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Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade’s retail policy reflects the promotion of the City as a thriving retail hub.
It has identified 85acres of land within the City Centre boundary which is primed for retail development. Therefore, from the outset, Newry Chamber has opposed this ‘edge of town’ shopping development as it would have a potential negative impact on City Centre trading.
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Newry Chamber’s Annual Gala Dinner Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade is delighted to announce that their Annual Gala Dinner 2010 will take place on Thursday, 18 November 2010 in the Canal Court Hotel, Newry commencing with a drinks reception at 7pm. This prestigious event is expected to attract more than 350 guests from the local and wider Northern Ireland business community.
Orla Jackson, Chief Executive of Newry Chamber is inviting all businesses in the Greater Newry Area to attend this very prestigious event stating, ‘this has been a challenging year for local businesses. More so than ever, local companies need to engage and network with each other to secure new business and ensure the local economy prospers.This event provides guests with the perfect opportunity to network and socialise in a relaxing environment’.
The event promises to be an interesting and informative experience as well as an excellent networking opportunity for business people in the City.
Sensitive to the increased financial pressure on local businesses, Newry Chamber has reduced the cost of tickets to £45 per person. Guests will enjoy a four-course meal and an evening of entertainment. Contributions from ticket sales will be donated to St Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army.
This event is being generously supported by Principal Sponsor, First Derivatives. Mr Adrian Toner, Chief Operating Officer, First Derivatives stated, ‘First Derivatives is delighted to support Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade at this high profile annual event. We are looking forward to the opportunity to meet with the Chamber’s VIP guests and to an evening of good entertainment and networking with other Newry businesses’.
The venue sponsor of this event is the Canal Court Hotel.
Tickets cost £45 per person and are available by contacting Newry Chamber before Friday 5th November. Tel: 028 3025 0303 or email: info@newrychamber.com
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Staff at Appletree Dental Care, Newry are all smiles this week as they enjoy a double whammy by scooping a Supervalu ‘Best Kept’ award as they prepare to open a new extension to the Kilmorey Street premises.
This year’s Supervalu ‘Best Kept Awards 2010’ were hosted on Tuesday night in Belfast and Appletree Dental Care collected the award for best Health care facility in the Southern region for the second time since the business opened just four years ago.
Practice owners Conor McEnhill and Katrina McKevitt were thrilled at the achievement, particularly as the timescale for the judge’s visit fell just days after the workmen left the site.
Katrina says: “We’d like to say a special thanks to Clanrye Abbey Development and our building contractor Thomas Murphy who managed to complete the new wing extension with little disruption to the practice and finish just a few days before the judges arrived. Our staff were fantastic in adding the finishing touches for the visit. The award is a credit to our staff as they always take real pride in caring for the working environment of the practice which is part of the reason that we’ve won this award twice.”
Appletree is a contemporary dental practice which strives to provide the best possible experience for its patients. “The new extension is part of this philosophy and our new treatment areas provide modern dental treatments and specialist implant and cosmetic services. We design the environment to feel welcoming from first impressions with exterior landscaping and flower boxes, to interior finishes such as fixing plasma screens in treatment areas among other features. We have a new dedicated central sterilisation area to ensure that our cross infection measures are to the highest industry standards,” Katrina adds.
Appletree will officially open the new extension later this month with the addition of another full time dentist and dental hygienist which will take the total number of employees at the practice to 10. They can be contacted at The Old Gasworks, Kilmorey Street, Newry. Telephone 028 3025 2228 or Surf to www.appletreedental.co.uk
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Dr Conor Patterson was re-elected as President of Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade at its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, 15 October in Bellini’s.
The election of the Office Bearers and Executive Committee was presided over by Mr Art Magennis MBE. Mr Cathal Austin, Mr Peter Conway, Mr Michael Downey and Mr Stephen Kearney, were re-elected for the following positions respectively, First Vice President; Second Vice President; Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer.
In his acceptance speech, President Conor Patterson stated, ‘it is an honour and privilege to be re-elected as President of such a dynamic, pro-active and highly respected strategic lobbying and networking organisation’.
‘The next 12 months will have a significant long term bearing on the Greater Newry Area. Newry Chamber will do all that it can to help local businesses to get through these challenging times.
‘Newry Chamber seeks to represents the interests of its members and the wider community at a local, regional and national Government level. In this difficult trading environment, it has become increasingly important for local businesses to have a strong pro-active Chamber fighting for their interests and those of the Newry area. Newry Chamber has been the voice of the local business community since 1893. I, along with the newly elected Chamber Executive Committee will strive to continue this good work over the next 12 months and beyond’.
