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CHAMBERlinkNovember 2010 I Issue 10Cover FeatureChamber encourages Cork students to takean active interest in ScienceNew Appointment at Cork ChamberNew Marketing & Commercial Services ManagerWhat’s on?Upcoming Training Courses & NetworkingEventsMembers NewsAnnouncements & News

CHAMBERlinkCork’s newest Seafood Bar & Grillnow open on Pembroke Street, CorkIdeal for Christmas get togethers or any special occasionGetting in Touch with theChamber TeamConor HealyChief ExecutiveT: (021) 450 9044 or E: conor@corkchamber.ieLisa HuntExecutive AssistantT: (021) 453 0131 or E: lisa@corkchamber.ieLucy O’DonoghueMembership Development & PR ManagerT: (021) 453 0145 or E: lucy@corkchamber.ieBarbara-Anne RichardsonMarketing & Commercial Services ManagerT: (021) 4530140 or E: barbara-anne@corkchamber.ieLeigh GillenEvents ManagerT: (021) 453 0133 or E: leigh@corkchamber.ieImelda MulcahyExport Documentation ManagerT: (021) 453 0130 or E: imelda@corkchamber.ieMargaret GoodAccounts AdministratorT: (021) 453 0134 or E: accounts@corkchamber.ieKatherine FitzpatrickEU, Trade & Innovation Services ManagerT: (021) 453 0137 or E: katherine@corkchamber.ieSiobhan HoranEU, Trade & Innovation Services ExecutiveT: (021) 453 0138 or E: siobhan@corkchamber.ieAlma MurnanePolicy & Research ManagerT: (021) 453 0147 or E: alma@corkchamber.ieSean O’LearyPolicy & Research ExecutiveT: (021) 453 0143 or E: sean@corkchamber.ieDavid BennettPolicy & Research AssistantT: (021) 4530 144 or E: david@corkchamberEmma WalshTraining Services ManagerT: (021) 453 0142 or E: emma@corkchamber.ieTara MullallyBiznetcork Network AdministratorT: (021) 453 0141 or E: tara@corkchamber.ieAisling HynesMunster Finuas Network AdministratorT: (021) 453 0148 or E: aisling@corkchamber.ieCork Chamber,Fitzgerald House, Summerhill North, CorkT: (021) 4509044F: (021) 4508568E: info@corkchamber.ieW: www.corkchamber.ieRegistered in Ireland no. 13918Dear Chamber MemberOur recently hosted Conference had positive news highlighting that the Cork region isuniquely positioned to benefit from business opportunities in the United States, China andIndia. Titled “New Reality/Big Opportunities - Two Way Traffic East and West”, and sponsoredby HSBC, the conference explored the opportunities and challenges that exist in the US andAsia for SME’s and large businesses. All speakers gave positive indicators for companies tointernationalise but enforced that successful businesses not only managed the downturn butalso prepared for the upturn!Cork Chamber would like to take the opportunity to congratulate both Cork City and CorkCounty Council on being nominated in three categories in this year’s Chambers IrelandLocal Government Awards, held in association with the Department of the Environment,Heritage and Local Government. Cork City Council were awarded with “Festival of the Year” forChristmas on the Grand Parade project.As you are all aware on Tuesday 7th December Budget 2011 will be announced, the CorkChamber’s Pre-Budget Submission is focused on fostering enterprise, encouraging investmentand restoring confidence in the economy.We look forward to seeing at our Annual Christmas Lunch, in association with Quintas, on the3rd Dec in the Maryborough Hotel. With speaker Louis Copeland lined up to entertain on theday it promises to be a great opportunity to start the festive spirits and meet associates youhave done business with during the year and make new contacts for 2011!Finally I would like to remind you that tickets for the Chamber Annual Dinner, held on the 4thFeb, go on sale from the Chamber website on Friday the 19th Nov and I would encourage youto mark this date in your diary and not to miss the most important business networking eventof the year.Best regards,ConorConor HealyChief ExecutiveCONTENTS2 Connect with New Members3 Cover Feature4 What’s on?6 Influencing Decisions8 New Appointment at Cork Chamber9 Press Clippings10 Chamber Annual Conference - East and West12 Training Services13 International Networking14 Maximising Membership15 Networking Event16 Integrating Social Media18 Marketing Cork19 Members NewsSEAFOOD BAR & GRILLOpening hours: 6pm - late (7 nights a week)www.flynnhotels.com | t: 021 427 4040Join us onFollow us onCHAMBERlinkNovember 2010 I Issue 10Cover FeatureChamber encourages Cork students to takean active interest in ScienceNew Appointment at Cork ChamberNew Marketing & Commercial Services ManagerWhat’s on?Upcoming Training Courses & NetworkingEventsMembers NewsAnnouncements & NewsFront Cover:Tom Mangan, Boston Scientificpresenting first prize at the CorkChamber School Science Awards,sponsored by Boston Scientific, toNadia Hartigan from Nagle CommunityCollege.(Photograph: Gerard McCarthyPhotography)Chamberlink is sponsored by:

CONNECT with new membersCOVER featureWe welcome the following New members. To maximise yourMembership remember to do business with fellow Members.Food/Drinklocalmarkets.ieExplore over 400 products from over 26 producers. Buy localfood from your favourite local producers or market and havedelivered within 48 hoursContact: Rory McCannT: (087) 930 3536E: info@localmarkets.ieW: www.localmarkets.ieManagement ConsultantsArwen ConsultingDeveloping, implementing and maintaining qualitymanagement systems such as ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485.Interim quality management service aimed at companieswho require a quality management or quality engineeringsupport on a short term/part time basisContact: Angela O’SullivanT: (064) 662 0457E: angela@arwenconsulting.ieW: www.arwenconsulting.ieProperty Management & LettingCrosses Green PropertiesStudent accomodation located in Crosses Green &Bishopstown. Summer self catering for individuals andgroupsContact: Lisa CurranT: (021) 431 2623E: lcurran@deanshall.comW: www.deanshall.comRestaurant/Bar/CateringAugustines Catering Services LtdRestaurantContact: Brendan CashmanT: (021) 427 9375E: augustinesrestaurant@gmail.comW: www.augustines.ieSolicitors/Legal ServicesJohn O’ Keeffe & Co SolicitorsOver 11 years experience in successfully advising andrepresenting small/ medium & very large enterprises inbusiness related matters. Experience also in advising /representing individuals in relation to a broad range ofpersonal legal matters.Contact: John O’ KeeffeT: (087) 918 3273E: johnokeeffeco@gmail.comTelecommunicationsEirtechProvides professional services at both the technical &management levels in the telecommunications area. S.Key skills include business management, services portfoliodevelopment, services business development & sales, project/programme management, telecoms/ IT engineeringContact: John FlynnT: (021) 421 1231E: john.flynn@eir-tech.comW: www.eir-tech.comMembers of Cork Chambers Science Research & Innovation Committee Noel Brett, UCC; John Mullins, Vice-President Cork Chamber; Tom Mangan, Boston Scientific and DaveAustin, Conoco Philips with the winning team from Nagle Community College and their teacher Stephen Norman at the Cork Chamber School Science Awards sponsored byBoston Scientific. (Photographs: Gerard McCarthy Photography)Santa Challenge 2010Back Cork To Break World RecordAoife Brady & Aoife Ryan from North Presentation Secondary School with theirproject “Sound”.Team from Terence MacSwiney Community College with their project “Acids, Basesand Fun” .2CHAMBERlinkOrganised by Co-operation Ireland & Cork GAA, and in association with the City Council’s “ A Christmas Celebration on the Grand Parade”The Santa Challenge aims to create a new world record for the largest gathering ofSanta Clauses by getting 15,000 people on the streets of Cork dressed as Santa Clauson Sunday 28th November.This venture is not only a new record attempt but also provides a readymade andunique opportunity for Cork charities & Co-operation Ireland to fundraise. TheSanta Challenge Day will be part of the City Council’s “A Christmas Celebration in theGrand Parade” and will be a truly spectacular family event for the people of Cork toremember with a sea of red and white and good cheer created on the South Mall.This challenge will be an attempt to break the current world record set by Derrywhich stands