management Systems.

Contact: Will Wilmot T: 021 4610061 E: info@mile.ie W: www.mile.ie PixAlert PixAlert have agentless solutions that scan data at rest network wide to discover and remediate data risk for gdpr compliance, and standards such as PCI - DSS etc. Also allows data access requests and right to be forgotten requests, to be dealt with quickly and easily. We also locate illicit imagery and video within the network, and monitor email in and out for illicit imagery and video.

Contact: Declan McCormack T: 087 3539984 E: info@pixalert.com W: www.pixalert.com

60 seconds with Pat Desmond, Managing Director SimoTech Ltd Explain SimoTech to someone unfamiliar with the business?

SimoTech provides Automation and IT engineering services for the Life Sciences Industries (Pharmaceutical, BioTechnology and Medical Device).

Modern manufacturing plants are controlled by complex computerised systems which manufacture medications and medical devices in a highly regulated environment. Our engineers are involved in the design, configuration, installation and testing of these systems What differentiates your organisation from others?

Our business primarily acts on behalf of the end user manufacturers, providing specialist automation and IT skill sets for construction of large manufacturing facilities and retro fitting of existing plants. We are an independent team of engineers who fully understand the manufacturing processes, the regulatory requirements and the optimised way of implementing complex automation technology. We act as the eyes and ears of the end user and ensure suppliers, equipment manufacturers and system integrators provide solutions that meet the business need.

Who is your target audience?

We currently serve 8 of the top multi national Life Sciences manufacturing companies in Ireland and we intend to expand to the others. We also provide specialist automation expertise to some of the engineering design consultancies What is your vision for the future of SimoTech?

We plan to maintain an aggressive growth strategy for the coming years, specifically to ensure we service the growing needs of our clients for automation and data analytics in Ireland. Due to the global nature of the Life Sciences business we see endless opportunity to support our existing clients with their global manufacturing operations.

What has been your greatest business achievement?

The whole of 2017 has been one big achievement, we moved to our first ‘own door’ office facility, doubled our turnover and engineers from 2016, hired an excellent recruitment team and started our first project based in mainland Europe

What’s your top business tip The overriding principle of the business is Trust. Our clients provide life saving medications to patients and those patients rely and Trust in those treatments. We work tirelessly as a business to maintain the trust of our clients and thereby grow the business through reputation for quality and integrity. If we ensure our clients are successful, then our success will follow.

What makes Cork a great place to do business?

Cork remains at the forefront of the Life Sciences industry in Ireland. The level of talent and experience locally ensures that there is always access to the knowledge required to deliver world class services. Per sq km Cork probably has more expertise in Life Science manufacturing than anywhere else in the world. Its great to be able to enjoy the privilege of performing at high levels within the multinational environment while still having the benefits of an accessible and affordable lifestyle.

on the move The opening of their new headquarters follows the exponential expansion of both SimoTech’s international client base and it’s growing workforce.

SimoTech currently works with several global pharmaceutical/biotechnology clients, here in Ireland and in Europe.

Pat Desmond has over 30 years’ experience in leading project teams to deliver fast-track projects, from concept design to manufacturing operations, providing high quality automation and manufacturing systems professional services and solutions to the life sciences industry.

The SimoTech headquarters team: Back row; Edel Howick, Kevin Nolan, Conor Wall, Daniel Desmond, Aishlyn Kerr. Front row: Pat Desmond and Marian McGurrin chamberlink PAGE // 27

Connect

#1

#2

#4

#3

members news #1:

#2:

#3:

#4:

#5:

#6:

#7:

#8:

#9:

#5

#6

#8

#7

PAGE // 28

chamberlink

Hector Ó hEochagáin and Musgrave Group Staff at Marymount Ball. Now in its 11th year the event has raised in excess of €1 million.The ball continues to attract strong sponsorship from Cork companies Musgrave, Keanes Jewellers, Midleton Distillery, Heineken and Morgan McKinley & media sponsors Irish Examiner. Picture: Gerard McCarthy Exertis Supply Chain Services (SCS) hosted Lifesciences Trends 2017 with over 130 delegates.

The Exertis SCS team: Paul Egan, Chief Commercial Officer; Christina Hayes, HR & Office Administrator; Stephen Davis, Head of Marketing; Olive Ojo, Marketing Executive; Padraig Henry, Strategic Accounts Director.

Ireland’s first lego league : Heather Crowley, Qualcomm with Patrick Connolly and Tia Trubant from Mayfield Community School preparing for the competition.

Anna Geary, well-known Sports and TV presenter, joined Jack and Amelia Forde to launch “Pull Up Your Christmas Socks for CUH Children’s Unit 3. Picture Gerard McCarthy Strategically Navigating Client’s Growth breakfast : Thomas O Regan Partner, Niall O Connell MD, Siobhain Gibson Partner, Paul O Donovan Senior Partner and Anthony Ahern Partner from hosts Harmonia Corporate Advisors. Picture: Gerard McCarthy McCullagh Wall Solicitors and PurdyLucey Intellectual Property recently hosted “Innovation in Business – Creation and Commercialisation of Intellectual Property”. Michael Lucey, PurdyLucey Intellectual Property, Ger O’Mahony, Action Point Technology Group and Adrian Wall, McCullagh Wall Solicitors. Picture: Darragh Kane Shaping a better world with Engineers without Borders. Arup has launched a new strategic partnership with the non-profit organisation, Engineers without Borders (EWB).

