Two-day event for Ireland¹s SMEs launches marking success of sector

A major new event for Ireland’s SME’s, YOUR BUSINESS LIVE, has launched today. The two-day SME event will gather together executives, decision-makers, entrepreneurs, owners and managers from around the country to network, learn and do business. Vodafone Ireland was also announced today as a title sponsor for the event. YOUR BUSINESS LIVE takes place on October 17th and 18th 2017 in the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin.

Minister of State for Employment and Small Business, Pat Breen, officially launched YOUR BUSINESS LIVE today, commenting: “I am delighted to launch this new event for Ireland’s SME’s, YOUR BUSINESS LIVE. SME’s employ 70 per cent of people working in the private sector. Central to the Irish economy and job creation, SME’s have shown great resilience and strong growth. At the same time, they continue to face significant challenges including external factors. As Minister of State for Employment and Small Business, I continue to address the need to support Ireland’s SME’s.”

The event is supported by Ibec for Irish Business, Small Firms Association (SFA) and Enterprise Ireland, reinforcing the aim of this event to create a new marketplace for the broad range of Irish SME’s – from start-up and micro, to small and medium businesses, as well as export led, across industry sectors. SME’s account for 99.8 per cent of all active businesses in Ireland.

YOUR BUSINESS LIVE 2017 will facilitate interaction and collaboration among business decision makers, start-ups, owners and managers, providing the opportunity for Irish SME’s to showcase innovative new products and services, in addition to gaining industry knowledge and insights. Networking events, workshops and high-level speaker seminars are set to engage a vibrant SME audience.

Claire Reynolds, Head of Small and Medium Enterprise at Vodafone Ireland, sponsors of YOUR BUSINESS LIVE, said: “We are very proud to sponsor the new ‘Your Business Live Event.’ This is a unique and important event which will not only give SME’s a platform to showcase their products and services, but also provide opportunity for knowledge sharing, collaboration and networking.

She added: “The SME sector is very important to Vodafone Ireland and we understand that SMEs need to be supported by a range of innovative technologies and converged communications solutions. One of the critical issues facing SMEs today is insufficient broadband access and we are working hard through our joint venture with ESB, SIRO, to provide a 100% fibre-to-the-building broadband network with 1 gigabit speeds for the first time in Ireland. One of our key areas of focus is to support local businesses by investing and empowering local communities and delivering equality of access to 1 gigabit broadband speed as a key growth enabler.”

Dearbhail McDonald, Group Business Editor, INM, said that YOUR BUSINESS LIVE was the essential new event for Ireland’s SME leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs. She continued:
“Ireland’s SME’s are not just the backbone of Ireland’s economy, they are also our most innovative and resilient businesses. These entrepreneurs and their teams are the true champions of the recovery who have pushed through the hard yards, turning each setback into a comeback.

YOUR BUSINESS LIVE is a place to be inspired, tap into the latest trends and meet hundreds of cutting-edge suppliers and service providers. Now, more than ever, we need to nurture and support our SME’s and that is why INM is delighted to present YOUR BUSINESS LIVE, the essential new event for Ireland’s business leaders.”

Ireland’s top entrepreneurs are endorsing YOUR BUSINESS LIVE including: David Bobbett, H&K International; Brody Sweeney, Camile Thai; Ray Coyle, Largo Foods; Vincent Cleary, Glenisk; Eamon Moore, EMIT; and Greg Clarke, Digicom. Entrepreneur Sean Gallagher is Event Director.

Sean Gallagher, Entrepreneur and Event Director, YOUR BUSINESS LIVE commented: “I have long been a champion of the SME sector. This is because of the great courage and bravery they have in setting up businesses and creating jobs, often in places where larger multinationals never can. In many ways these small and medium sized businesses are the glue that holds our communities together.

This will be an exciting exhibition supported by an extensive programme of seminars and workshops given by some of Ireland’s most inspiring business leaders. An ideal place to learn, network and be inspired, YOUR BUSINESS LIVE will be Ireland’s biggest and most important event of the year for the SME Sector.”

For more information on YOUR BUSINESS LIVE 2017 please visit www.yourbusinesslive.ie