Cork City Centre Movement Strategy

ARUP/MVA Consultancy alongside Cork City Council will hold a public exhibition outlining its proposals for the Cork City Centre Movement Strategy on this Wednesday (16^th January) from 3pm to 8pm in the Millennium Hall, City Hall.

A review of the existing traffic management system has been undertaken and the strategy proposes improvements for general vehicular access, public transport movement, pedestrian movement and cycling access in the city centre. 

Representatives from Cork City Council, ARUP and MVA Consultancy will be available to assist in explaining the proposals.  Cork Chamber is currently preparing a submission and welcomes input from its members.  Should you be interested in providing comments or feedback for this submission, please contact the Policy & Research Executive aislinn@corkchamber.ie before Friday 18^th January 2013.  Further information on the strategy is available here. 

Quarterly Economic Trends Survey Winner

The Policy Department would like to congratulate John Neville from Neville Jewellers who recently won an overnight stay for two at the Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa with dinner in The Lake Room Restaurant and full Irish breakfast the next morning. Our quarterly economic trends survey is essential to our work representing members on key business issues and allows the Chamber to prioritise its lobbying and representation activities.  The results of this survey are available in our Q4 2012 Economic Bulletin. 

Credit Review Office Issues Guidelines for SMEs Applying for Credit from Banks

As part of the package of supports announced to assist SMEs in Budget 2013, the Credit Review Office has issued a set of guidelines designed to help SMEs applying for credit from banks (see attached document). The guide includes information on how to apply, developing an appropriate business plan and what to do if credit is declined or withdrawn. This may be a useful document to distribute to members.

Further details are available from the CROs website here: http://www.creditreview.ie/

Project Management is all about Managing Change, Delivering to Deadlines, and working as efficiently as possible. So when the Project Management itself changes, we have to make sure we have a plan to deal with it. If you or your team has participated in project management training in the past 4 years, and are thinking about getting certified as a Project Manager – there is some important information for you to know - Every 4 years, the Project Management Institute revises its “Project Management Body of Knowledge” publication, called PMBOK® for short, which is the main reference source world-wide on how to manage a project.  It is also the reference book that Project Management Certification exams are based on. At the end of January this year, the new Fifth Edition of the PMBOK® is coming out.  The PMP and CAPM exams will switch over to this version on July 31^st 2013. 

At the end of January this year, the new Fifth Edition of the PMBOK® is coming out.  The PMP and CAPM exams will switch over to this version on July 31^st 2013.  What does this mean?

Well, if you plan to sit the PMP or CAPM exam before July 31st, you should study the current version of the PMBOK® i.e. the Fourth Edition.  If you have already completed some study using that edition, and planned to sit the exam “at some stage in the future…” well now that time has come!  You only have between now and July 30th to sit the exam, and based on past experience in Ireland, there will be a rush of people booking the available exam slots as we approach the July 31 deadline, so our advice is to get in early!

To facilitate this, BiznetCork have a number of Project Management Training courses and Exam prep courses arranged for early 2013.  In January, February, March and April we will run Project Management training courses using PMBoK® Fourth Edition.  We will also run Exam prep courses in February and early May, again based on the Fourth Edition.

From that point (2nd week in May), we will switch to the Fifth Edition, so that anybody who attends further training will be looking at an exam from July 31st or later.

The provider of PM Training for Biznetcork is AspiraCon, who are a specialist Project Management company and are Registered Education Providers for the PMI.  AspiraCon have early access to the PMBOK® Fifth edition and have already began work on the revised course.  We will provide more detail on the differences and changes to the PMBOK® when we approach the deadline.

For further information on our Project Management Courses and course dates please CLICK HERE.

