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NI Chamber News
Festival of Business Takes Flight
Dublin Airport is set to be the headline sponsor of NI Chamber’s Festival of Business, which returns to St George’s Market on Wednesday 14 September 2022. It is also backed by supporting sponsors Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Belfast City Council.
The event, which is the largest of its kind in Northern Ireland, will see more than 700 businesspeople gather in the famous marketplace to network and learn from a huge variety of speakers and exhibitors in a single morning.
As well as over 100 exhibitors, attendees will have the chance to hear from a stellar line-up on the main stage which includes Colin Hughes, chief executive of Four Star Pizza, and Fiona Simpson, head of Commercial NI at Amazon.
Encouraging businesspeople in all sectors to get involved, Ann McGregor, chief executive NI Chamber, said:
“The Festival of Business has always been one of the highlights of our calendar and this year, it’s set to be bigger and better than ever. The festival will be a true celebration of the diversity, energy and innovation of NI businesses. It’s the ideal opportunity to enjoy networking in a lively, interactive environment, with the added bonus of being able to learn from a line-up of exemplars from renowned local and global brands.
“It’s also the perfect place for any business interested in showcasing products and services to a really engaged, in-person audience to exhibit. So much so that we’ve already had significant interest from a vast range of companies, all interested in securing a pitch on the day. It’s a really eclectic mix, which we are confident will make for a very interesting morning.”
Vincent Harrison, managing director Dublin Airport added: “Dublin Airport is delighted to be the headline sponsor of the NI Chamber Annual Conference again this year. Dublin Airport is proud to provide vital international connectivity to the Northern Ireland market, and this conference provides a wonderful opportunity to further strengthen relations and engage with the business community. We look forward to a morning of networking, engagement and a great line-up of speakers and I wish the Northern Ireland Chamber team a successful event.”
To book an exhibition stand at the Festival of Business please contact oonagh.diamond@northernirelandchamber.com. Delegate registration is now open on the NI Chamber website. The Festival of Business is free for NI Chamber members and costs £50 + VAT for non-members.
Alan Thompson (Doherty Pension and Investment Consultancy), Ann McGregor (NI Chamber) and Terry Lappin (Doherty Pension and Investment Consultancy). Ann McGregor (NI Chamber) and Vincent Harrison (Dublin Airport).
Tee up for NI Chamber Annual Golf Day
NI Chamber is set to host its popular Annual Golf Day on Friday 9 September, in partnership with Doherty Pension and Investment Consultancy. Over 100 members of the business community will tee off at the renowned event, which is taking place at the prestigious Malone Golf Club. The golf day is designed for NI Chamber members to build networks and make connections in a relaxed setting, whilst competing to win the coveted Golf Challenge Trophy. Last year, Paul Armstrong from Foods Connected lifted the trophy as the player with the highest individual score.
NI Chamber welcomes Grand Central Station progress
Translink recently welcomed representatives from NI Chamber on site to a briefing on Belfast Grand Central Station and the Weavers Cross development to view progress and learn more about the impact the major project will have on the city and regional economy.
Main works are now underway at the 8-hectare site in Belfast city centre, with the facility due to enter full operational service in 2025. The Weavers Cross project is currently awaiting outline planning approval.
Belfast Grand Central Station is a flagship project prioritised by the Northern Ireland Executive and will deliver a modern, worldclass integrated transport hub to enhance local and international connectivity with bus, coach and rail links across Northern Ireland and beyond. It will deliver a high-class customer experience for up to 20m passenger journeys annually. With the added benefits of active travel options, it will also play a major part in tackling the climate emergency and reducing congestion and pollution.
The facility will sit at the heart of the new Weavers Cross city neighbourhood, a name which reflects the area’s rich industrial heritage. It is a transport-led regeneration and economic revitalisation project and will act as a destination not only for travel, but for working, shopping, employment and living.
Planning System Key to Successful Clean Energy Transition
The planning system has a key role to play in facilitating Northern Ireland’s clean energy transition. That was the message delivered at the latest NI Chamber Energy Forum event, recently held at the MAC, Belfast. The Energy Forum series, hosted in partnership with SONI, the electricity system operator for Northern Ireland, brings together business representatives and industry experts to explore the issues of the day relating to energy matters and the decarbonisation of the Northern Ireland economy.
Comptroller and auditor general Kieran Donnelly CB was the keynote speaker at the event, providing over 100 attendees with an overview of the Northern Ireland Audit Office’s recent report into the planning system and its key recommendations. Industry leaders Tamasin Fraser (UK director, ABO Wind), Gary McGhee (partner, Carson McDowell) and Steven Agnew (head of Renewable NI) then participated in a panel discussion exploring the challenges and opportunities facing the renewable energy sector.
