Rory Casey is one of the founders and Managing Director of Fibrepulse, a Castlebar-based company involved in manufacturing fibre optic cables for, among other things, satellites. He will speak at the Wednesday, April 7th, meeting of MOCC in GMIT’s Castlebar campus.

Apart from the novelty of Fibrepulse’s product, their story is also one of hope for all businesses, as its latest phase of success came after the telecoms company reached a potentially disastrous crossroads in 2001.

The telecoms meltdown in 2001 hit Fibrepulse hard, but the turnaround came in December 2002, when Fibrepulse attended an Enterprise Ireland seminar focusing on opportunities in the space industry.

“We would not have even looked at the industry if it were not for the meltdown,” Rory says. The move into outer space paid immediate dividends, and by 2004, Fibrepulse had signed a General Space Technology Programme (GSTP) contract with the European Space Agency that involved partners in several European countries.

Pearce Flannery is the founder and CEO of Pragmatica, a marketing and HR consultancy group whose training and motivational programmes are widely recognised as being among the most innovative in Irish industry today.

In 2006, he won the JCI / PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 award.

The MOCC meeting will take place on

Wednesday, March 3rd,

at 11am,

in GMIT’s Castlebar campus.

More information on Pearce Flannery is available at http://ie.linkedin.com/in/pearceflannery.

The Enterprise & Innovation Week will run from the 22^nd to the 25^th of February 2010, and will feature over 20 events, including a number of international high-profile presenters. Some of the key note speaker includes:

• Danny McCoy, newly appointed Director General of the Irish Business & Employers Confederation (IBEC) will formally launch the week’s programme
• Larry Farrell, leading US author and expert on entrepreneurship
• Harry Grill, Corporate Partner, with global law firm K&L Gates, counsels clients on cross-border, strategic transactions and advises international businesses looking to establish a commercial presence in the United States.
• Seán Gallagher, Founder and CEO at Smart Homes and a Dragon on RTE’s Dragon’s Den
• Ian Brannigan, Development Executive with the Western Development Commission.  Ian will be presenting the findings of the WDC’s recent report on the huge potential of the creative industry in the West of Ireland
• The final of Sligo VEC’s Dragon’s Den Competition.

IT Sligo’s President, Prof. Terri Scott, today announced the details of this exciting week of events and gave a call to companies, organisations and individuals in the Northwest to get involved and take advantage of this week of innovation.

“Our Enterprise and Innovation Week is a regional initiative supported by our enterprise, development and community partners.  Through our Innovation Centre, IT Sligo provides the gateway for enterprise and entrepreneurs to access a wealth of expertise including expert staff, graduates, students and special facilities” commented Niall McEvoy, Head of Innovation at IT Sligo.

Visit Enterprise & Innovation Week’s website www.itsligo.ie/innovationweek for up-to-date information on the week’s schedule, news and events, and how to get involved.

Enterprise & Innovation Week Schedule

The Show is a ‘bootcamp’ for businesses, making them more efficient and fit for purpose. It will include advice on exploiting business opportunities and becoming sustainable, as well as those all-important cost-cutting tips.

The Better Business Show is presented by the Small Firms Association in partnership with a collection of some of Ireland’s market-leading companies, including Aviva, Eircom, ESB Customer Supply Greenstar and Ulster Bank.

The Better Business Show will provide, free of charge, world-class information, advice and assistance to Ireland’s 250,000 small businesses across a range of business issues.

A panel of experts will advise on themes such as assessing the economic ouflook, accessing and managing finance, using technology to drive productivity and enhance marketing/customer relationships, and saving money through energy efficiency and streamlined waste management.

Reservations can be made free of charge on www.betterbusiness.ie. At each venue personnel from the partners and the SFA will be available for interview.

The Sligo show takes place in the Clarion Hotel on Tuesday 16th February and the Mayo show in Breaffy House Hotel, Castlebar on Wednesday 17th February

TF Royal Hotel,

People in business or connected with business should attend

Castlebar Chamber presents a speed networking event, allowing opportunities to develop new business relationships, be it securing new clients, meeting a potential strategic business partner, or tapping into a new audience.

What is Speed Networking?

Attendees will participate in a series of 2 “minute” one -to – one meeting, when you hear the bell ring you will move to your next opportunity.

Format of evening

19:45 Registration
20:00 “Effective networking” – Sandra Hart, Business Network Ireland, (BNI)
20:20 Develop pitch
20:30 Speed networking
21:30 Event close, followed by refreshments

What to bring

Business cards, promotional material, pen and paper

Free for Castlebar Chamber members, €5 for non-members. Please express your interest at: chamber@castlebar.ie or phone 094 9024825

Chamber Sub Committee Members: Tom Canavan, Colm Rochford, Maria Staunton, Michael Gill, Stephanie Colombani, John Moran, Sean McGuire, John Magee, Adrian Cunningham,

Wednesday, January 3rd,

at 11am,

in Seminar 25
on the GMIT’s Castlebar campus.

The move to the GMIT has taken place due to the large numbers attending recent meetings, with each of the last three get-togethers attracting in excess of 40 people.

FAS are supporting businesses in the North West that are currently on short time working by providing funding for the development of their employees. LEAP will be hosting a information session on this opportunity on Thursday 11th February 2010 at the Westport woods Hotel from 9-10.30am. For further information contact Paula Crowley of LEAP on 091-755736 or paula@leapadvisors.ie.

We have decided to alter the where-we-meet and what-are-we-doing a bit, see upcoming posts …

• 3rd of March 2010 in the GMIT, Castlebar
• 7rd of April 2010 in the GMIT, Castlebar
• 5th of May 2010 at Organic Garden – Town Farm & Allotement, Castlebar
• 2nd of June 2010 at GMIT, Castlebar
• 7th of July 2010 ar GMIT, Castlebar

more to come …

The purpose of this is to give people help and advice to people with new ideas for start-up businesses.

IiBC Castlebar: Mon 18th & Tue 19th Jan 2010
IiBC Galway: Wed 20th & Thu 21st Jan 2010

Contact Trisha Carrick to book your session.
Tel: 091-742853
Email: trisha.carrick@gmit.ie

Download PDF for more information

Wednesday, January 6th,

at 11am,

in Seminar 25
on the GMIT’s Castlebar campus.

The move to the GMIT has taken place due to the large numbers attending recent meetings, with each of the last three get-togethers attracting in excess of 40 people.