Ireland’s happiest and healthiest twins, The Happy Pear, and one of Ireland’s best-loved chefs, Kevin Dundon, will join 75 food producers from the Cork and Kerry region at this year’s Cork and Kerry Food Forum.

The hugely successful food event is back and will run over two days featuring healthy cookery demonstrations, as well as one of the largest artisan food markets in Ireland, including local food academy producers. The free event will take place from 12 -5pm in Cork City Hall on Sunday 26 and Monday 27th  June 2016.

Following the tremendous success of last year’s JCI Friendly Business Awards (FBA), JCI Cork are on the hunt for deserving businesses. In a city known worldwide for its hospitality and customer service, there are several hundred businesses in its metropolitan area alone all serving customers in true Cork style. 

JCI are looking for local businesses who offer something unique to their customers, show excellent skill with their social media interaction or offer something truly special to the community. 

JCI extend a sincere thank you to Award Sponsors Cork Chamber, Evening Echo, Clayton Silver Springs Hotel and RedFM for their continued support.

Nominations are now open in the follow categories:

            •           Community Impact

            •           Customer Care

            •           Disability Access

            •           Digital Experience

            •           Eco-Friendliness

            •           Shop Layout & Design

Closing date July 8^th 2016.  To enter or nominate a business visit website. 

Date: Thursday 30^th June

Time: 5.00pm – 7.00pm

Location: Clarion Hotel

Booking: FREE for Cork Chamber/NRF members. Register here

Cork Chamber is proud to partner with the National Recruitment Federation (NRF) once again to bring you an evening seminar on “Why Cork” 

Hear directly from IDA Ireland and some of Cork’s most successful multinational companies on why Cork is ideal for foreign direct investment and what the region has to offer in terms of access, infrastructure, skills and supports.

A unique opportunity for recruitment industry professionals to understand the skills requirements and priorities of large multinationals when choosing to invest in Cork.

This event will be chaired by Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber.

The British referendum on EU membership takes place tomorrow on June 23^rd. On this day the British electorate will be asked a hugely important yes/no question: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”

Depending on the outcome, the UK referendum on EU membership could present significant challenges to Irish businesses and the make-up of the European internal market. While such changes would come about gradually over time, it is important to assess the risk (and opportunities) that Brexit could present to your business.

Our information note here sets out the options for Britain should it vote to leave the EU, the main impact of a Brexit on Ireland, and the opportunities for Ireland if Britain were to leave.

If you want to discuss the referendum in further detail with our policy team contact Sarah.  

The development and implementation of the City Centre Movement Strategy is founded on the key objective to ‘improve the general vibrancy of Cork City Centre to promote sustained economic growth, to deliver a much more attractive environment for shoppers, visitors and tourists and to help encourage sustained inward investment’. Cork City Council proposes to undertake development works as part of Phase 1 and Phase 2 and is currently inviting comments on this development with the overall deadline being 5pm on Friday July 8th.


Cork Chamber will be making a submission to this process and invite member businesses to contact us if you have any business views regarding the proposed changes to Cork City centre. If so please contact Michelle O’Sullivan, by email / 021 4530132 by close of business Friday 1st July. For more information on the proposed development within Phase 1 and Phase 2 please  see website.

Cork Chamber are involved as a project partner in the EU Interreg RATIO project (Regional Actions to Innovate Operational Programmes). The project aims to identify the innovative potential of rural SMEs, identifying the challenges to innovation across similar rural locations in Europe and focusing on interregional learnings and the overall development of policy tools and actions to promote innovation potential within SMEs. This is a four year project with one of the first steps being to assess innovation and the challenges to innovation amongst rural SMEs in the Cork region.


If you are involved in an SME in a rural area in Cork and would like to gain further information on this project please contact Michelle O’Sullivan, Policy and Research Executive, Cork Chamber, 021 4530132.  If you would like to nominate your SME to be involved in this first step survey assessment please make contact by Tuesday 28^th June.

MS Word – Business & Report Writing

29^th June, Cork Airport Hotel

€130 for Chamber Members

What’s it about?

This 1 day course will cover the everyday functions of MS Word and show you how to use the advanced functions, with an emphasis on the report and business writing functionality.

What’s in it for Me?

Learn how to:

• Use Speed Keys
• Document Layout & Document Control
• Working with Headers & Footers
• Enhancing the overall document appearance
• Formatting & Contents Tables

PS: Last few places left on our Effective Presentation Skills course running 5^th July next, learn about presentation techniques and how to effectively use various “Spices” to enhance their presentation.

Meet new business partners at Space 2016, Rennes (France), 14th-15th September 2016

SPACE is a key tradeshow for the livestock sector and targets companies specialising in animal feed, animal health, breeding, artificial insemination, agro-energy, farm waste, water treatment and farm machinery. This year marks the 30^th edition of the tradeshow. Companies attending the exhibition have the opportunity to meet potential new commercial and technological partners at Enterprise Europe Network’s (EEN) accompanying matchmaking event.

Electro Mobility in Smart Cities, Gothenburg (Sweden), 21st-September 2016

This EEN event is designed for international stakeholders from industry, academia and the public sector. It will comprise of a conference, seminars, study tours and a matchmaking event and is targeted around the area of electro mobility. The seminars will focus on passenger and public transportation. Guest speakers from across the world will be in attendance and local expertise will be provided on issues such as:

• What is a smart city in the context of electro-mobility?
• What impact do electric buses have on urban planning?
• What can smart cities do to accelerate electro mobility?

See ‘read more’ or contact Eimear for further information. 

• Savvy Teen Academy - Read More 
• Ludgate is OPEN for Business - West Cork’s 1000MB Digital Hub! - Read More
• Data Savvy Practitioner Forum  - Read  More 
• Business looks promising at Triskel as Frankie Whelehan is appointed new chair - Read More 
• Imperial Hotel Cork celebrates 200th birthday with glitzy bash  - Read More
• Kathryn Thomas to put Smarter Eggs through their paces - Read More
• Biotech Company, Metabolomic Diagnostics, secures funding to bring its product “PrePsia” to market with regulatory approval - Read More 
• Cork Convention Bureau Keeps Cork Meeting - Read More
• Hundreds of jobs, seminars and career advice TOMORROW at Jobs Expo Cork!  - Read More

• Cork Opera House: ''2 for 1'' Tickets to God Bless The Child  - read more
• Conversation Piece (Cork) Ltd: 50% Off RRP for a Panasonic Phone System - read more
• The Digital Department: Free Website Health Check including search engine performance analysis. 10% off any work agreed  - read more
• Skechers Retail Stores: 10% Off All Footwear - read more
• Cogans Carrigaline: Take the Toyota Hybrid Challenge - read more

• Grant Thornton Corporate 5k Team Challenge, June 29th - Read More 
• Hayfield Manor’s Burger & Beer Charity Promotion, June 19th- June 30th - Read More
• Relationship Selling and Closing More Sales, June 22nd - Read More 
• Conflicting Visions in a Turbulent Age 1900-1916, June 3rd - August 20th - Read More
• Cork Association for Autism Golf Classic, June 23rd - Read More
• Ring of Kerry Golf Classic in aid of Cork University Hospital Respiratory & Cystic Fibrosis Units, June 24th - June 26th - Read More
• The Cork and Kerry Food Forum, June 26th - June 27th -  Read More 
• Design Thinking Master Class and Workshop, June 30th - Read More 
• Diversity: An Imperative in Decision Making, July 1st - Read More
• Savvy Teen Academy , 18th - 22nd July - Read More
• INVITE to the Fuelling ambition Roadshow Breakfast Event, July 6th - Read More