GARDEN SHOW IRELAND
:: Garden Show Ireland will return to the historic Antrim Castle Gardens for a three-day gardening extravaganza that promises plenty of flowers, food and fun in true Wonka fashion.
Now in its 19th year, the show runs from Friday to Sunday June 16-18 and is expected to attract some 30,000 visitors across the weekend.
Billed as Northern Ireland’s largest gardening festival, the horticulture showcase is bigger and better than ever before with a blossoming programme that caters for family, friends and the garden enthusiast alike.
Taking inspiration from acclaimed garden designer Diarmuid Gavin’s magical, mechanical Jubilee Garden, this year’s show is adopting ‘Pure Imagination’ as its theme for 2023 as weird and wonderful exuberance meets gardening excellence.
Tickets cost £10 and can be purchased online at gardenshowireland.com. Children under 16 go free.
CHAMBER LUNCH
The NI Chamber of Commerce will welcome more than 400 businesspeople to its annual lunch on Friday June 23 in Belfast City Hall.
The sold-out event will be hosted by its newly-elected president Cathal Geoghegan, who is managing director of Henderson Foodservice.
Guests will hear from former professional footballer and Premier League manager Harry Redknapp. The TV pundit turned ‘King of the Jungle’ will be interviewed on-stage by broadcaster and event host Claire McCollum.
The lunch is delivered with the support of sponsors BT, Cleaver Fulton Rankin, GMcG and Everun, well as drinks reception sponsor Dell.
CINEMAGIC LOS ANGELES
The award-winning Cinemagic Film and Television Festival for Young People and NI Connections have joined forces for Cinemagic’s Los Angeles Gala on June 28.
The gala, sponsored by NI Connections, marks the culmination of a week-long programme for young people from Northern Ireland and Los Angeles who will benefit from talks, tours and master-classes with top talent in film and television production.
The 20 teenagers representing Belfast at Cinemagic LA are participants of Ignite, an innovative youth leadership initiative established and spearheaded by George Best Belfast City Airport, in partnership with Cinemagic (www.cinemagic.org.uk), which aims to provide young people from all backgrounds with life-changing opportunities.
Each young person on the once in a lifetime trip will have graduated from the Ignite programme, achieving both academic accolades and building significant personal growth that will help them fulfil their aspirations.
The gala, hosted by presenters Jenn McGuirk and Darren Kennedy, will showcase the young people's work, talent and achievements, empowering them to unlock their creativity and build industry connections in the USA.
The teenagers will hear from a host of professionals in the field of film, TV, broadcasting, arts, entrepreneurship and musical theatre including Kevin Huvane (CAA), one of Hollywood’s most sought-after talent agents, cinematographer Sarah Brandes (Ad Astra, The Morning Show), producer James Longman (Late Late Show with James Corden), screenwriters Ryan Rowe and Adam Lorenzo, and four-time Emmy award-winning producer Shane Farley (Rachael Ray).
SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS
The 2023 Northern Ireland Social Media Awards in partnership with Corner Bakery have been launched and will again shine a spotlight on the achievements of local individuals, businesses and organisations and highlight the future of connection.
Now in their third year, the awards are organised by two of Northern Ireland’s leading award-winning digital marketers and industry mentors, Niamh Taylor of Digital 24 and Caroline O’Neill of Digg Mama and Digg For Success.
An independent panel of expert judges, who each work with some of the world’s biggest brands, has been secured and includes Amy Lynch, social media lead of Ryanair; Jack Francis, social media & content manager of eBay; Ella Wright, social media manager of NEOM Organics London; Leah Silverlock, head of social media & community of Trustpilot; Dayna Sara Baker, social media manager of Revolut; Jordan Meyer, social media manager of Formula E and Jay Harris, senior social media executive of JD Sports Fashion.
The winners will be announced at the social event of the year hosted by Annette Kelly of Little Penny Thoughts on Saturday October 7 in Belfast's Crowne Plaza hotel.
The awards celebrate how individuals, organisations and businesses are using social media positively and excelling in digital marketing to achieve their aims and objectives. There are 32 award categories to enter including Best Social Media Campaign in Hospitality, Best Use of Social Media in Charity, Digital Agency Team of the Year and new for this year – Ulster University Marketing & Enterprising Student of the Year AND Best Use of Social Media in a Start-Up Business (Under 2 Years).
For further information on the awards or to enter before Monday July 31 go to www.nisocialmediaawards.com
