CRAFTING A BUSINESS
:: The Belfast man behind one of the UK’s fastest growing independent beer brands is coming home to inspire the city’s future entrepreneurs at a special free event at Innovation Factory on Friday September 15.
At the Brewing Ideas and Crafting a Business seminar, sponsored by Belfast City Council, Innovation Factory and Pacem, Alan Mahon (33), founder and chief executive of Glasgow-based Brewgooder, will explain how the company’s ethical purpose is an integral part of its growth and is leading to it being one of the UK’s fastest growing beer brands.
Alan, who is originally from the Glen Road in the west of the city, will provide inspiration and practical advice to people who want to start or grow their own business.
“Belfast is a very different city from when I left Northern Ireland to go to university in Glasgow in 2008. More opportunity exists for entrepreneurs now and we have a tremendous amount of human capital and potential in the city,” he said.
“It’s a really good moment in time to encourage, support and enable entrepreneurship but with additional focus on scaling up exciting new ideas.”
To book a place at this free event, go to www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brewing-ideas-crafting-a-business-tickets
FAMILY BUSINESS DAY
:: Accountancy practice Harbinson Mulholland is harnessing the power of responsible and sustainable business practice to encourage family businesses in the north to be a “Force for Good” at their annual conference at W5 in Belfast on September 20 - the eve of this year’s National Family Business Day.
Under the auspices of the firm’s NI Family Business Forum, the event, jointly hosted by Ulster University Business School, will go beyond the issue of net zero targets and delve into all aspects of building an enduring enterprise fit for future generations.
A raft of topics including philanthropy and leaving a legacy, sustainability, creating a world class culture, next gen leadership transition and adapting a lean manufacturing mindset for continuous improvement and growth will all be addressed by guest speakers and a panel of experts and business owners.
“This event aims to motivate and galvanise these entrepreneurs through hearing first hand experiences from their peers on the measures they have taken to secure the future of their business while fostering an effective environmental social governance (ESG) culture to deliver positive change for those inside and outside of their companies,” says Darren McDowell, senior partner with Harbinson Mulholland.
There will be presentations from local and nationally owned family companies including Lynas Food Group, Smiley Monroe and Seating Matters, and the keynote speaker will be Darren Burns, director of inclusion and diversity with Timpson Group, the UK's leading retail service provider employing 5,000 people at 1,934 owned stores and 115 Snappy Snaps across the UK and Ireland.
Places are reserved exclusively for family businesses. Book a place via Treena Clarke at tclarke@harbinson-mulholland.com
HERITAGE PROJECT
:: Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) NI has launched a heritage programme, running from September 23 to January 24 to encourage training and development within the heritage sector and help address skills shortages within the built heritage sector in Northern Ireland.
The training courses are reflective of the current skills shortage in traditional skills areas and range from lime plastering, to stone-masonry, thatching and blacksmithing; as well as workshops on maintenance of older buildings and applying the conservation principles.
The programme builds on previously commissioned work and research undertaken by CITB NI, which found that Northern Ireland has an increasing number of pre-1919 buildings requiring restoration, conservation, repair and maintenance, increasing the need for traditional skills and use of traditional building materials.
Working in partnership with Department for Communities Historic Environment Division, the training programme is part of a three-year project delivered by CITB NI to preserve, develop, and deliver heritage skills supply and training in Northern Ireland to unlock the potential of developing jobs and employment in the construction sector.
For further information about the project or events contact heritage@citbni.org.uk Further details on events and to book can be found at https://www.citbni.org.uk/Events.aspx
A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
:: A Belfast business and mindset event is to return this month with a whole host of new speakers.
The event, supported by Gekkoshot, will take place at the Ulster Museum on September 22, and features an all-star speaker line-up including leading names in hospitality, mindset, marketing, ecommerce, data and much more.
Tickets for Momentum: A Night At The Museum on September 22 (6.30pm-late) are on sale at www.thisismomentum.co.uk.
WIB GROUP CHAIR’S LUNCH
:: United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Jane Hartley has been named as keynote speaker for the 2023 WiB Group Chair’s lunch.
Ambassador Hartley will address over 400 business leaders and entrepreneurs at the annual event which is this year celebrating 21 years of Women in Business and its collective impact on the Northern Ireland economy and wider society.
Taking place on Friday October 13 at Titanic Belfast, the lunch, sponsored by the Department for the Economy, Allstate and Queen’s University Belfast, will focus on the theme ‘Even Better When…’ as a platform for local business leaders and owners to engage in forward-thinking discussions, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration to further build a prosperous, inclusive economy.
Table bookings and single seats are still available. To book a place at the Chair’s Lunch visit: www.womeninbusinessni.com/events