at 12,937. All potential Santas must log ontowww.santachallenge.ie to register and receive a sponsorship pack.For further information on getting involved or sponsoring an element of theChallenge please contact:Margaret LuceyCo-operation IrelandC/o Learning Support Centre, Father Matthew Street, CorkPhone: +353 (0)21 4962749email: mlucey@cooperationireland.orgCork Chamber encourages Cork studentsto take an active interest in ScienceChairperson of Cork Chamber’s Science, Research andInnovation (SRI) Committee and General Manager of FMCInternational, Brendan Keane, congratulated students fromNagle Community College, Mahon, on winning the CorkChamber School Science Award 2010 with their project‘Home Chemistry’. The project was one of a number ofprize-winning entries at this year’s event which was sponsoredby Boston Scientific and held at University CollegeCork (UCC) and was started three years ago with a view togenerating interest in science among pre-Junior Certificatestudents. The competition is one of two education-supportinitiatives championed by Cork Chamber’s SRI Committeewhich focus on science and engineering.Speaking about the event, Mr Keane said, “The Chamber,through the SRI Committee, is keen to promote scienceand engineering subjects at all levels of education andespecially among these junior scientists. The wide range ofprojects on display here, covering all aspects from ‘renewableenergy sources’ to ‘sound’ and ‘home chemistry’, demonstratethe keen interest and sense of discovery amongstudents from all over Cork. In supporting the efforts ofthese students we hope that they will consider a career inscience and engineering in the future. This is essential ifthe country is to address the current imbalance betweenthe supply and demand for science graduates”.Nagle Community College was awarded first prize byjudges from Boston Scientific, ConocoPhillips and UCC.‘Sound’ by North Presentation Secondary School and ‘Acids,Bases and Fun’ by Terence MacSwiney Community Collegewere awarded with 2nd and 3rd place prizes respectively.Speaking at the event Tom Mangan, Managing Directorof Boston Scientific, said, “Boston Scientific is proud tosponsor this competition for the third time. We continue tobe impressed by the enthusiasm and creativity shown byall the students who participated today and we hope thiscompetition will encourage these students to consider sciencesubjects in the senior cycle. Cork is fortunate to havea cluster of world-class, science-based industries operatinglocally, and we feel that it is vital that we collaborate withschemes such as these in order to promote and highlightthe importance of science for the Cork region”.3CHAMBERlink

WHATS on?Book Now on www.corkchamber.ie/trainingWHATS on?Book Now on www.corkchamber.ieUp-coming Training Courses from €100 per day!Limited FREE places for unemployed on all courses.Upcoming EventsBusiness After HoursDiversity & Equality AwarenessTuesday 16 th November, 9.30 am – 5.00 pmMember rate: €110This course is designed to create awareness of the broadspectrum of diversity and equality issues, including: Diversityin the Workplace; Bullying & Harrassment; Dignity & Respectat Work Policies and Procedures; Overview of relevantlegislation. The programme will explore diversity in aworkplace context and will examine currentequality legislation.Mastering MS Powerpoint 2003 (Advanced)Thursday 18 th November, 9.30 am – 5.00pmMember rate: €100This course is suitable for anyone who would like to produceand run professional looking slide shows. No previousexperience of MS PowerPoint is required; however, it isimportant that those attending have a good workingknowledge of other Microsoft applications e.g. MS Word orExcel.Advanced DerivativesTuesday 23 rd November, 9.00 am – 5.00 pmMember rate: €365This course is aimed at experienced hedge fund and mutualfund professionals who require a greater understanding ofderivatives. At the end of this course participants will be ableto: discuss in detail how exchange-traded and OTC derivativesmarkets operate; describe fully how different instruments canbe used to execute a number of investment objectives andstrategies; discuss how complex derivatives work; identify thevariables in ascertaining the value of a given position; outlinepricing sources and valuation concerns for OTC derivatives;discuss the risks that accompany the use of derivatives andhow those risks can be managed; outline the key reportingissues in relation to derivatives.Finance for Non-Financial ManagersThursday 25 th & Friday 26 th November, 9.30 am – 5.00 pmFor the Non-Financial Manager, knowledge of basic financialprinciples is critical. This two day programme transformsfinancial and accounting concepts into practical decisionmakingtools. Participants learn to apply these tools toimprove budget management, increase potential profits, andassess the financial performance of business activities.Project Management ProfessionalMonday 6 th , Tuesday 7 th and Wednesday 8 th December,9.30am – 5.00pmMember rate: €370Professional Project Management is designed to establisha detailed understanding of Project Management terms,concepts and methodologies. The hands-on approach ofthis course ensures trainees “learn by doing” and gain astep-by-step, real-time experience of using the tools andimplementing the methodologies and support structures.In stimulating real-life environments, trainees gather thedetailed knowledge required to apply the training on returnto their work enviroment.E-mail and Business Letter WritingWednesday 8 th December, 9.30 am – 5.00 pmMember rate: €120The email or letter that arrives in the client or customersinbox/intray creates a powerful impression of theprofessionalism of the writer and the organisation. Even inthe avalanche of written communications we receive everyday, some stand out as well written, clear and to the point.Participants will learn to write effectively and structure theircorrespondence. They will see how the details convey tone,courtesy and assertiveness. They will also learn the value ofadhering to rules of grammar.PMI Exam PreparationThursday 9 th and Friday 10 th December, 9.30 am – 5.00 pmMember rate: €255The PM Professional Certification Exam Preparation Coursehelps people achieve PMI credentials. This course is preparedand delivered by experienced PMPs who help studentsunderstand the scope and rationale of the PMP® and CAPM®certification. Participants are required to have alreadycompleted a minimum of 24 hours of PM Training.Thursday 18 th November6.00pm – 8.00pmKilkenny Shop, Emmet PlaceFREE for Cork Chamber membersPlease register your place atwww.corkchamber.ieBusiness Breakfast in association withwith Guest SpeakerMark CunninghamDirector of Business Banking,Bank of IrelandWednesday 24 th November7.30am – 9.00amClarion Hotel€20 members / €35 non membersPlease register your place atwww.corkchamber.ieAnnual Christmas Chamber lunch sponsored bywith Guest SpeakerLouis CopelandFriday 3 rd December12.30pm – 3.00pmMaryborough Hotel€50 members / €75 non membersPlease register your place atwww.corkchamber.ieFestive After Hours at The KilnWednesday 15 th December6.00pm – 8.00pmThe Kiln, HeinekenFREE for Cork Chamber membersPlease register your place atwww.corkchamber.ieBusiness Breakfast in association withThe Kilkenny Group is one of Ireland largest family-run retailorganisations. They now have 8 stores nationwide includingtheir recently revamped 3,000 sq ft premises on Emmet Place.Inspirational gourmet restaurant, Jola’s Restaurant fromKinsale, is sponsoring tasty bites at the monthly networkingevent that will certainly keep the conversation flowing. Joinwith your fellow Chamber members on this special eveningand be in with a chance to win €100 gift voucher in ourbusiness card draw, as well as 20% back on your Kilkenny GiftCard for any items in the shop.Mark Cunningham is Director of Business Banking in Bankof Ireland (Irl & UK). Mark was previously Managing Directorof Bank of Ireland Private Banking, a Director of BIAM andpreviously Managing Director of the Bank’s Trust and CustodyOperations. Speaking exclusively to Chamber members,Mark will cover the topic of “Banking in the Current EconomicEnvironment” and will focus broadly on the Irish economyfrom a Business Banking perspective, the state of the bankingsystem, the banks that are ‘Open for Business’ and how to dealwith your bank in the current climate.Louis Copeland is a man renowned for his keen businesssense, someone who has thrived through difficult economictimes in the past. Louis will speak of his own experiences andof how he makes it through tough times to carry on the familybusiness created by his grandfather Hyman Copeland in theearly 1900’s and one that continues to grow and adapt tochange. An absolute must-attend and a great way to kick offthe Christmas season. Tickets are on a first-come, first-servedbasis, so book now to avoid disappointment.One of the Chamber calendar’s most popular events,Heineken Ireland will once again host this festive cheerevening in their hospitality suite, The Kiln. Drinks, Food,Prizes & plenty of Networking Opportunities all providedon the night with lots of Christmas Party spirit. A great wayto network with fellow Chamber members in a relaxed andfestive atmosphere, so bring along some colleagues andclients and make a night of it. The More the Merrier!4CHAMBERlinkBook Now on www.corkchamber.ie/trainingCourses are being added to the schedule regularly. Please visit www.corkchamber.ie/training for details ofall training.If your company’s training needs are not addressed by the courses above, we are happy to work with you to organisetraining tailored to your company’s needs, at significantly discounted rates. Contact a member of the team to discusshow we can support your company’s training needs.with Guest SpeakerOliver Coughlan,Big Fish GamesThursday 16 th December7.30am – 9.00amClarion Hotel€20 members / €35 non membersPlease register your place atwww.corkchamber.ieOliver Coughlan is Vice President of European BusinessOperations with Big Fish Games who arrived in Cork in April2009. Previous to this he held the position of Chief TechnologyOfficer and member of the Board of Telefonica O2 Irelandand today he continues to hold the position of Non ExecutiveDirector there. Throughout his career Oliver has been involvedin a number of start-up organisations which included Big FishGames and he will share with Cork Chamber members hisexperiences and including why Big Fish Games located in Corkand their experience to-date.Places for events are limited, please quote Purchase Order if required. Events Cancellation Policy: Cancellations willbe accepted up to 72hrs before each event. After this all places will be charged. This policy applies to all events.Events Contact: Leigh Gillen, t: (021)45301335CHAMBERlink

INFLUENCING decisionsFor more information on any of the issues in this section please contact Alma,Sean or DavidCHAMBERlinkBudget 2011 Must Create ConfidenceChamber Reinforces Views on Budget 2011Cork Chamber recently communicated an additionaladdendum to the Chamber’s Pre-budget submissionto Minister for Finance, Mr. Brian Lenihan and Mr. KevinCardiff, Secretary General – Department of Finance, toreinforce our views and put forward additional steps whichCork Chamber now believe are critical to building businessconfidence on the forthcoming Budget 2011.The extent of the state subvention required to the Irishbanking system is now much larger than originallyanticipated than when our Pre-Budget Submission wassubmitted to Government in early September. In additionto this, the cost of government debt increased significantlyduring the course of September 2010 and arising fromthis, it is now clear that a number of difficult decisionswill need to be made so as to close the fiscal deficit overthe next four years. In terms of bridging this gap, wesummarised the key steps which the Cork Chamber nowbelieve are critical to building business confidence.Key steps to recovery:• The establishment of a Business Leaders Councilconsisting of ten of Ireland’s business leaders to act asa consultative body to the Government.• The need for metrics on the savings arising from theCroke Park Deal on public service pay and reform• Address the apparent lack of purpose and urgencyon the political systems part in preserving andcreating much needed employment given the currenteconomic circumstances.• While significant fiscal adjustment is needed,cognisance must to be given to balanced adjustmentsand the need for a stimulus package for enterpriseand employment in Budget 2011. This is key toeconomic recovery and growth.• Government has a duty as a matter of urgencyto provide leadership and instil confidence toreinvigorate the labour market. Palliative andpiecemeal remedies are not sufficient to deal with thecurrent challenge.• The Chamber is of the view that it is about time thatwe confronted the taboo of public sector reform in arealistic fashion. We all know that the size and cost ofthe public sector in Ireland is not fit for purpose, yetthere is no realistic idea of what the potential savingsunder the Croke Park agreement could be, as specifictargets and firm timelines have not been set, with noconsequences if targets are not achieved. You can’tmanage what you don’t measure. A metric should beput on the total cost saving that should be achievedfrom the Croke Park deal. To the extent that thesecost savings are not achieved, the shortfall should bemet by a corresponding reduction in public sectoremployment costs. The lesson is clear. If the publicsector is not reformed, any effort to restore fiscalsustainability is futile.• As far back as 2008, the OECD have been callingfor boldness in developing a programme for publicsector reform in Ireland and terming our public sectorand Quangos “an organisational zoo”. Regrettably,we are now at the point where reports such as theMcCarthy report and the Local Government EfficiencyReview are gathering dust. All of the reports cannotbe wrong in their assessment of the existingshortcomings in the system. Public sector wagescontinue to remain high by international standards.In Ireland the public sector wage bill eats up 30% ofGovernment expenditure, in Germany for examplethat figure’s 15%.• The Chamber has called for strong leadership fromGovernment in advancing public sector reform andensuring value for money, which in turn will lead toan increase in consumer confidence.Cork County Council Strategic PolicyCommitteesA meeting with the newly appointed Business/Employer& Development/Construction Pillar representatives onCork County Council Strategic Policy Committees andthe wider pillar was held on 2nd November. This firstmeeting served to strengthen the views of the businessesand development pillars in the region and will assistus in speaking with one voice on business issues andsuccessfully influencing the strategic development of theCouncil.Integrated Transport in the Cork RegionThere has been recent speculation that additional roadtolls may be introduced and the Chamber would bestrongly opposed to any such measure that took revenuefrom the Cork region without any tangible transportbenefits. We believe that the attitudes of the publicand of businesses are of considerable significance andtherefore, the Chamber will be carrying out a survey ofits membership intended to highlight and prioritise areaswhere our understanding of public and business attitudescould usefully be developed into policy.CSO Enterprise Statistics GroupMs. Alma Murnane, Policy & Research Manager, will berepresenting the national Chamber network on the CentralStatistics Office Enterprise Statistics Group. Comprised ofrepresentatives from key Government Departments, StateAgencies, Business Organisations and Regional Bodies,the Enterprise Statistics Group will play an important rolein assessing the needs and priorities of key national usersof business and enterprise statistics. The group will alsofacilitate the effective exchange of information on all areasof business and enterprise statistics between the maindata providers, compilers and users of these statistics.Amongst the group’s priorities, it is intended that they willadvise on the business and enterprise statistics required tosupport national and regional policy needs, in addition