Pairc Ui Chaoimh won Project of the year 2017 at the Engineers Ireland Awards. Frank Murphy, Secretary, Cork County GAA Board; Caroline Spillane ,CEO, Engineers Ireland and Seamus Kelly, MD, Malachy Walsh and Partners (MWP). Picture: Julien Behal The Oyster Tavern was honoured to recently host an exclusive fundraising event for Cork Penny Dinners with Irish celebrity & TV chef Derry Clarke. Jerry Harrington, Oyster Tavern presenting Catriona Twomey, Cork Penny Dinners with a donation cheque of €2,000.

#9

#10

#11

#10:

#11:

#12:

#13:

#14:

#15:

#16:

#15

#12

Anne Riordan, Irish Heart Foundation; Stephen Fitzgerald, Munster Rugby; Niall Scannell, Munster Rugby; Jeremy Murphy, Jeremy Murphy & Associates; Liam Sheedy & David Wallace, Bank of Ireland; Brent Pope; Billy Holland, Munster Rugby and Julie Tobin, Bank of Ireland.

KPMG Cork celebrates exam success including two of our Cork team achieving top 10 placings in the Chartered Accountants Ireland exams. Katie Pierce O’Shea, was placed 8th CAP 2 and Emmet Fenton-Leogue, Joint 7th place FAE. Barrie O’Connell Partner in Charge KPMG Cork with Katie Pierce O’Shea and Emmet Fenton-Leogue.

To celebrate ten years of business in Ireland, guests were invited to join Close Brothers Commercial Finance for an evening with Brand Ambassador, Sir Anthony McCoy. Hosted in The Westin Dublin, the evening was a unique opportunity to celebrate the life and career of the 20 time champion jockey.

Blizzard Entertainment celebrated 10 years at the heart of the Cork community with a special event on at Blackpool Retail Park, home to its award-winning customer service team since 2007. Pictured Blizzard Cork Site Director Rodger Sanders and Cedric Marechal, Vice President of International Operations West in front of Blizzard’s 10 year logo.

The Cork International Hotel won ‘Best Use of Twitter (Business with 20 or more employees) at this year’s Cork Digital Marketing Awards, pictured are Kylie Basnett Sales & Marketing Manager, Carmel Lonergan General Manager and Declan Clancy Digital Marketing Manager.

Ronan Daly Jermyn has announced the appointment of three Partners across the Firm’s corporate, real estate and litigation practices. This brings the total number of Partners within the firm to 43. The new partners are Ricky Kelly (Litigation and Dispute Resolution), Brian O’Halloran (Property and Real Estate) and Seán O’Reilly (Corporate and Commercial).

National Learning Network (NLN), Cork, recently held its Annual Student Awards in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. The event, attended by 150 guests, saw 97 students presented with their awards.

Pictured: Eoin Kelly, NLN, Conor Counihan, Lord Mayor, Cllr Tony Fitzgerald, Alison Steeds, Rehab Group, Noel Shannon, NLN and Pat Murphy, NLN.

#13

#14

#16

chamberlink PAGE // 29

Connectivity & Business innovation

Connectivity: a Key Enabler for Business Recent trends have identified a major shift in how businesses operate in Ireland and globally. High-class connectivity is crucial for businesses who rely on collaborative and unified solutions to run their business.

Technology is transforming, and new technologies and solutions are being developed to enable businesses to work more efficiently, and to work remotely at times that are convenient for them.

Now more than ever businesses require an even greater need for high-speed connectivity and unified solutions to allow a level digital playing field for businesses of all sizes.

Missed Opportunities In April of this year Vodafone commissioned research that found that, 67% of SME customers were concerned that their poor communications infrastructure was causing them to miss out on opportunities. 61% stated that it can be difficult at times to coordinate communications between their business and customers. 25% of employees in SME’s surveyed said that they have personally missed a call or email which led to or resulted in a missed business opportunity.

As technology is advancing, business is no longer conducted within the boundaries of a physical building– organisations need access to the right communication and collaboration tools in and away from the office.

Technology solutions such as unified communications can address these challenges and lead to increased productivity and efficiency, ultimately giving businesses a competitive edge.

One Net Business For example, Vodafone’s unified communications solution, One Net Business offers customers a simple, cost-effective way of combining all their communication needs into one cloud- based solution, hosted locally in Ireland. The solution provides future-proofed technology that allows PAGE // 30

chamberlink

High-speed connectivity and unified communications level the playing field for all businesses in the Gigabit Society, says Barry Tierney,Head of Enterprise Commercial Management & Marketing at Vodafone Ireland customers to delegate and control customer queries, enables collaboration through instant messaging, file sharing and web conferencing and ensures an enhanced customer experience without the expensive upfront technology investment.

is a critical element to providing highspeed connectivity to consumers and businesses. Vodafone is investing €500 million over the next three years across mobile, broadband, fibre to the home, network infrastructure, and customer care systems.

Unified communications has improved operations and helped many customers on their digital transformation journey.

Sometimes the benefits are more practical and immediate: even when the recent storms hit, Ireland kept working, thanks largely to solutions such as unified communications: being able to seamlessly manage calls from office landlines to mobiles and having the ability to collaborate with colleagues remotely. It enabled flexible businesses to continue trading through the disruption thereby giving a competitive edge.

Through initiatives like SIRO, Vodafone’s joint venture with ESB which is currently available to 110,000 businesses and homes across Ireland, and Vodafone’s continued network investment and solutions like unified communications, Vodafone is delivering on its vision of the ‘Gigabit Society’.

Gigabit Society Vodafone’s vision is to pioneer a ‘Gigabit Society’ where every business, regardless of size, or whether it is urban or rural-based, has access to high-speed 1 gigabit broadband connectivity.The network infrastructure