Over 100 attend Newry Chamber's digital marketing conference

JMore than 100 business representatives from the Greater Newry area and beyond attended the NI Digital Marketing Conference at the Canal Court Hotel on Thursday 18 June. The event was hosted by Newry Chamber and supported by Southern Regional College, IRP Commerce and SJ Henderson Fulfilment.

The conference aimed to be as practical as possible, leaving attendees with ideas to take back and implement in their own businesses. Speakers covered a wide range of areas, from AI and social media strategy to content creation, building a brand online, ecommerce, fulfilment and paid ads. The sessions were overseen by Chamber Board members Deborah Loughran, Managing Director of King Communication, and Maeve Finnegan, Managing Director of Mitso.

Keynote addresses were delivered by John McAreavey, Director of Banbridge based Clearhill, who spoke on how the company is transforming its business with AI, and Stephen Henderson, CEO of Kilkeel based SJ Henderson Fulfilment, who spoke on creating a fulfilment and ecommerce hub in Greater Newry. Other speakers included David Dickson, Head of Merchant Success at IRP Commerce, who spoke on the tactics behind 250% ecommerce growth in a year, Lidia Magliocco, Founder of Parl Studio, who spoke on building a brand without having it all figured out, and Mairead McKibbin, Founder of Crossbox Marketing, who spoke on simplifying social media and content.

The conference also featured two panel discussions. The first, on what it takes to run a successful ecommerce operation, included David Dickson of IRP Commerce, James Cave, Co-Owner of FWD Commerce, Michael O'Hare, Director of f10Marine, and John Walker, Founder of Vend Digital. The second, on maintaining authenticity in an AI world, included Callum O'Neill, Owner of HEAT Health & Fitness, Gareth Creaney, Sales and Marketing Executive at Paul Feely & Associates, Milena McArdle, Manager of Snaubs Boutique, and Graham McCalmont, Lecturer in Computing at Southern Regional College.

Dr Conor Patterson, President of Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade, said the turnout reflected the importance of the topic to local businesses. "Newry Chamber was absolutely delighted to have a packed house in the Canal Court for this year's NI Digital Marketing Conference, illustrating the importance of this topic to local businesses, an area that continues to constantly evolve at an unprecedented rate." He thanked the conference's principal sponsors. "We are extremely grateful to our Principal Sponsors, Southern Regional College, IRP Commerce and SJ Henderson Fulfilment. Without their support, we simply couldn't run events such as this important annual conference." He added that the event aimed to give local businesses practical information. "The conference was all about providing our local businesses, who are the lifeblood of our economy, with the information they need when it comes to all things digital marketing, keeping them up to date with all the latest trends in this area and giving them practical steps they can start to implement right away within their businesses." He also thanked the speakers. "The conference included a top line-up of speakers, and I would like to thank all of them for taking the time out of their busy schedules to come and speak at the event on topics including social media strategy, creating content, eCommerce, AI, email marketing, paid ads and much more."

Tracy Rice, Assistant Director of Business and Economic Engagement at Southern Regional College, said the conference continued to provide valuable support to SMEs. "Southern Regional College was delighted to sponsor the NI Digital Marketing Conference, in partnership with Newry Chamber, IRP Commerce and SJ Henderson Fulfilment. This annual conference continues to provide SMEs with up-to-date information on digital marketing practices and associated technologies. Attendees benefited from an engaging programme of speakers, each offering valuable insights and practical takeaways. The College offers many upskilling opportunities, mentoring programmes and apprenticeship pathways to support SMEs to establish and build effective digital marketing strategies."

Brian McLaughlin, Partner Development Manager at IRP Commerce, said the event was important for the region. "IRP Commerce is proud to support initiatives that drive the online economy forward. As a sponsor of the NI Digital Marketing Conference, we were delighted to see a strong turnout and high-calibre discussion on profitability, performance and innovation in eCommerce. Events like this are vital for sharing knowledge, sparking new ideas and building a connected digital ecosystem in Newry and Mourne region."

Stephen Henderson, CEO of SJ Henderson Fulfilment, added that he was pleased to return to the conference as a speaker. "It was a privilege to return to Newry Chamber's NI Digital Marketing Conference, this time not just as a sponsor, but as a speaker. To stand on that stage and look out at a room full of business owners, retailers and entrepreneurs all asking the same questions about growth and opportunity, that's exactly the kind of energy Greater Newry needs more of." He said Northern Ireland's dual market access presented a significant opportunity for local businesses. "My message was simple: the opportunity sitting on our doorstep is unlike anything available anywhere else on this island. Northern Ireland's dual market access, the ability to trade freely into both the UK and the EU, is a structural advantage that no other city, no other region, and no other country shares. And from the 1st of July, with the EU removing its duty-free exemption on small parcels, that advantage becomes sharper still. The businesses in that room who move first on this will be the ones telling the story from the stage in five years." He added that SJ Henderson Fulfilment remained committed to supporting such events. "At SJH Fulfilment, we are proud to sponsor and support events like this because the conversation matters as much as the infrastructure. Awareness, ambition and action, that's what moves a city forward. Greater Newry has all three, and we are committed to playing our part in making this vision a reality."