toinvestigate alternative sources for business and enterprisestatistics, in particular with a view to reducing costs andburden.Eoin Motherway, Chairman, Cork Chamber Financial Services Working Group;Matthew Elderfield, Head of Financial Regulation, Central Bank of Ireland andConor Healy, Chief Executive, Cork Chamber.Financial Regulator speaks to CorkBusinesses at UCCThe Head of Financial Regulation, Mr. Matthew Elderfield,recently spoke to a wide audience at University CollegeCork regarding ongoing developments in financialregulation in Ireland.Cork Chamber were pleased to offer our support tothe UCC Financial Services Innovation Centre and theAssociation of Compliance Officers in Ireland in theorganisation of this event and we are grateful to thoseChamber members who were in attendance.Pre-Budget Meetings with ElectedRepresentativesA Cork Chamber delegation, comprising the President,Chief Executive, Policy and Research Manager and Chairof the Fiscal Services Working Group recently met withelected representatives from the region to discuss theChamber’s Pre-Budget Submission. In meetings withSenator Day Boyle, Simon Coveney TD, Deirdre Clune TD,Kathleen Lynch TD, Ciarán Lynch TD and Michael McGrathTD the Chamber detailed its proposals aimed at promotinginnovation and entrepreneurship, removing unnecessaryred tape and protecting existing levels of economic activityboth nationally and in the local Cork economy. In thecoming weeks a Chamber delegation will be meeting withMinisters from the Cork region to discuss the upcomingbudget.A comprehensive summary of the measures containedin the Chamber’s Pre-Budget Submission for 2011 can befound in the Chamber’s Q3 Economic Bulletin.For a copy of the Chamber’s Pre-Budget Submission for2011, please contact alma@corkchamber.ieLocal Authority Rates CampaignIn the coming weeks Cork Chamber will launch its jointrates campaign with other business organisations (CorkBusiness Association, IBEC and Vintners Federation ofIreland). Cork Chamber will also meet with policy makers,the City and County Managers and elected representativesto outline our key arguments. These will be in conjunctionwith a significant media campaign.Our recent quarterly economic survey shows that 40% ofrespondents say that commercial rates are affecting thefuture viability of their business. The business communitydoes not object to paying their fair share for local authorityservices, though our recent economic survey showed thatjust 4% of businesses feel they get value for money for therates they pay.Flood Alert DifficultiesCork Chamber recently wrote to the City Manager tohighlight the inadequacies of the current flood alertsystem and the continued poor level engagement withstakeholders. No formal notification of the flood alert onFriday, October 8th was received by the Chamber fromthe Council and the Chamber was only in a position toinform members following media reports. Deficiencieswith the Council’s website, which did not display the alertprominently and the flood helpline, which was unavailablefor much of the period were also highlighted.European Week of Waste Reduction(EWWR) EventsAs part of the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR),Repak’s ‘Prevent and Save’ Programme, in association withgreenbusiness.ie and the SEAI, will be running a seminar on‘Total Waste Prevention: How to reduce costs and optimiseresources for your business’ on Thursday 25th November inthe Radisson Blu Hotel, Cork.For further information on the event and to register yourinterest in attending please visit www.preventandsave.ie/EWWR2010.htmlForeign Direct Investment GrowsThe level of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Irelandincreased by €30.4 billion to €169.3 billion last year, recentfigures published by the Central Statistics Office show.The increase in FDI is mainly a result of an increase of €26billion in the level of equity capital and reinvested earningsto €210.8 billion, the CSO said.While the Netherlands appeared to be the biggest investorin the Irish economy last year, accounting for €37.5billion of the €169.3 billion total, with the United Statescontributing €4.3 billion, the CSO attributed the highamount of investment coming from the Netherlands to theUS, saying it is most likely that American companies basedin the Netherlands are channelling money through therefor tax reasons. Outside the Netherlands, Luxembourgwas the biggest source of foreign investment in Irelandin 2009, pumping €23.8 billion into the economy. The UKand France were next investing €19.6 billion and €11.6billion respectively. South American countries meanwhileaccounted for €18.6 billion of direct foreign investment.The value of Irish investments overseas increased to almost€190 billion, a jump of almost €70 billion.For further information, please visit the Central StatisticsOffice website – www.cso.ie6 7CHAMBERlink

New appointmentPRESS clippingsFor more information in relation to Chamber PR please contact Lucy(lucy@corkchamber.ie)New Marketing & Commercial ServicesManager appointed at Cork ChamberBarbara-Anne Richardson has recently been appointedMarketing and Commercial Services Manager for theChamber with responsibility for the strategic marketingand positioning of Cork Chamber as the leading businessorganisation in the region. This role includes responsibilityfor all creative campaigns, sponsorship, advertising anddigital media activities.Prior to joining Cork Chamber, Barbara-Anne was basedin London working for Slendertone, holding the positionof Marketing Manager with responsibility for brandpositioning, new product launches and direct activitiesin the UK, Ireland and Asian markets along with theecommerce website. She has also held senior marketingroles with Waterford Crystal and Ballygowan MineralWater.Barbara-Anne holds a BBS (Business and Marketing) fromWaterford Institute of Technology, a Graduate Diplomain Marketing Practice and an MBS in Marketing from NUIGalway.Barbara-Anne Richardson,Marketing & Commercial Services ManagerGer O’Mahoney, President Cork Chamber during his address to the attendees atthe Chamber’s Annual Conference 2010.Chamber Annual ConferenceCork Chamber’s Annual Conference heard that the Corkregion is uniquely positioned to benefit from businessopportunities in the United States, China and India. Titled“New Reality/Big Opportunities - Two Way Traffic East andWest” and sponsored by HSBC the conference exploredthe opportunities and challenges that exist in the US andAsia for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and largebusinesses in the Cork region.Opening the Conference, Cork Chamber President GerO’Mahoney said, “It is important to identify what isgood in the economy and the Cork region, includingour good infrastructure, environment and high qualityof life.” Mr. O’Mahoney also highlighted recent positivedevelopments, including the increased numbers at workand the rise in the number of job vacancies. Accordingto Mr. O’Mahoney, “Ireland is a gateway to the rest ofworld and has an influence well beyond its size. Cork hasunique advantages to offer and the success of Irish andmultinational companies based here underpins this. Wehave an obligation to utilise our connections around theworld, using our excellent and enthusiastic people.”Mr. O’Mahoney said, “Increasing the numbers ofInternational students coming to Cork was important, notonly because of their spending power but also becausethey can act as ambassadors for Cork and Ireland in thefuture. Measures to unlock the potential of personalsavings and kick-start productive investment must also betaken”.Fiscal Adjustment is needed but Budget2011 has to focus on growth and creatingconfidenceCork Chamber President, Mr Ger O’Mahoney todayoutlined a comprehensive and hard-hitting expose ofCork’s Chamber’s calls on Government for Budget 2011.According to Mr O’Mahoney, “The business community areconcerned by the apparent lack of purpose and urgencyon the political systems part in preserving and creatingmuch needed employment given the current economiccircumstances. While significant fiscal adjustment isneeded, cognisance must to be given to balancedadjustments and the need for a stimulus package forenterprise and employment in Budget 2011. This is key toeconomic recovery and growth. Government has a dutyas a matter of urgency to provide leadership and instilconfidence to reinvigorate the labour market. Palliativeand piecemeal remedies are not sufficient to deal with thecurrent challenge”.