Speaking at the event, Natasha Sayee, head of External Communications and Engagement at SONI, said: “At SONI we recently published the Shaping Our Electricity Future Roadmap, which sets the pathway to the decarbonisation of the power system in Northern Ireland. In preparing the roadmap we undertook our biggest public consultation ever, and we are now delivering on its outcomes by putting collaboration at the heart of our approach. “We are delighted to continue our partnership with NI Chamber and its members creating a forum for informed debate focused on solutions and innovative thinking which will drive the energy transition.” Stuart Anderson, head of Public Affairs at the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, added: “It is clear from the event that the planning system is going to play a central role if Northern Ireland is to achieve its renewable electricity targets and achieve greater levels of clean, indigenous energy generation. “This will be a priority focus for the Chamber and we will continue to work closely with our members as well as the Department for Infrastructure and local planning authorities to ensure we have a system that helps to facilitate development and attract investment in Northern Ireland’s renewable energy sector. Christopher Morrow (NI Chamber), Natasha Sayee “This in turn will create employment opportunities and economic (SONI), Kieran Donnelly CB (auditor general at the growth and is essential if we are to meet our climate change Northern Ireland Audit Office) and Stuart Anderson ambitions.”
(NI Chamber).
Patrick Anderson, Translink’s chief
financial officer, who hosted the meeting, said: “Belfast Grand Central Station and the associated Weavers Cross development will represent a new beginning for public transport. It will be a fully multimodal transport facility, a highly impressive gateway to the city with significantly increased passenger capacity and active travel options, encouraging a healthier, greener society.
“This development brings with it huge potential for the regional economy and is a huge vote of confidence in our postpandemic society. We are grateful for the support of our colleagues at the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the project, which will provide approximately 500 jobs and boost local training and apprenticeship opportunities.”
Ann McGregor, chief executive of NI
Chamber, said: “We were delighted to receive an update on the progress of Belfast Grand Central Station and Weavers Cross, which has the potential to be a major boost to the regional economy.
“The project will provide huge opportunities for so many sectors in our economy, not only in jobs and training but in everything that comes afterwards; it is clear from other cities that transportled regeneration projects can drive investment, as well as shifts in habits in how people choose to move around cities and communities.
“Construction and public transport act as drivers of our economy for the long term and it’s been great to get an update on a project that will not only transform Belfast city centre and help the host communities reach their full potential but act as an economic driver.”
Olivia Stewart (NI Chamber), Christopher Morrow (NI Chamber), Duncan McAllister (Translink), Patrick Anderson (Translink) and Louise Sterritt (Translink).
NI Chamber Award Winners to be Announced on 5 September
Olivia Stewart, Communications Manager, NI Chamber and Alistair Brown, CEO, Lumenstream and Winner of the 2021 Game Changer Award.
Entries to the 2022 Chamber Awards have now closed – with the Northern Ireland set of winners set to be announced on 5 September 2022.
Recognising and rewarding excellence in local business, the Chamber Business Awards is one of the UK’s most contested and prestigious business award programmes. This year, NI Chamber will announce local category winners who will go on to compete at the UK fi nal later this year.
With eight categories, including three new awards recognising Commitment to People; Scale-up Business of the Year and Community Business of the Year, the awards were open to NI Chamber members in all sectors.
There were also categories to recognise ‘green’ businesses, export success, diversity & inclusion and diversifi cation. One person will also win the ‘Game Changer Award,’ designed to single-out an outstanding entrepreneur of the year, which last year, was awarded to Alistair Brown, CEO of cleantech company Lumenstream.
National winners will then be unveiled online in October. Winners will be announced via Twitter on the morning of 5 September.
NI Chamber Achieves Cyber Essentials Certifi cation
NI Chamber is proud to announce that it has recently achieved certifi cation under the government-backed Cyber Essentials scheme. Certifi ed by the IASME Consortium, Cyber Essentials helps businesses and organisations to guard against the most common cyber threats.
NI Chamber was assisted by its IT support, Zenith Networks, who worked with NI Chamber’s Head of Finance & Assurance, Stuart Hollinger, to upgrade the organisation’s hardware and software over the past 12 months.
Commenting on the certifi cation, Stuart Hollinger said: “This certifi cation demonstrates and provides assurance of NI Chamber’s commitment to cybersecurity. We have worked to secure our hardware and network against cyberattacks and to ensure that we have the required cybersecurity measures in place. The process has also shown us how to address issues and prevent the most common attacks.”