President Conor Patterson added, ‘Newry Chamber will continue to support its members and provide value added services to all. Chamber Officials led by Chief Executive, Orla Jackson, will continue to work in partnership with other organisations to provide members with services and resources which will help their businesses to grow and flourish’.
President Conor Patterson thanked the Chamber Office Bearers, Executive members and office staff for their continued support and stated that he looked forward to another busy year at the helm of Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade.
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On Monday 18th October, Mr Paul Sloane, Investment Manager for Martin Currie Investment Management Ltd, Edinburgh visited the Business Studies Department of St Colman’s College. He addressed the S3 and S4 Accounting and Business Studies students giving them a thorough and in depth insight into a career in Equity Investment and Actuary.
Paul also outlined in detail his career profile, the various companies he has worked for including names such as Standard Life. A key note of his address was the various different paths which can be taken in order to join this profession and the absolute necessity of preparation through work placements and voluntary work etc.
Mr C. O’Hare (H.o.D Careers) commenting on the visit stated ‘We are delighted to have someone with Paul’s vast experience speaking to our students to give them an insight into what might otherwise be seen as a niche market’ he also conveyed his sincere thanks to Mr Sloane’s brother, Mr Peter Sloane (Gifted & Talented Coordinator) for his support in arranging this visit and to Mrs P Somerville (H.o.D Business Studies) for hosting the event.
Following this visit both the Business Studies Department and Careers Department have established a very valuable link with the Financial Services Sector and hope to strengthen these link in the near future.
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MSA Announces Support for Manufacturing Businesses
Want to improve your business but not certain where to start; keen to improve your management ability but not sure what to focus on; got a product idea but need advice on the pitfalls around bringing it to market.
Funded support is available to you in each of the above areas and the Manufacturing Skills Alliance (MSA) in conjunction with Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade is hosting a Business Breakfast to tell you what is available and to help you get this support for your business FREE OF CHARGE. Formed in 2008, the MSA brings together four Sector Skills Councils; Cogent, SEMTA, Improve Ltd and Proskills.
As employer-led, UK-wide organisations, Sector Skills Councils are designed to help businesses in their respective sectors develop the skills to grow and succeed. MSA covers a very broad range of business sectors from aerospace to cement, food to plastics, textiles to electronics, pharmaceuticals to printing and many others.
MSA and Newry Chamber would like to invite all businesses in the local manufacturing and IT sectors to join them for a Business Breakfast to hear more about the programmes, assistance and services available to them and hear from other local businesses that have directly benefitted from these opportunities.
Delegates will have the opportunity to chat about their own business’s specific needs and discuss how these programmes can easily fit into busy schedules.
The Business Breakfast will take place on Thursday, 25 November 2010 in the Canal Court Hotel from 7.45am – 9am.
This event is free of charge. To register for this event please contact Newry Chamber on (028) 3025 0303; email: info@newrychamber.com.
To find out more about the MSA programmes and opportunities available, please contact Alan Blair on 028 9090 0016.
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Want to cost effectively increase your sales, improve brand awareness, expand market share and promote your business? If the answer is YES; find out all the top tips and advice on developing your online media strategy at Newry Chamber’s Online Marketing workshop, taking place on the 23 November.
Ms Orla Jackson, Chief Executive of Newry Chamber stated, ‘Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade in partnership with ITS New Media and Impact Sales Solutions is inviting local businesses to participate in this important and informative workshop to highlight how their businesses can benefit from social media marketing and website optimisation’.
‘This workshop is a must for Business Owners, Senior Managers, and Sales/Marketing Executives to boost business profile and sales. It will cover an introduction to social media, creating your online marketing plan, targeting your ideal customer, search engine optimisation and pay per click advertising’.
Mr Gary Topping from ITS New Media added, ‘We are planning on covering a range of strategies and techniques that would help grow an organisations digital foot print. The strategies can be used and implemented immediately whether you are building your website now or if it is already established’.
Mrs Andrea Donnelly, Impact Sales Solutions stated, ‘In today’s tough marketplace it is crucial that every opportunity to promote your business and reinforce brand awareness is maximised. Social Media Marketing has become an essential component for any business wishing to build relationships with customers, keep abreast of the competition and develop your business to business network.’
This information seminar will take place on from 4pm – 6pm on Tuesday 23 November in Newry & Mourne Enterprise Agency, WIN Business Park, Newry. This event is FREE OF CHARGE to members of Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade and £20 per person for non-members.
For further information or to book your place at this event, please contact Newry Chamber on (028) 3025 0303 or email: info@newrychamber.com
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Calling all businesses….Do you want to network with a large number of cross border businesses in one morning’s session? YES!!! Then join Newry & Dundalk Chamber’s of Commerce at the ‘Cross Border Speed Networking Event’.