“Cork Chamber also calls on Government to establish aBusiness Leaders Council consisting of ten of Ireland’sbusiness leaders to act as a consultative body to theGovernment. This Council would enable business leadersto make a major contribution to solving the country’seconomic challenges, as we believe that both the politicaland the permanent government, working in collaborationwith the business sector would present the best solutionsto the difficulties we now find ourselves in”, stated MrO’Mahoney.“It is about time that we confronted the taboo of publicsector reform in a realistic fashion. We all know that thesize and cost of the public sector in Ireland is not fit forpurpose, yet there is no realistic idea of what the potentialsavings under the Croke Park agreement could be, asspecific targets and firm timelines have not been set,with no consequences if targets are not achieved. Youcan’t manage what you don’t measure. A metric shouldbe put on the total cost saving that should be achievedfrom the Croke Park deal. To the extent that these costsavings are not achieved, the shortfall should be met bya corresponding reduction in public sector employmentcosts. The lesson is clear. If the public sector is notreformed, any effort to restore fiscal sustainability is futile”.CHAMBERlink1 hour ight twice dailyFly from Cork to Belfast & Isle of Manor takeoff from Galway to Belfast.“As far back as 2008, the OECD have been calling forboldness in developing a programme for public sectorreform in Ireland and terming our public sector andQuangos “an organisational zoo”. Regrettably, we arenow at the point where reports such as the McCarthyreport and the Local Government Efficiency Review aregathering dust. All of the reports cannot be wrong intheir assessment of the existing shortcomings in thesystem. Public sector wages continue to remain high byinternational standards. In Ireland the public sector wagebill eats up 30% of Government expenditure, in Germanyfor example that figure’s 15%”.CHAMBERlink8 9

EAST and westAlan Duffy, Head of HSBC Corporate Banking Ireland; Ivan Yates, Conference Facilitator;Jim Herlihy, Chairman of the San Francisco/Cork Business Initiative and Ger O’Mahoney,President Cork Chamber. (Photographs: John Sheehan Photography)John Mullins, Chairman Cork Chamber Annual Conference Task Forceand Sean O’Driscoll, Glen Dimplex.Cork Chamber Annual conference attendees. (Photograph: John Sheehan Photography)CHAMBERlinkNew Reality/Big OpportunitiesTwo Way Traffic East and WestCork Chamber’s Annual Conference entitled “New Reality/Big Opportunities - Two Way Traffic East and West” andsponsored by HSBC took place recently. The conferenceexplored the opportunities and challenges that exist in theUS and Asia for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) andlarge businesses in the Cork region.Guest speaker Sean O’Driscoll, Managing Director ofGlen Dimplex reminded delegates that “the Worldeconomy is not waiting for us” and despite the situation inIreland the global economy had returned to growth. Mr.O’Driscoll encouraged delegates to seek out opportunitiesinternationally, adding that defeatism would not buildon our strengths to repair our “badly damaged but notshattered” economy. Mr. O’Driscoll told delegates thatsuccessful businesses not only managed the downturn, butalso prepared for the upturn.Mr. O’Driscoll said leadership and “rational optimism” wasrequired to restore confidence and that Ireland shouldlook to grow its indigenous manufacturing sector. Heoutlined an economic vision; “I call it Agenda 2016 – tomake Ireland the most competitive Economy in Europeby 2016. This means much more than just pay rates, it alsomeans attacking wasteful and unnecessary expenditure”adding that positive developments to reduce energy andemployment costs had already begun.Jim Herlihy, Chairman of the San Francisco/Cork BusinessInitiative, discussed the economic development of SanFrancisco, particularly in the ICT and biotech sectorsand the opportunities for Irish companies in the area.Mr. Herlihy also emphasised the deepening strategicrelationship between the twinned cities of Cork and SanFrancisco. Alan Duffy, Head of HSBC Corporate BankingIreland told the conference of HSBC’s positive experience ofdoing business in Asia and discussed how Irish companiescan position themselves to take advantage of futureopportunities in the rapidly growing Asian market.In an interactive discussion facilitated by broadcaster IvanYates, including panelists Prof. Fan Hong (Irish Instituteof Chinese Studies UCC) , Denis Molumby (IDA Ireland),Julie Sinnamon (Enterprise Ireland) & D. Ramamoorthy(Embassy of India), policy makers and enterprise agencieswere encouraged to develop a greater focus on attractingforeign direct investment (FDI) from Asian companies.According to the IDA’s Annual Report 2009 out of almost1,000 IDA supported companies operating in Ireland, 15were from the Asia Pacific region outside of Japan. Theopportunities India and China present to Irish companiesand the supports available to SMEs seeking to enter Asianmarkets were also outlined. The strong links betweenCork’s third level institutions and the US, India and Chinawere also highlighted.Conor Healy, Chief Executive Cork Chamber with Julie Sinnamon, Enterprise Ireland;Denis Molumby, IDA Ireland and Professor Fan Hong, UCC.Dermot Carberry, Internal Solutions with Andrew Whitaker and SeamusMurphy from Johnson & Perrott Motor Group.Dr. K Mahalingham, South Terrace Medical Centre; Ger O’Mahoney,President Cork Chamber and D Ramamoorthy, Embassy of India.Pat Ledwidge, Cork City Council; Helen Barry, IBEC and Brendan Keating, Portof Cork.CHAMBERlink1011

TRAINING servicesINTERNATIONAL networkingCalling all HR & Training Managers –2010 training budget available!Through Cork Chamber’s State-funded training networks,you can avail of significant discounts on training for yourteam in the coming weeks. Skillnets funding allows us toorganise more cost-effective, locally-delivered, needsspecifictraining for companies across all industry sectors.Both of our training networks still have significant trainingbudget available for 2010, so please contact us if yourequire support for your company’s training in the comingmonths.Don’t delay - Contact the Training team in Cork Chamberto discuss how we can help you continue to invest intraining to help increase productivity, competitivenessand morale in your business. Please see p4 for a list of upcomingopen training courses. For full details, please visitwww.corkchamber.ie/training or contact a member of theTraining team to discuss your in-house training needs.Planning for the FutureEspecially in difficult economic times when increasingfinancial rewards for employees is not realistic, training canbe a key motivator for ambitious and loyal staff members.Continuing to provide training opportunities to your teamcan help improve morale, boost productivity and increaseoverall organisational competitiveness.so we need your help to identify which courses are nowmost relevant in the marketplace. Please contact ourTraining Services Manager, Emma Walsh (021-4530142/ emma@corkchamber.ie), to discuss your company’scurrent and future training needs and to find out how wecan help you up-skill your team for your company’s future.FREE training places for JobSeekersBoth Biznetcork Skillnet and Munster Finuas Network havea limited number of FREE places available on all of theiropen training courses for those who are unemployed. Forsomeone who is looking for a new position, participationon our courses can provide the ideal opportunity toremain networked to the workplace while adding marketrelevantskills to their skillset.We would appreciate the assistance of Chamber membersto promote this initiative by mentioning it to friends,family and colleagues (past and present). Please