This article is from page 64 of the 2009-10-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 64 JPG
BUSINESS gurus are this week gath- ering at Westpark Business Centre, Shannon, to discuss doing business in the mid-west as part of Mid-West Regional Business Week 2009.
Minister for Trade and Commerce, Billy Kelleher TD performed the of- ficial opening of the event on Mon- day (yesterday). Following on from this, Vincent Browne will chair a discussion panel on the topic Doing business in the mid-west – the issues facing this region and how these may lorem: (eld Ron sciol6 m
This discussion panel will include Kelleher, Brian O’Connell, MD of Westpark, Shannon Ltd, and mem- ber of the Government-appointed Mid-West Task Force, Dr Maria Hin- felaar, President of Limerick Insti- tute of Technology, Brendan Kenny, CEO of the Limerick Regeneration Project, and Rory O’Connor, former CEO of Hewlett Packard.
With his many years in the media and his confrontational questioning style, Browne will ensure to deliver a very focused and thorough discus- sion with the panel.
Sponsored by Enterprise Ireland the Enterprise Expo has attracted over 40 stands from professional bodies who will offer advice and guidance to business owners and those think- ing of starting a business.
Commenting on the Enterprise Expo Mary Wixted, Senior Regional Development Executive with Enter- prise Ireland, said, “the presence of over 40 support agencies for business development in one location and the wide range of local successful entre- preneurs presenting their businesses all in different sectors highlights the vibrant supportive environment in the region and reinforces the fact that doing business in the mid-west is still a very viable option.
“The region possesses huge strengths. We have a rich diversity in industry with scope for further devel-
opment. In terms of the cost of do- ing business, this part of the country is more competitive than elsewhere. The infrastructure is improving all the time and there are excellent op- portunities in education, training and research. We must believe in the talents of people in this region and harness their potential.”
Companies taking part in the En- terprise Expo include Greenbusiness. ie who offer Irish businesses free 1m- partial advice on improving resource efficiency, utilising a three-pronged approach which focuses on reducing waste, conserving energy and saving water.
Many of the companies taking part in the Enterprise Expo have received funding from Enterprise Ireland or
the Enterprise Boards and are an ex- ample of the local successful entre- preneurship stories in the region.
Mid-West Regional Business Week is the combined initiative the region’s County and City Enterprise Boards in conjunction with Enterprise Ire- land and runs from October 5 to Oc- tober 9.
The week-long programme of events covers all categories, from those who wish to explore the possibilities of launching their own businesses, to the long-established businesses who wish to expand their management development capabilities. The Mid- West Networking Event with Sean Gallagher from The Dragon’s Den (detailed below) will take place in the Radisson Hotel, Limerick, on
Wednesday, October 7, at 5.30pm. Bank of Ireland is the key spon- sor of this year’s event, which in the current climate is a welcome indica- tion of their commitment to the local small and medium enterprise sector. For further details log onto www. regionalbusinessweek.com.