See our full range of courses at www.corkchamber.ie/training

Bookings can be completed through the website and enquiries should be directed to Aoife@corkchamber.ie (Training Services Administrator)

Cork Chamber and the Marketing Institute of Ireland will co-host this seminar on “How Twitter Brings the World closer” which will feature Don O’Leary, Senior Sales Manager at Twitter. Don started in Twitter Ireland 6 months ago to launch the Twitter advertising products across Europe. Before Twitter, he worked in Google's International HQ first as an engineering manager and later as a senior sales manager. Before the world of online advertising, Don developed software for a number of startup companies in San Francisco, but also worked as a mechanical design engineer in the aerospace industry in Los Angeles.
Don will cover such topics as how companies can use Twitter as a platform for product launches, customer service, Twitter + TV as well as advertising on Twitter. You will have an opportunity to network with your Marketing Institute and Cork Chamber colleagues on the evening as well as hear some fascinating insight into how to make Twitter work for your business.

Sponsored by Real Insights

Cork Chamber, in partnership with Vodafone, has announced the companies shortlisted for the 2013 Cork Company of the Year Awards.

“Cork Chamber is delighted to work with Vodafone on these awards particularly at a time in business when it is important to recognize achievements and contribution to Cork’s economic growth. This year’s awards have seen the highest number of entrants across all categories so selecting the three shortlisted companies has been a tough challenge for the adjudication panel but we look forward to announcing the overall winners at our Annual Dinner”, commented Conor Healy, Chief Executive of Cork Chamber.

Three companies have been shortlisted in each of the categories as follows:

Large Company (more than 100 employees)

• PCH International is a global product development and supply chain solutions company.
• VMware is the global leader in Cloud & Virtualisation software services.
• Dairygold is Ireland’s leading farmer owned Dairy and Agri multi-purpose Co-Operative delivering sustainable solutions.

SME Company (less than 100 employees)

• Glenilen Farm produces a range of artisan dairy products in Drimoleague, West Cork.
• Hayfield Manor is an internationally recognised, luxury 5 star hotel in the heart of Cork city.
• Contracting Plus is the Accounting, Administration and Taxation Solution for Professional Contractors.

 Emerging Company (less than 5 years in business)

• AirDryer Systems Ltd. manufactures a range of energy efficient clothes drying appliances.
• Verde LED Ltd. manufacturers/distributors of Commercial Energy Efficient LED Lighting products.
• Keelvar Systems bring cost efficiencies to public procurement through software optimisation.

Anne O’Leary, Business & Enterprise Director at Vodafone Ireland said, “This year’s shortlist demonstrates the entrepreneurial success we’ve witnessed in Ireland over the last number of years as Irish businesses continue to develop, grow and expand into international markets.  Companies such as these are key to our economic recovery and Vodafone is very proud to support the Cork Company of the Year Awards in acknowledging their contribution to the Irish market. 

The winner in each category as well as the overall winner will be announced at the Chamber Annual Dinner on Friday, 1^st February at City Hall, Cork.

Iarnród Éireann is launching its New 2013 InterCity & Commuter Train Timetable this Sunday, 20^th January 2013. With this in mind, we would like to promote our new timetable by offering Members of Cork Chamber of Commerce, their families and friends, a special On-Line Discount Code, which will allow a 10% Discount on InterCity Rail Tickets purchased through www.irishrail.ie . The On-Line Discount Code is valid for use only on www.irishrail.ie - from Monday, 28^th January until Sunday, 3^rd February 2013 - and can be used as often as you want to purchase InterCity Rail Tickets on the Iarnród Éireann Rail Network - up to 60 days in advance. The On-Line Discount Code is: CCC1559

All members, family and friends need to do is put the above On-Line Discount Code into the “Promotional Code Box” before placing an order - on the “Step 4: Place an Order” page of the Iarnród Éireann Website, when the On-Line Discount Code is valid for use (see above for dates of validity). They will automatically receive a 10% Discount on InterCity Train Fares.

Wising everyone an enjoyable journey with Iarnród Éireann.

• The draft  RETAIL guidelines and how they will impact on Midleton and Area. 
• The draft COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN and how it will impact on East Cork and Cork County,
• The proposed abolition of Midleton Town Council & BUDGET report.
• Possible changes to GRANT AID FUNDING for projects through SECAD ( South East Cork Area Development ).

All of these major changes if and when implemented will be significant and will have a direct impact on the future development and business in our area.

This meeting will be an open forum with a question and answer session.

Please contact the Midleton & Area Chamber Office ((021 - 4613483) to register as soon as you can to enable us to book places at the hotel.