visitwww.corkchamber.ie/trainingunemployed or contact anymember of the Training team for further details.Contacting the Training TeamFor further information on Cork Chamber’s BiznetcorkSkillnet and Munster Finuas Network, please visit ourwebsite www.corkchamber.ie/training or contact one ofthe Training Team:Conor Healy, Cork Chamber; Mary Bernard, Maryborough Hotel& Spa and Cllr Jim Daly, County Mayor.The business-matching meetings in session.Investing in that training need not cost the earth! Withover ten years experience in providing market-relevanttraining, and an extensive network of experienced trainers,Cork Chamber is ideally placed to help you continue toinvest in your valuable human resources.We organise training based on demand from membercompanies. Through state-funding and strongrelationships with trainers, we offer best-in-market trainingrates on both open and in-company training courses tohelp members meet their specific training needs.We recognise that changing economic circumstancesmeans constantly changing and evolving training needs,Emma WalshTraining Services ManagerT: (021) 4530142E: emma@corkchamber.ieTara MullallyBiznetcork Skillnet AdministratorT: (021) 4530141E: tara@corkchamber.ieAisling HynesMunster Finuas Network AdministratorT: (021) 4530148E: aisling@corkchamber.ieThe delegation from Spain included Marco Gonzales, Esther Mondesinos, Marian Mondesinos, Antonio Gamba, Pablo Fernandez and Pedro Rodriguez.CHAMBERlink12Do you want to find out how to drive sales usingwell known social media applications?Wednesday 01 st December 2010, Silver Springs Moran Hotel, Cork9.00 am – 1.30 pm, €50Do you want to find out how to use social media tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn andTwitter to increase your company’s profile in the marketplace?Biznetcork Skillnet is organising a half-day practical workshop event that will give youa snapshot of how to set up your online business presence as well as how best to usethe various tools for e.g. lead generation, customer communications etc. Experts willdemonstrate the functionalities of the various tools and you will also learn how otherSME’s have used these mostly free tools to promote their business and increase theirturnover.So come along and learn how to connect with your customers online and drive yourbusiness into the future.Places at this event are limited. To book, contact Emma Walsh on emma@corkchamber.ieor phone 021-4530142Chris Higgins, Fingershield UK; Wendy Doak, British Embassy Trade & InvestmentSection; Angela Haworth, UK Trade & Investment Northwest and Paul Caplis, BritishEmbassy Trade & Investment Section.Connecting InternationallyCORKMEET 2010 took place between 6-8 October in theRadisson Blu Hotel, Little Island. Over 350 participants tookpart in this years’ event which included a packed scheduleand plenty of activity over the three days.On the first day around 180 participants got theopportunity to meet with representatives of 19 of Cork’slarge, indigenous companies as well as numerous MNCs,resulting in over 500 introductions, while on the main dayof business-matching, a total of almost 2600 meetings tookplace.The theme of this years’ conference was “ConnectingMargaret Walsh, Neon SMS; Claire Myler, The River Lee Hotel and MelissaMoloney, Australian Trade Commission.with your Customer”, and the audience heard inspiringcase studies from Sheila Gilroy Collins of DonegalCreameries/Rumblers and Paul Fitzgerald, MD of ParkMagic. Entrepreneur and Brand Expert Gerard Tannamexplained how branding can boost your business andGeorge Hook entertained with stories about how he failedin business before making it big on radio and TV. Finally,Sean Gallagher, best known as one of the Dragon’s DenInvestors, encouraged the audience to become the heroesof the economic recession.“I have attended network meetings both in Irelandand indeed all over Europe - this was by the far the bestorganised and most beneficial to Compass Logistics - Seeyou in 2011.”Karl McKenna, MD, Compass Logistics IrelandCHAMBERlink13

MAXIMISING membershipNETWORKING eventMaximising your MembershipSavvy Cork Chamber members attended the Maximisingyour Membership Event on Thursday 14th October in theClarion Hotel. This event re-iterated the services availableto members and reminded members how to use themto best effect. Maximised membership of the Chamberis a two-way street and the most successful and satisfiedmembers are those who fully utilise Chamber services as acost neutral promotional aid as well as a vital informationand advice structure available to all members of CorkChamber.Conor Healy, Chief Executive Cork Chamber with Paul Buckley, FinancialInnovations and Rory O’Connor, Compunet. (Photographs: Ger McCarthy)Business After Hours at the NationalSoftware CentreCork Chamber members got an exclusive evening inthe NSC Campus on Wednesday 20th October, withdelicious food and wine, courtesy of Malaysian ChefPrakash Sivakumar. The National Software Centre is amulti-tenanted, purpose-built business environment withflexibility and scalability in mind. The NSC offers superiorbusiness solutions for all types and sizes of companies,providing the most advanced technology and officeservices. Michael O’Regan was the lucky winner of thebusiness card draw, winning 2 tickets to Stevie Winwoodat the Cork Jazz Festival and Chamber members heard“soapboxes” from both the Cork Independent (JarlathFeeney) and Nemeton – Video for Business (Maeve Quill).Greg Canty, Fuzion Communications; Michael O’Regan, Absolute BusinessContinuity Solutions and Maeve Quill, Nemeton - Video for Business.Paula Mulcahy, TSS Training; Billie Browne, Oh Baby Maternity magazine andRuth Gaffney, New Ireland Assurance.Frank O’Mahony, Wilson Architecture and John Fitzpatrick, Cork Choral Festival.Ger O’Mahoney, President Cork Chamber and Sue O’Brien, Cork BIC.(Photographs: Ger McCarthy)Denis Weir, Par Solutions and Micheal Twomey, EtelligenceCork Chamber Annual Dinner 2011key dates for your diary - tickets going on saleThe Cork Chamber Annual Dinner will take place on Friday4th February 2011 in City Hall Cork. The Annual Dinner is a“must attend” event, giving you the opportunity to networkwith almost 1000 local and national businesses and is thelargest business event held in Cork.CHAMBERlinkKeith Ryan, X-Cell Cleaning; Veronica Murphy, Discovery Partnership and DonalMcCarthy, Do Business Smarter.Ann Marie Quinn, Westboro Partners; Denis Ahern, Ahern Financial Consultingand Kay Looney, Bank of Ireland.Tickets go on sale at10.00am on Friday 19th November 2010on www.corkchamber.ieBook early to avoid disappointment as tickets for this eventare very popular and sell out quickly.Mark the date in your diary and remember to book online.CHAMBERlink1415

INTEGRATING social mediaMARKETING corkSupplied by Cork Marketing Partnership & Cork Convention BureauGer O’Mahoney, President Cork Chamber; Damien Mulley, Mulley Communications; John Lamphiere, EMEA Mid Market Sales and Ashley Hennessy, Chairman MarketingInstitute South Region.Social Media Business Plansin association with The Marketing InstituteTargeted marketing, reaching the right audience, settingthe correct tone – these are all vital in today’s world ofinformation overload and using the correct tools for thecorrect job is becoming increasingly important.Excellence in cleaning standardsSAVEON YOUR CURRENTCLEANING COSTSCork Chamber and Marketing Institute members joinedup last week in the Clarion Hotel to hear Damien Mulleyfrom Mulley Communications and John Lamphiere fromFacebook, talk about the importance of social media inyour daily business life.For furtherinformationcontact us:087 2122169orCallsave: 1890 250 450Email:info@xcellcleaning.comLord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Michael O’Connell and Ronnie Mc Dowell, Cork City Council(centre) presenting the Judges Choice Award to Niall Mc Auliffe and Mark Polandfrom UCC for the Brookfield House complex.Property owners and managers presentincredibly high standards at the 2010Better Building AwardsThe Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Michael O’Connell,recently announced the winners of the 2010 Cork