In association with InterTradeIreland, Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade and Dundalk Chamber of Commerce are inviting companies to participate in a Cross Border Speed Networking event, taking place on the 16th November in Darver Castle, Co Louth.
Orla Jackson, Chief Executive of Newry Chamber stated, ‘this event has proved very popular in the past with local businesses. Over 80 businesses from Newry and Dundalk attended our previous speed networking events; valuable contacts were made with some organisations securing significant contracts during the session, ranging in value from £2k to £20k, whilst others made important long-term contacts…not bad for a mornings work!!’
Ms Jackson added, ‘Speed Networking events have proved to be a phenomenal success worldwide, by adding a cross border dimension to our event we guarantee participating businesses with the opportunity to meet a large number of individuals that they would never otherwise have had the chance to network with in a unique, highly cost-effective, focused and fun environment’.
Ms Jackson explained, ‘On the day of the event, delegates will be divided into two groups and allocated 3 minutes to network with a member of the opposite group before a bell rings, notifying them to move onto the next delegate’.
Margaret Hearty, Director of Programmes and Business Services added : “Success in business today depends on making the right connections. Events such as these give local companies the opportunity to network and to identify new business opportunities by, for example, finding new customers, suppliers, partners and distributors.
“Due to current economic conditions many companies are cautious about the future but our research shows that almost 88% of businesses are looking for potential new markets or to develop new products as a way to combat the downturn. ‘’ This event is sponsored by InterTradeIreland and will be held in the Darver Castle from 9.15am to 12.15pm on Tuesday 16 November.
The event costs £20 for Newry Chamber members and £30 for non-members. For further details please contact Newry Chamber on (028) 3025 0303 or email: info@newrychamber.com
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Join in the Christmas festivities and raise money for local charities along with 200 plus Santa’s in this year’s Santa Charity Fun Run.
This annual event promises to be bigger and better than ever before. Local companies are invited to sponsor and enter a Santa into the fun run which will take place at 10.30am on Thursday 2nd December on Hill Street, Newry.
Don’t worry it will be a very short course and the emphasis is on participation and fun – IT ISN’T A RACE! With the course only a mile long, participating ‘Santas’ can run, walk or crawl over this short distance all in the name of charity!
The ambition of the organisers is that on December 2nd we will have two hundred Santa’s running down Hill Street. Each Santa would be a representative from a local business, club or school and each would wear their organisation’s logo or message.
This year a “CELEBRITY SANTAS FUN RUN” will be incorporated within the Santa Fun Run! Down Senior Football Players from this year’s successful team, will be taking part and there are rumours that a few Armagh players are preparing to challenge them in the battle for the finishing line. People and organisations will have the opportunity to sponsor individual Celebrity Santa’s in this fun and entertaining event.
EVERY SPONSORING ORGANISATION WHO ENTERS A SANTA WILL BE ENTERED INTO A DRAW TO WIN ONE OF FIVE £100 VOUCHERS FOR JACK MURPHY JEWELLERS.
So, are you interested? Can you nominate a Santa from your organisation? It will cost you £100 per Santa. Santa’s may collect contributions in order to enter (sponsor cards will be supplied upon request).
The Santa Run is being organised in conjunction with the 11th Newry Business Christmas Charity Lunch which will take place on Thursday 2 December at 12.30 p.m. in the Canal Court Hotel. The Newry Christmas Charity Lunch incorporating the Santa Run has raised £680,607 in cash and toys during the 10 year period 2000 – 2009.
All the proceeds of the Santa Fun Run will go towards local charities including, Newry Gateway Club, Rathore School, Orana House Family Support Centre, Southern Area Hospice, The Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, The Childrens’ Ward, Daisy Hill Hospital, Friends of Children, The Polish Supplementary School, PIPS and Citizens Advice Bureau.
Speaking on behalf of the event organisers, Ms Orla Jackson, stated, “ we are very concerned that the business community is experiencing challenging times in the current difficult economic environment. However we are confident that the Greater Newry resilient community Christmas spirit will demonstrate kindness and generosity to help children in need in our local community this Christmas”.
The Santa suits are very generously donated by TONERS, Hill Street, specialists in corporate Christmas requirements. But feel free to ACCESSORISE the outfit as you think fit and don’t forget the beard! This year we have a prize for the Best Accessorised Santa!
Follow the build up to the Santa Fun Run on Facebook page, ‘Newry Santa Run’ To enter a Santa into the fun run or to sponsor a celebrity Santa or book seats for the Newry Business Christmas Charity Lunch please call Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade; Tel: 3025 0303, or email orla@newry.com
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