CityBetter Building Awards.This year’s 2010 Better Building Award judges awarded9 categories including the newly created Public RealmAward, which the judges created to focus attention on thecontribution made to the city centre environment by thedesign and creation of new public spaces in the city. Thefirst Public Realm Award went to: Opera Lane (O’CallagahanProperties) and Emmet Place (Cork City Council).Cork Marketing Partnership Chairman, Mr Michael Gearycommented at the ceremony, “the highly successful BetterBuilding Awards is just one of many CMP projects, thechallenge for Cork Marketing Partnership going forward,is to exploit market opportunities and position Cork tomaintain and build profile in domestic and internationalmarkets. The challenge for Cork is to be recognisedinternationally as a progressive European City Region,driving national competitiveness and focusing on highadded value mobile investment and talent”.Cork Marketing Partnership has launched Cork’sChristmas website www.christmasincork.ie whichcontains information on Christmas Events, Christmasspectacles, pantomimes, markets, carol services,concerts, ice rinks, etc together with hotel, restaurant,pub, shopping and parking information for the festiveseason.WWW.CHRISTMASINCORK.IEwww.christmasincork.ie recorded impressive traffic forthe 2009 season with site visitors hailing from Ireland, UKand the US. To submit event information and Christmasoffers email: liz@corkmarketingpartnership.ieDavid Boyce, Tourism Ireland London; Cllr. Michael O’Connell, Lord Mayor of CorkCity; Evelyn O’Sullivan, Cork Convention Bureau and Cllr Jim Daly, Mayor of CorkCounty.Destination Cork - Big City Possibilitieswith Small City Benefits!Last month Cork Convention Bureau (CCB) joined forceswith Cork Hoteliers and tourism providers to promoteCork as a Business Tourism Destination in London andsurrounding areas.With over 55 direct access routes from the UK and Europeincluding 12 flights a day into London, Cork is a veryattractive proposition for UK and European buyers. Thestandard of hotel and venue product in the region hasnever been better with extremely affordable delegate rateson offer. One of the highlights of this promotional drivein the UK was a dinner at the world renowned RichardCorrigan’s Bentleys Oyster Bar & Grill in London. Theevening was an opportunity for London buyers to meet the‘Destination Cork’ team and learn more about the region.Evelyn O’Sullivan, General Manager of the CCB stated, “InCork we have a no no-nonsense and friendly approach.People like to do business with us and we feel that bybringing a little piece of Cork and Ireland to them it shouldresult in good solid business opportunities for the regiongoing into the future.” Significantly CCB is now negotiatingconference business for 2011/12 with 2 major London touroperators.CHAMBERlinkwww.xcellcleaning.com17

MEMBERS newsTo submit Members News send to Imelda (imelda@corkchamber.ie)For more Members News go to www.corkchamber.ieCHAMBERlinkIarnród Éireann Improve Journey TimesIarnród Éireann has introduced a number of servicealterations to its schedule. These alterations willdramatically improve journey times to a number ofservices on a number of routes. Customers should beadvised that certain trains may have different thanpreviously advertised departure times. For example:The 05:05hrs Cork Heuston will depart 5 minutes earlierat 05:00hrs arriving at Heuston at 08:15; 06:30hrs CorkHeuston service will depart 15 minutes earlier at 06:15hrscalling at Mallow at 06:37hrs and Limerick Junction at07:11 arriving into Heuston at 08:45 an ideal time for thosethat need to be in Dublin before 09:00 (in 2.5 hours). The07:30hrs Cork Heuston will now have a faster journey timearriving into Heuston 15 minutes earlier than previously.It will call at Mallow at 07:52, Limerick Junction at 08:27,Thurles at 08:47 arriving at Heuston at 10:05. Similaralterations will apply to certain trains on other routes formore details go to www.irishrail.ieLet’s Go - Racing!Cork Race Course Mallow is hosting some great NationalHunt race meetings this winter, including the O’ConnellGroup Race Day (Dec12th) & the McCarthy InsuranceGroup Race Day (Jan 3rd). Cork Racecourse are running afree shuttle bus service to and from the racecourse fromMallow Town and Train Station for all race meetings, callMary 0n 022-50207- www.corkracecourse.ieDr Brendan Murphy, President CIT & Michael Delaney, Vice President forDevelopment CIT with award recipients Bob Savage, Vivienne Roche and GerO’MahoneyCIT Alumni AwardsThe Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) Alumni Awards werepresented recently. The recipients were selected fromnominations put forward by members of the Institutecommunity. The main aim of the awards is to celebratethe life-long value of an education and to provideinspiration for others – peers and current students. CITAlumni are leaders in their fields and excel in their areas ofendeavour. The awards went to Bob Savage, Vice President& Managing Director for Ireland of EMC Corporation,Graduating from CIT in 1985 with a Bachelors Degree inElectronic Engineering; artist Vivienne Roche, who studiedart in the Crawford College of Art & Design, and theSchool of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and GerardO’Mahoney, FCA, Corporate Finance Partner and RegionalPartner in Charge at Deloitte. Ger is a graduate of CorkInstitute of Technology in Business (Accounting). Gerardwas the founding chairman of the CIT Alumni Association.Colm Moloney, Managing Director and Teresa Bolger, Regional Manager ofHeadland Archaeology with Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, BattO’Keeffe T.D.New Dublin office for HeadlandArchaeologyHeadland Archaeology (Ireland) Ltd cemented theirposition as one of the largest archaeology firms in Europewith the launch of an office in Dublin by Batt O’Keeffe,Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation with thecreation of 5 New Jobs and 30 more New Jobs Expected.The company which supplies commercial archaeologyservices to the UK, Ireland and Europe now has officesin Cork, Dublin, Galway, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgowand London. The establishment of a permanent office inDublin was seen as the next logical step by the company.Heading up the Dublin Office is Teresa Bolger, RegionalManager. Teresa’s directing credits include a series ofBronze Age sites on the route of the Drogheda by-pass,as well as a large early medieval settlement landscapenear Balbriggan, Co. Dublin and an Iron Age timber builtwaterfront structure in the heart of Dublin.Michael O Mahony, Director OMI Insurance Brokers; Donal Kerr, Regional DirectorFAS and David O’Mahony, Director OMI Insurance Brokers.Excellence Through People Standard OMIOMI (O’Mahony Insurances Ltd) Insurance Brokers wererecently awarded the FAS Excellence Through People(ETP) Standard. In early 2009 OMI started the ETP processand is the first such company to achieve the certification.David O’Mahony, Commercial Director at OMI said “thisis a milestone for the business, and credit is due to theteam at OMI which embraced the process for continuousimprovement. No other Insurance Broker in Munster hasthis valued accreditation. ETP has seen an immediateimprovement to our retention ratio, currently at 89% (thecurrent Insurance industry average is 78%), so our focus onservice and minding our customers validates this”.Cork Independent in the finalsCork Independent has reached the final stages in Ireland’sonline Oscars, the Irish Web Awards. The Cork Independentis nominated in the Best Web Publication category. Thelist of five finalists was narrowed down from 18 nomineesincluding Ireland’s best-known national newspapers andmagazines, Corkindependent.com has a full digital archivereaching back to the paper’s foundation, and has anonline flick-through edition which uses the most up-todatetechnology. It also has a searchable archive and usesfully integrated Twitter and Facebook so that the paper’sreaders both in Cork and elsewhere can keep up with themost current news available.Conor Counihan and Donal Clancy, Quinn-healthcare at The Hope FoundationAnnual Lunch.300 at The Hope Foundation Lunch300 guests attended the hugely successful Annual CorkLunch in aid of The Hope Foundation, in associationwith QUINN-healthcare. This annual event is an integralpart of HOPE’s fundraising, as it helps to fund projectsfor abandoned and abused street and slum children inKolkata (Calcutta), as well as an opportunity to meet oldfriends and make new ones. This year’s event was a funfilled one that kicked off at 12pm as guests explored theRetail Zone with a cocktail in hand, and visited stands.Guests were then treated to a fabulous 3 course meal andspecial performance by Cara O’Sullivan, Ireland’s PremierOperatic Soprano. There was also a great selection ofraffle prizes up for grabs, but no one walked away emptyhanded as each guest received a goodie bag.Over 100,000 Cruise Passengers in 20102010 proved to be another busy year for the Port of Corkwith a total of 52 cruise liners calling to Cobh, Ireland’sonly dedicated cruise berth. Onboard the 52 cruiseliners were a total of 100, 414 passengers and crew, arecord number to visit Cork. Following the Port of Cork’sinvestment in Cobh’s dedicated cruise berth over thelast five years, some of the largest liners in the world arenow capable of berthing, bringing with them thousandsof passengers and crew, all of whom contribute to thelocal economy. With a ambitious target to grow the cruisebusiness even further, the Port of Cork are aiming toincrease the number of cruise liner calls over the next fiveyears to seventy-five.Peter Stringer and Jim McCarthy, Business Development Director, Quintas.Quintas launch The Horizon BES FundFollowing on from two successful BES funds in 2008 and2009, Quintas, have launched their 2010 Horizon BES Fund.The fund offers qualifying individuals the opportunityto invest up to €150,000, 41% of which would be setagainst any Personal Tax Liability in 2010. The fund is avery attractive proposition, at an opportune time as thedeadline for tax returns looms. The Horizon BES Fund’starget of €4m will be invested into qualifying companies,who can demonstrate a mix of strong management,unique product/service offering and excellent growthprospects. This new project is one of many innovativeand successful investment opportunities that Quintashave developed in recent years through their WealthManagement Division.Complete Coating Services announcedeal with Jotun PaintsComplete Coating Services are pleased to announce thesigning of a strategic sales distribution alliance for Irelandwith Jotun Paints Europe (JPEL) the 5th largest paintmanufacturer in Europe. The partnership will combineComplete Coating Services unique paint and processmanagement service, with the advance technologicalpaint manufacturing expertise of Jotun Paints. StephenMcCarthy, Senior Manager for the Munster businessregion of Ulster Bank states, “Ulster Bank is delighted tobe associated with the continued success of CompleteCoating Services. This exciting new strategic alliancewith Jotun Paints demonstrates the hard work put in byeveryone at Complete Coating Services in achieving whatis another milestone in the business’s very successfulgrowth path to date.CHAMBERlink1819

MEMBERS newsTo submit Members News send to Imelda (imelda@corkchamber.ie)For more Members News go to www.corkchamber.ieReachyour audienceDr. Andrew Crosbie, SouthDoc; Gary and Miriam ‘Flynn, esus; HowardBeggs, Helix Health.esus win at Irish Healthcare Awardsesus Web Solutions were recently awarded acommendation at the 2010 Irish Healthcare Awards in the“Best Use of Technology in Healthcare” category for theirwork with SouthDoc, the after-hours doctors service. Theaward-winning Cork company developed an Online Rota& Communications system for SouthDoc, enabling over500 doctors in Cork & Kerry to access and manage theirrotas for the out-of-hours service. GPs now receive textmessage reminders and can communicate online via asecure extranet. It also provides SouthDoc managementwith real-time management reports to help with planningand resourcing, and replaces an administration-intensive,paper-based process for creating & managing rotasaccording to a complex set of rules that differ in each localarea. Launched only 6 months ago, the system has alreadyled to significant reductions in costs, paperwork, andadministration time.Pat Keane Snr, Director Keanes Jewellers with Munster players Lifeimi Mafi andTomas O’Leary.Keanes team-up with Munster RugbyMunster Rugby announced that Keanes Jewellers, the UKand Ireland’s Independent Jewellers of the Year 2010, is‘Official Jewellers to Munster Rugby’ and ‘Official Sponsorof the Munster Rugby Women’s Team’. As part of the ‘OfficialJewellers to Munster Rugby’ agreement Keanes Jewellersare producing and selling a number of exclusive brandedproducts through their retail stores in Cork, Limerick andKillarney which have been created exclusively for KeanesJewellers customers and Munster Rugby Fans.Commentingon the partnership Garrett Fitzgerald, Munster RugbyCEO added: “It is extremely positive to be building a newcommercial relationship with an established, progressive,award winning, business based in Munster. I hope thatthis new partnership helps build the profile for the Keanesbrand through the sponsorship of the Women’s Team,whilst at the same time provides a new range of jewelleryfor both Munster Rugby & Keanes.”CHAMBERlinkBrendan Cashman, Chef/Patron Augustine’s RestaurantSomething Special at Augustine’sAlways a popular spot for corporate entertaining andspecial dining occasions, Augustine’s Restaurant has justlaunched its Christmas Lunch Menu and Group DinnerMenu. Whether entertaining loyal or prospective clients,the 5 course and a la carte menus won’t fail to impresswhile still providing excellent value for money. The GroupDinner Menu, (5 stunning courses) is available for groups of10 or more and costs €40pp, while the Group Lunch Menu(5 courses) costs €27pp. Recently acknowledged by Food& Wine magazine as Cork City’s finest restaurant and in theTop 10 Restaurants in Munster, Augustine’s welcome theopportunity to host you, your clients, colleagues or yourspecial contacts. Please contact us on T: (021) 4279375 orE: augustinesrestaurant@gmail.comBarry group unveils €5.5m expansionThe Barry Group has unveiled a €5.5m expansion planfor its Mallow based business. The company is seekingplanning permission for a €3.5m expansion of itswarehouse facilities in Mallow. The expansion will increasethe Barry Group’s warehouse by 55,000 sq. ft., givingthe company’s distribution centre a total 200,000 sq. ft.footprint over a five acre site. The expansion will create 50new jobs for the local economy over a three year periodwith construction due to begin in the first quarter of 2011,subject to a successful planning application. The BarryGroup has also confirmed that four new BuyLo Superstoreswill open in Killarney, Waterford, Shannon and Dublinbetween now and the end of November. This representsa €2m investment in fit out and stock and will lead to thecreation of 60 new jobs by the end of 2010.Santa’s Kingdom Arrives in 4DFollowing on from the success of Santa’s Kingdom last year,the team at the Maryborough Hotel and Spa have decidedto go bigger, better and bolder for 2010 and have broughtSanta’s Kingdom to life in 4D. The hotel has landed a coupby bringing the first 4D movie experience to Cork thisChristmas, which opens on Saturday, 27 November 2010.Enterprise Europe NetworkMake a big impactwith your small businessEuropean CommissionEnterprise and IndustryEA-32-09-204-EN-P20ec.europa.eu/enterprise-europe-network

Vodafone. The home ofthe smartphone.And the home of the BlackBerry ® Torch 9800, withboth touchscreen and full QWERTY keyboard – the bestof both worlds for your business.Just call in store or visit vodafone.ieFirstfromVodafoneBlackBerry ® Torch 9800BlackBerry ® , RIM ® , Research in Motion ® , SureType ® , SurePress and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research in Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countriesaround the world. Used under license from Research in Motion Limited.P26959 VO Smartphones BUSINESS CHAMBERLINK 297x210 BG.indd 1 03/11/2010 11:23